Great memories from Machanents toun in Ejmiadzin

In one of my previous stories, I told you about the city of Holy Ejmiadzin which is the main religious center of Armenia and the residence of Head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. However, besides being home of four famous churches named Mayra tor, St. Gajane, St. