In 2005, the Armenian alphabet celebrated its 1600th birthday. In commemoration, 39 large, carved Armenian letters were placed near the last resting place of the man who created the alphabet, Mesrop Mashtots. The place is called the Park Of Letters and can’t be missed by anyone who is travelling towards Amberd Fortress.

When Mashtots began working on the Armenian alphabet, there was a lot of pressure on him, because the newly Christian kingdom needed a Bible in its own language. Elegantly planned, Mashtots laid out the structure of the alphabet around the religion. He made the first letter A, which was the first letter in the word Astvats, or God, and the last letter K’, which began the word K’ristos, Christ. He then added the intervening 34 letters and his system has been in use ever since, aside from adding 3 more letters.

The Armenian architect, J. Torosyan, created the stone carvings of all 39 letters and set them against the backdrop of modern Armenia’s highest mountain, Mt. Aragats. These letters and the statue of Mashtots pay tribute to this complex and unique language, a source of pride for Armenia.

The Armenian education system is adept at teaching language. At six, children learn certain English phrases and learn Armenian and the Armenian alphabet. At age 7, children learn Russian and the Russian alphabet. In their first two years at school, the education system introduces children to three different languages and three different alphabets. 

From the Park of Letters, the road to Amberd is not in great condition and it’s just as well there’s not much traffic around as drivers have to avoid large potholes and large cracks in the tarmac every few hundred yards. Amberd Fortress is one of those old places where visitors can climb all over the ruins without there being any warnings, in any language. The walls are mainly, but not all, in good condition and I enjoyed scrambling along one wall to a corner tower where I enjoyed tremendous views towards the mountains along a river gorge. If you have vertigo though, don’t attempt this route as there’s a long drop on all sides.

Amberd fortress dates from the 12th Century, although there had been a stronghold at this site 500 years prior to this date. The fortress withstood the Mongols invaders in 1236, but was abandoned in 1408. The church beneath the fortress, referred to as either the Vahramashen Church or Amberd Church, dates from 1026 and is worth a visit to see the umbrella-shaped cupola and the views the church enjoys.