What to bring from Armenia as a gift – 25 best souvenirs

Armenia is an ancient and picturesque country, attractive for tourism with its unique nature with picturesque mountains, transparent lakes of Sevan and Arpi, ancient monuments of history and culture. But, in addition, it is famous for its abundant orchards and vineyards, amazing national cuisine and intoxicating drinks.

Board games

Board games are very popular. They amaze with the abundance of assortment and skillful execution. Real works of arts and crafts, which will be a great gift for lovers of board games, will be chess and backgammon, made both in a factory way and by the golden hands of masters.

The production of chess pieces carved from wood has been brought to perfection. Many types of chess sets will allow you to find the golden mean in terms of price and artistic performance of the pieces. Backgammon will amaze you with even greater variety – boards divided into 2 halves, with wood carvings on the outside and inside, depicting a variety of national ornaments.

Silk-screened backgammon looks like a real work of art. Accessories for backgammon are no less interesting: dice made of a billiard ball, ivory, as well as gold and silver.

Cosmetics

Natural cosmetics are made with extracts of herbs growing in ecologically clean mountainous areas and healing oils of vegetable and fruit crops. A well-known cosmetic brand is “Narin-E” cosmetics. Anti-aging and antibacterial creams with garlic and serum, face cream-milk, which cleanses and moisturizes the skin, will appeal to women.

Noteworthy are inexpensive and high-quality shampoos “Narin-E” for normal and oily hair, after which dandruff disappears and hair is perfectly styled. The abundance of oils will not leave you indifferent. Rose oil with a rejuvenating effect is a wonderful aphrodisiac, almond oil is an excellent remedy for inflammation and skin burns.

With apricot oil, hair care and anti-cellulite massage are recommended. An effective means for lifting is recognized as a mix of oils from pomegranates, apricots and almonds, as well as from apricot, almond and pomegranate seeds. You will also be offered many options for therapeutic soap, made with the addition of red sapphire powder, a large amount of vegetable and essential oils, cocoa butter and plant extracts.

Another equally popular brand is Nairian. They have their own production and laboratory, located in the village of Aragyugh. The company creates all its products by hand and uses only high quality essential oils and plant extracts.

Books

If there are bibliophiles and lovers of reading on traditional paper media in your environment, then a book will be the best gift for them. The historical events that took place in the country are covered in books on the history of Armenia. On the shelves of bookstores you will find biographical works about political and public figures, a selection dedicated to the Armenian genocide.

Of great interest is a series of historical novels. Colorfully designed publications about the wonders of Armenia, its natural palette will certainly arouse interest. Armenians are a poetic nation, therefore a lot of poetry is published in the country, including in Russian.

The series “Library of Armenian Classics” is beautifully designed. Colorful publications introduce the art and culture of the country. These are albums – catalogs of works by Armenian artists, books about artists. It is also useful to buy a Russian-Armenian phrase book for communication. A good gift for children will be beautifully illustrated fairy tales, including in Russian.

Wood products

The tree enjoys special respect among Armenian craftsmen, who know how to create a real work of art from it. In souvenir shops and markets you will find a huge range of wood products. Wooden utensils will attract attention – decorative plates decorated with national motifs, flower and fruit vases, jugs, cups, many types of cutting boards.

Let's move on from dishes to souvenirs and see a collection of figurines depicting the heroes of Armenian legends, table and wall clocks, carved paintings and wooden panels. A magnificent present will be wooden models of churches and cultural monuments.

Women should pay attention to skillfully made wooden jewelry: combs, bracelets, beads, hairbands, earrings with national ornaments and beautiful patterns. For men, wooden coasters for a bottle of wine or cognac, wine kegs will become a popular gift. Almost all products are handmade and affordable.

Leather products

If you want to bring a leather jacket, skirt, gloves or wallet, you will be disappointed by their poor assortment and high price, since these items are mainly brought from abroad. The fact is that in the country they are not engaged in the development of thin and soft leather. The material for clothes and accessories is rather rough leather, which stands out with a beautiful texture.

