Armenian Alphabet Monument

In 2005, for the sixteen-hundredth anniversary of Mesrop Mashtots creating the Armenian alphabet, thirty-nine letters were carved in tufa, each about two metres tall, and set out in a field on the lower slope of Aragats. Statues of Mashtots and other figures stand among them. Visitors find the initials of their own names and photograph them, which is exactly what the place is for, and Aragats stands behind the whole arrangement.

What you actually see

• The thirty-nine letters - two-metre tufa carvings of the full alphabet, set out in the field.
• The Mashtots statue - the alphabet's creator among his letters.
• The Aragats backdrop - the four-peaked mountain rising behind the site.
• The carving styles - each letter cut with different ornamental detail.

When to go

April to November is comfortable; the site is exposed and snowy in winter. Late afternoon light is the best for photographs. The field is windy in most seasons.

Honest expectations

It is a photo stop of twenty minutes and there is nothing else on site. There is no shade, no water and no facilities. It is a modern monument, not a historic one.

Nearby

Byurakan Observatory is further up the mountain road, and Amberd is beyond it.