The national symbols of Armenia have a long history and encompass thousand year old traditions of the Armenian people, as well as Armenian heraldic, musical and artistic traditions. This page provides an incomplete list of those symbols.
The flag of Armenia is consisted out of three colour stripes of the same width: red, blue, orange, from top to bottom, the width-length ratio of the flag is 1:2. Red symbolises the Armenian highlands, the Armenian people continuous struggle for survival, maintenance of the Christian faith, Armenian freedom and independence. Blue symbolises the will of Armenian people to live under the peaceful skies, and the orange symbolises the hard-working nature and the creative talent of the people of Armenia.[1]
The coat of arms of Armenia is a rendition of the coat of arms of the First Republic of Armenia, which existed between 1918 and 1920. On the shield in the center, the mount Ararat is depicted with the Noah's Ark on top, which is one of the symbols of modern Armenia. The four Armenian royal dynasties are depcted in clockwise direction from top-left: Bagratids, Arsacids, Rubenids and Artaxiads. There is a lion to the right of the shield and an eagle to the left. In the bottom there is a sword, a branch of a tree, a bundle of spikes, a chain and a ribbon. Armenian coat of arms has the colors of Armenian flags.
The anthem of the Republic of Armenia is called "Mer Hayrenik"/"Our Fatherland". It is the slightly modified version of the Anthem of the First Republic of Armenia, and based on the poem by Michael Nalbandian with the music composed by Barsegh Kanachian.
Considered the traditional founder of Armenia, to which he gave his namesake (Hayk/Hayastan) and occasionally considered as the ancestor to all Armenians.
Ararat is a sacred mountain for Armenians. Armenians believe that Noah's Ark landed on it and became the foundation of the Armenian nation. It is one of the most recognizable and iconic national symbols of Armenia.[2]
The duduk is an Armenian national instrument hailing out of the Kingdom of Urartu. The original name for this instrument is tsiranapokh, which roughly translates as an "apricot tube". Duduk's are made solely out of apricot wood, since it gives it a distinct sound.[2]
The academic name for apricot is "Prunus Armeniaca" due to the suspected Armenian origin, as Alexander the Great originally brought the fruit from Rome. The fruit plays an enormous role in Armenian culture and folklore. The Armenian national musical instrument, duduk, is made from apricot tree wood.[2]
Cross-stones or khachkars is an ancient Armenian symbol unique to Armenian culture of the great architectural value. Khachkars are made on variety of occasions: victory in a war, death of a person, completion of construction of a temple or a bridge and et. cetera. Every khachkar differs from one another, so it is almost impossible to find an identical one.
Forget-me-not is a symbol of the commemoration of the Armenian genocide and appeared following its Centennial. The yellow part symbolizes the memorial of Tsitsernakaberd, and the purple colour denotes the recognition and the condemnation of the genocide.[3]
The lion is an Armenian national animal and was the symbol of various Armenian dynasties from the Bagratids to Rubenids. Currently, however, lions are not present on the territory of Armenia.
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