Armenia Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Art=== {{main|Armenian art}} {{see also|List of museums in Armenia}} [[File:Khachkar-raffi kojian-IMG 0513.JPG|thumb|upright|Ancient Armenian [[Khachkar]]s (cross-stones)]] [[Yerevan Vernissage]] (arts and crafts market), close to Republic Square, bustles with hundreds of vendors selling a variety of crafts on weekends and Wednesdays (though the selection is much reduced mid-week). The market offers woodcarving, antiques, fine lace, and the hand-knotted wool carpets and kilims that are a Caucasus speciality. [[Obsidian]], which is found locally, is crafted into assortment of jewellery and ornamental objects. Armenian gold smithery enjoys a long tradition, populating one corner of the market with a selection of gold items. Soviet relics and souvenirs of recent Russian manufacture β nesting dolls, watches, enamel boxes and so on β are also available at the Vernisage. Across from the Opera House, a popular art market fills another city park on the weekends. Armenia's long history as a crossroads of the [[ancient history|ancient world]] has resulted in a landscape with innumerable fascinating [[archaeological site]]s to explore. [[Middle Ages|Medieval]], [[Iron Age]], [[Bronze Age]] and even [[Stone Age]] sites are all within a few hours drive from the city. All but the most spectacular remain virtually undiscovered, allowing visitors to view churches and fortresses in their original settings. [[File:Zabel return.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Isabella, Queen of Armenia|Queen Zabel]]'s Return to the Palace'', [[Vardges Sureniants]] (1909)]] The National Art Gallery in Yerevan has more than 16,000 works that date back to the [[Middle Ages]], which indicate Armenia's rich tales and stories of the times. It houses paintings by many [[Ethnic groups in Europe|European]] masters as well. The Modern Art Museum, the Children's Picture Gallery, and the [[Martiros Saryan]] Museum are only a few of the other noteworthy collections of fine art on display in Yerevan. Moreover, many private galleries are in operation, with many more opening every year, featuring rotating exhibitions and sales. On 13 April 2013, the Armenian government announced a change in law to allow [[freedom of panorama]] for 3D works of art.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.am/legislation.php?sel=show&ID=4717 |title=Legislation: National Assembly of Armenia |publisher=Parliament.am |access-date=26 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701073128/http://www.parliament.am/legislation.php?sel=show&ID=4717 |archive-date=1 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page