Armenian monuments guarantee for tourism development

“Historical-cultural heritage is one of the most important features in nation’s self-determination, self-consciousness. Our future depends on heritage preservation, if we lose our historical-cultural heritage, we will also lose our individuality,” Director of the Scientific Research Center on Historical-Cultural Heritage affiliated with the Armenian Ministry of Culture Hakob Simonyan
expressed such an opinion.

230m AMD has been allocated from the state budget for monument restoration this year. “As much again is needed to restore the monuments. Armenian monuments are the main guarantee for tourism development. Tourists come to Armenia just to see our cultural monuments. If we must present something abroad, it is our monuments,” Simonyan said.

According to him, nearly 25 thousand monuments are under state protection in Armenia at present. In total, the number of monuments needing protection reaches 40 thousand.

The specialist regretted to say that it is architectural structures, mostly churches, that are in the focus of attention at present, while there are many monuments, Bronze Age tombs, castles which are almost disregarded.