You will like women's and men's bags of a wide variety of colors and models, clutches, travel bags, purses made of rough leather, belts, backpacks and accessories. They have a decent appearance and do not wear out for years. For women, you can find stylish leather bracelets.

If you want to buy a branded bag, then visit the Yera Bags bag store in Yerevan, where you will be surprised by the range of models and their quality. Here you can pick up a fashionable bag and creative bags made of textured leather with multi-colored inserts, appliqués and patterns.

Ceramics

Ceramics is a traditional craft known far beyond the borders of the country. Ceramic products are made from red clay, then covered with glaze and decorated most often with traditional ornaments. Despite the fact that ceramic items are quite fragile, you still cannot resist buying something for yourself and as a gift, looking at the huge selection of dishes and home accessories.

Ceramic plates, dishes, teapots, jugs, cups, tea sets, cake bowls and spice sets conquer with their originality and skillful workmanship. With ceramic magnets, frames and small boxes you can please your family and friends.

To decorate the interior, decorative dishes with paintings, a variety of ceramic figurines, figurines of animals and small installations with scenes from ancient myths and legends will become original souvenirs. For men, an interesting gift will be a ceramic ashtray.

Jewelry

Not a single woman can resist the abundance of affordable and colorful jewelry made by Armenian jewelers. Passing through the World of Gold jewelry market and souvenir shops, you will see a scattering of jewelry with natural semi-precious stones framed in 925 sterling silver and gold.

Rings with obsidian, carved openwork rings, silver pendants in the form of garnets of various shapes and stones, unique earrings, brooches, bracelets are considered a popular gift here. The assortment of stones in jewelry framed with precious metals delights: purple zircon, hematite, rock crystal, emerald, garnet, carborundum.

Made with grace, they look very beautiful, striking high quality. Large selection of beads made of semi-precious stones. For those who are interested in unique gold jewelry with precious stones, it is worth visiting special jewelry boutiques.

Carpets

Handmade designer carpets with a traditional pattern do not lose their relevance in creating home comfort and warmth. Carpet weaving here has been passed down for centuries from generation to generation. Here you will find several varieties of carpet products, differing in hairiness, density, ornaments and shades.

Small carpets – lambalo with a border of geometric patterns and a solid middle are characterized by a small pile. Carpets of unusual shades of dyes – Shulaveri – will attract attention. Carpets woven by craftsmen in the Vorchalo region stand out for their silkiness and geometric patterns of unusual shapes.

Arhalo carpets are not characterized by dense weaving, they conquer with beautiful floral patterns on the border, with tulips or lilies in the center. Pay attention to lint-free handmade carpets, called carpets. For a gift, you can take handmade rugs and rugs with national ornaments or modern style.

Musical instruments

The best gift for a musician will certainly be the national wind musical instrument – duduk (reed flute). The lyrical sounds of the duduk cannot be confused with any sounds made by other wind instruments. They reproduce all the heartache and sadness of the Armenian people, exterminated by the Turks. The age of the duduk is more than a thousand years, so the craftsmen have accumulated centuries-old experience in its manufacture, having tried several types of wood.

The best-sounding duduks are made from apricot wood, which grows in the country. They produce the purest sound. The duduk looks like carved tubes with nine playing holes and a double reed. Its sound occurs when two plates vibrate from the air flow. The external design of the duduk can be traditional or with applied ornaments. You can find and choose a national instrument in any souvenir shop.

Cezva

Traditional cezves are made wherever coffee is drunk, but the Armenian one is easy to distinguish from Indian and Turkish products. Cezves here are made of copper, usually by hand craftsmen in family workshops, who own the centuries-old secrets of their production. The copper cezve has its own name – srjep. It is made of real copper, safe for health, coated inside with food tin. Occasionally you can find a brass cezve for sale.

When made by craftsmen, an inner copper sheet of 1-2 mm is superimposed on an outer sheet with decor, resulting in dishes with double walls. An important feature of a high-quality Armenian cezve was the absence of seams that could diverge or oxidize when used. But first of all, you will be attracted by the artistic design of coffee utensils, generously decorated with embossing, engraving, forged decorative elements. The cezves depicting scenes from local legends and beautiful floral ornaments are especially striking.

Dagger

An original souvenir for a man will be a dagger serving as a cold weapon and an attribute of every Armenian man. This country is famous for the manufacture of highly artistic and high-quality edged weapons – daggers, sabers and daggers, which have been flourishing here for many centuries. Daggers are made from a special alloy of metals, which is durable. Hereditary craftsmen, making a dagger, saber or dagger, put a piece of their soul into them and therefore they delight with their decoration.

Their authenticity is expressed by decorating with stones, intricate carvings, inlaid with all kinds of decorative materials. A wide variety of types and decorations of daggers, sold only at craftsmen's fairs and bazaars, even makes it difficult to choose. When buying such souvenirs, you need to know that it is allowed to take a dagger out of the country to Russia, without fail declaring it.

Clothing and footwear

Many travelers believe that buying locally produced clothes and shoes is not worth it. It differs little from the Russian one, but it costs more. If you pay attention to authentic clothes, then in every souvenir shop you can find national costumes called taraz. They can be bought in a complete set for men and women and its individual elements. Large selection of national shirts, women's dresses and shirts – halavas, men's vests with national ornaments.

From men's hats, you will see many papakhas made of fur, knitted and fabric, as well as hats in the shape of a cylinder. Women's headdresses are sold in the form of high cones and turrets, decorated with embroidery, ribbons with coins, stones and patterns. Such clothes are expensive, and hardly anyone in Russia will wear them every day. If you still decide to surprise someone with such a colorful souvenir, then walk around the shops and markets to compare prices.

Dried fruits

Under the blessed sun, many exquisite types and varieties of fruits are grown. The greatest benefit of fresh fruits is retained by natural dried fruits produced here in large quantities. They are in high demand both at home and abroad. The absence of sugar in them and great taste make them indispensable vitamin and healthy sweets. In the assortment of Armenian dried fruits you will find many varieties of raisins, dried apricots, dried peaches and pears, figs, prunes and cornelian cherry.

Dried melons and watermelons have excellent taste qualities. A large number of fruit and vegetable sweets in the form of candied strawberry, currant and pumpkin candied fruits, eggplant chips will appeal to you and your loved ones. Assorted dried fruits, artistically decorated in the form of plates and hearts, will be a wonderful gift. What is important, Armenian dried fruits are not processed in any way to extend the shelf life.

Jams and jams

From the numerous fruits and vegetables that the Armenian land is rich in, extraordinarily tasty jams, marmalades and marmalades are brewed, delighting with traditional magnificent and exotic tastes. Of great interest to Russian tourists are unusual jams made from white mulberry, rose petals, walnuts, figs, peaches. Here you can even try pumpkin, eggplant and squash jam.

Traditional apricot, quince, plum, dogwood, blackberry, pear jams also have a wonderful taste. On the shelves of grocery stores and markets there is a large selection of extraordinarily delicious jams: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, feijoa, apricot-raspberry, sea buckthorn, prepared according to traditional old “homemade” recipes.

The prices for preserves and jams will pleasantly surprise you, and your relatives, friends and guests will be able to enjoy their excellent taste if you take them with you when leaving the country.

Compotes and syrups

The abundance of fruits and berries, which Transcaucasia is famous for, necessitates their processing and long-term storage. One of the ways that serves this purpose is canned fruit and berry compotes. They are prepared from dense ripe fruits that retain their presentation, excellent taste and are sold in glassware with a capacity of 1 liter. On the shelves of stores you will see an extensive range of such products: from cherry plum, apricots, peaches, dogwood, blackthorn, plums – with and without stones.

Healthy compotes from sea buckthorn, grapes and feijoa, berry compotes – from strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, black mulberries. Compotes are popular – assorted mixtures of apricots and cherries. Based on the juices of the listed fruits and berries and sugar, a large number of syrups are produced here that preserve the aroma and taste of fruits. Compotes and syrups can be a wonderful dessert and storehouse of vitamins for your loved ones.

Arishta

Arishta is a traditional Armenian homemade noodles in the form of thin long strips or threads. Such noodles are made in Turkey (kesme), Azerbaijan (erishte), and the historical roots of this product go back to Persia. Unlike Turkish and Azerbaijani noodles, Armenians do not add milk to arishta. The basis for the preparation of arishta is flour, salt and water. For sweet arishta, sugar is added instead of salt. From this universal flour product, any dishes are prepared here – first, second and desserts.

A traditional wedding dish among Armenians is a wedding soup with arishta noodles. The national soup Harmashi is cooked with it, as well as mushroom, lentil soups and even pilaf. Halva is prepared from sweet arishta. In stores, you can see two varieties of arishta – for lunch and for dessert, and when you come home using recipes from the Internet, cook a dish and treat your friends. Arishta is sold in transparent packages of 400 grams and 1 kilogram.

natural honey

The beneficial and healing properties of honey containing pollen, a set of useful vitamins and microelements have long been known. Local honey is a product supplied to the market from well-known apiaries and farms in the country. Gathered on ecologically clean flowering meadows at an altitude of up to 2000m, thick Armenian honey in its composition and biologically active substances surpasses Argentinean and Chinese beekeeping products, which are considered the best in the world.

The choice of high-quality sweets here is great, and the price will pleasantly surprise you. It is not easy to navigate the numerous varieties of honey, we will give only samples tested by great demand from buyers: Tamara natural flower BIO honey, Aragats honey with honeycombs, Aragats natural flower honey, honey with walnuts and Aparan mountain honey. Sweetness is sold in glass jars of 320 grams and 500 grams. Homemade tea with Armenian honey will be a pleasant memory of the trip.

Mulberry doshab

During your vacation you will come across a lot of plantations of mulberry trees (mulberries), the fruits of which are very tasty, but too tender – unsuitable for transportation. They are processed immediately after collection for jams, jams, compotes, halva, churchkhela. A valuable and useful product made from mulberry is a healing drink – mulberry doshab. It is a mulberry syrup prepared without sugar by boiling the juice until it thickens.

Mulberry doshab is a dark-colored product with an oily sheen, completely natural, healthy and tasty. By its consistency, it is similar to honey, it is a high-calorie and sweet syrup with a pleasant aroma. Mulberry doshab is sold in glassware with a volume of 360 grams and has a shelf life of 2 years. Healthy sweet syrup will certainly appeal to children, it does not cause allergies, saturating the body with useful trace elements and vitamins.

Condiments and spices

Spices and seasonings are in the arsenal of every housewife. Do not miss the opportunity to purchase rare aromatic spices for which the country is famous. Hypermarkets, shops, markets and stores offer an abundance of spices for meat, fish and vegetable dishes, made up of several seasonings. In the market, more than 100 different spices and seasonings are sold by weight. There you can also find gift sets in beautiful glass jars with Armenian ornaments.

Local spices delight with their aroma, and the price is cheaper than in Russia. The most popular spices bought by tourists are saffron, rosemary, saffron, cloves, cardamom, ground cinnamon and sticks, star anise fruits and various mixtures. Many people bring home packs of grape leaves for making dalma, sold in 0.5 liter plastic bottles.

Cheese

The country produces several types of unique cheeses that are rarely seen in Russia. The simplest cheese is zhazhik, which is made from matsun and is a fermented milk product. It is decanted from a cloth bag, adding herbs and spices. It is worth trying cheeses made from goat's and sheep's milk, with special starter cultures, ripening in wineskins. Brine raw materials of the Chanakh variety are prepared from cow's milk in special vats, with the addition of honey, white wine or syrup to the brine. If you prefer soft cheeses, take a look at Lori, made from a mixture of cow's milk and buffalo.

It ripens for a month and a half in a film, is characterized by a salty and spicy taste, as well as holes in the cut. Chechil cheese, made from milk with rennet, is best suited for the road. It turns out quite hard cheese, woven into braids. Without the addition of preservatives, it remains fresh for a long time without losing its beneficial properties. The choice of any of these varieties will be a wonderful treat for your loved ones.

Sweets

The excellent taste of local sweets is known far beyond the borders of the country. Their advantage is not only an amazing taste, but also the absence of various food additives in their preparation. Armenians have learned how to make oriental sweets for long-term storage with nuts and other natural products without preservatives.

