Sisian

In southern Armenia we stayed in a small town called Sisian. It had a peaceful and relaxed feel about it with not much traffic. The town is surrounded by wide open green grassy plains and high mountains. The buildings in the town are made of big rectangular blocks of dark grey volcanic rock. This part of Armenia is a narrow strip that lies in between the exclaves of Nagorno Karabagh to the northeast and Naxchevan to the southwest.


In the evening the streets were strangely busy with many people hanging out. There was very little motor traffic and the peace mingled with so many loitering bodies gave the town square a strange air of anticipation.


The park has a collection of old rams-head gravestones on display.




To get to the town we passed accross the mountains at a height of 4000m. At the pass there was a big sign saying "The Armenian Silk Road". Just outside the town is a small ruined caravanserai; an old inn where long distance travellers on the Silk Road from China could rest their animals (camels) and spend the night.

The old straight track going past the old caravanserai. Perhaps it hasn't changed much.