Tourist Office

There is no tourist office in Echmiadzin, but Harutiun at the Khoren Ter Harutian Sculpture Museum (* 5-20-38) provides helpful information, and can arrange guided tours to all the historic and cultural sites (English, French, German), as well as overnights in family homes.

Alternately try the Echmiadzin Book Store inside the Cathedral Complex, which supplies historic maps and English language books, but no guide books or brochures.

Money

Dollars and AMD are interchangeable in Echmiadzin, locals preferring dollars for overnights and large purchases. The Central Bank is located one block west of Komitas H’raperak on the alley just behind the M'her Abeghian Museum, open Monday to Friday from 9 am-1.30 pm, exchange services only.

Other exchange points are located in the Arevtri Center off of Mashtotsi Aigee, on Mashtots Poghots near H’raperak, at the Shuka, and at Credit Yerevan Bank (* 4-69-29), Mashtots Poghots 68, open Monday to Friday from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. Credit Yerevan Bank accepts wire transfers, and says they can arrange with the head bank in Yerevan for credit card cash advances.

Communications

Sending Post rarely works, but for those who want to try, the Post Office (53) is located just off Komitas H’raperak on Mashtots Poghots (gate is directly behind the Communications Building) and is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm., Saturday 9 am to 1 pm. Echmiadzin's postal code is 378310.

Telephone, Telegraph and Xerox are in the Communications building (51) on eastern face of Komitas H’raperak. The telegram office is open 8 am to 5 pm, the telephone office 24 hours. Echmiadzin's telephone code is 8-259 inside Armenia, +374-259 from outside Armenia.

Travel Agents

Air Tickets can be found at several agents in Echmiadzin, including the air ticket office in the Communications Building (50) on Komitas H’raperak , open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and at Aiyax (ai-AHKS) Air Tickets (54), (* 5-74-72), at Mashtots Poghots 110 .

Bookshops

The Book Store (71) of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin, located just inside the front Gate to the Complex, has a good selection of reasonably priced books, booklets, historic maps and pamphlets in Armenian and Russian, with a few in English. The books are mainly religious in nature, though an excellent catalogue of a recent Moscow exhibition of artifacts from the Katoghikos Treasury Museum is on sale for 8000 AMD. A soon to be released guide to Armenia's churches in English is currently being printed by the church and is expected by early 1999.

Souvenirs include decently priced gold and silver necklaces and bracelets, ceramics, hand-carved wooden khachkars and hand-painted replicas of medieval manuscript miniatures. Open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm.

Another bookshop (10) is located across the bus station on Atarbekian Poghots, at the corner with Baghramian Poghots. Armenian and Russian language books only and some office supplies.

Libraries

The Main Library (26) is located on the Western side of Komitas H’raperak at the corner of Atarbekian Poghots. The library is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm and 2 to 5 pm. The staff is extremely helpful, pulling heaps of books and old maps from their archives. All are in Armenian or Russian, but the drawings, plans and maps are easily understood. Library pass costs 50 AMD a year, but donations are appreciated (and should be given).

A rare treat is the Children's library (63), located one block south of Mashtots Poghots on Kostanian Poghots (across from the kiosks), open from 9 am to 1 pm and 2 to 5 pm Monday to Saturday. The library is small, but the children's books are excellent for learning Armenian from. The collection of Armenian legends and history books are masterworks of design.

Culture Center

The Echmiadz'ni M'shakuiti Culturai Palat (24 on city map) (ehch-mee-ah-dz'n-EE m'shak-wi-TEE cool-toor-ah-EE pah-LAHT, Echmiadzin Culture Palace) is located on the north side of Mashtots Poghots, midway between H’raperak and Hripsimeh Vank. The building is a large classical building made of tuf stone. The center includes the Aznavor Theatre, which performs several times a year; traditional dance and music groups (worth a visit just to watch rehearsals), and the Children's Center (* 5-30-54, 4-77-70), managed by a nonprofit NGO dedicated to providing clothing, food and traditional classes to Echmiadzin's children. So far they are assisting 250 children in the city, free of charge. They give occasional traditional music and dance performances, and their craft center has an amazing collection of fabric art, macramé and woodcarvings made by the children, on sale to support their work.

If a performance from any group is on, a sign will be placed on the sidewalk outside the palace.

Film & Photography

Kodak and Konica Film Shops (11, 16, 39, 56) are located along Atarbekian and Mashtots Poghots. The Kodak Shop (16) at the corner of Atarbekian and Baghramian Poghots can do same day development (1000AMD for 36 exposures plus 120AMD per print). Open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm.

Laundry and Dry Cleaner

The laundry and dry cleaner (82), (* 4-38-12, 4-35-83) is on Issy les Moulineaux, one block west of Araratian, open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm. The building is not marked, but has metal grills over the windows and door. Laundry is 300AMD per kilo, dry cleaning varies from 300 AMD per pair of pants to 600AMD for suit coats. They will pick up and deliver for an additional 1000 AMD.

MEDICAL AID: Hospital, Polyclinic, Optician

Echmiadzin Hospital (3 on city map), (* 5-60-27) is located behind the Maternity Hospital on Spendarian Poghots, 50 meters east of Baghramian Poghots. Look for the Russian ÀÏÒÅÊÀ sign next to the main entrance. Open 24 hours.

The Main Polyclinic ( 2 on city map), (* 5-25-68) is located at the corner of Baghramian and Spendarian Poghots, and is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. An optician is located opposite the bus station on Atarbekian Poghots, open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5 pm.

Dentists

Atamnabuzhner (ah-tahm-nah-boozh-NEHR) can be found at the State Dental Polyclinic (13 ), (* 5-63-31), next to the Computer Games on Atarbekian Poghots, 50 meters east of the bus station, open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm.

A 24 hour service private dentist (35 ), (* 4-25-27) is located one block north of Mashtots Poghots on Kirov, at the end of the apartment building on the west.

Pharmacies

Baghramian Poghots is called Deghatun (deh-ghah-TOON) or Apteka (ahp-THE-kah) Poghots for the number of pharmacies located there. Except for narcotic medication, most medicine can be bought without a prescription. A 24 hour deghatun is Karma (4 on city map), (* 5-25-32 or 3-78-88 after 11 pm) at Baghramian 47.

Emergency

Emergency numbers are

Fire (01), Police (02) and Ambulance (03).