Let's see what sweet delicacies you can bring back from your trip to please your loved ones, colleagues and friends. In stores you will find black toffee, Karabakh and Armenian baklava, gofre baklava, Armenian snickers, khanuma. Everywhere on sale there is an abundance of delicious nut tubes – sujuk go sharots, made from grape and other juice with nuts.

The local churchkhela differs from the Georgian delicacy by the addition of cardamom and cloves, a more tasty and delicate shell. Pay attention to the delicious Armenian sweetness of alani – rolls or assorted dried fruits stuffed with honey, walnut, cinnamon, cloves and vanillin.

Tea and coffee

The geographical position creates favorable ecological conditions for the growth of herbs. More than 4 thousand species of plants grow on the mountain slopes and plains. No wonder herbal teas are traditional drinks in every family. Herbal preparations are also used for medicinal purposes, offering mixtures of several herbs and plants: for colds, headaches, heart, kidney, stomach and others. Pay attention to the loose tea of ​​the premium class “Black Thyme” with the addition of herbs and flowers in Sri Lankan long leaf black tea. It has a rich taste and unique aroma of mountain freshness.

Herbal tea “Fragrant mix” with mint, hawthorn, St. John's wort and lemon balm collected on the mountain slope is an excellent general strengthening drink with a pleasant taste. For avid coffee lovers, it will be a discovery that quality coffee beans are sold in Armenian shops, markets and supermarkets. Bringing Armenian herbal teas and coffee as a gift from a trip around the country, you will not disappoint your relatives and friends.

Cognac

Cognac, produced in the country for over 200 years, is one of the best alcoholic drinks in the world. It is produced according to French technology, using a special grape variety with a vanilla-chocolate taste, grown in the vineyards of the Ararat River valley. For better must fermentation, the grapes are harvested unripe and not sweet. On sale you will find three types of cognac of any brand: ordinary, aged from 3 to 5 years; vintage – with an exposure of more than 6 years and collection, aged after 6 years for another 3 years in oak barrels.

The best brand of cognac is Ararat cognac, but you should not ignore the brandies of the brands: Armenika, Sayat Nova, Akhtamari and Noy, known for their excellent taste. Cognac bought in Yerevan in the shops of the Ararat or Noy factories will cost less. Armenian cognac brought from the country will be a good gift for men and a warm memory of traveling around the country.

Wine

Fortified and dessert grape wines have been produced in the country since the 9th-10th centuries. The famous red wine “Areni”, obtained from the grape variety of the same name, is considered the best. It conquers with taste and woody notes thanks to three years of aging in oak barrels. It is worth paying attention to the semi-sweet white wine “Muscat”.

But the special pride of Armenian winemaking is the assortment and unique taste of fruit and berry wines, the aftertaste of which remains in memory for a long time. A quince wine, transparent as a crystal, has a stunning taste. The aroma of ripe plum pits seduces the prune wine. The semi-sweet pomegranate wine of the Aspet variety with a nutty aftertaste deserves special praise.

The flavor spectrum of fruit and berry alcoholic drinks is represented by: dark burgundy blackberry wine with the taste and aroma of berries, pink raspberry wine, white semi-sweet “Echmiadzin” with a citrus flavor and cherry “Getashen”, similar to Cahors. Buying wine as a gift is advised at the factory in the village of Areni and in company stores.

Hair

Chacha is a traditional strong alcoholic drink, the production of which is famous for the republics of the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. It is often bought by tourists as a gift, which always comes in handy when meeting relatives and friends. Chacha is a grape vodka with a strength of 50 to 80 degrees.

Chacha is prepared with a strength of 50-60 degrees and at home, using pomace of non-varietal grapes, distilling them twice in a moonshine still. Often, pomegranate, apricots, dogwood and other fruits are added to it. Most often, such alcohol is consumed in its pure form, but it is also used for cocktails, adding fruit juice and ice.

Another pride of Armenians is mulberry, which is vodka from mulberries with a strength of 80 degrees, made by three times a day and distillation of fermented berries. You can buy factory-made chacha in beautiful gift bottles in the alcohol department of a grocery store or duty free.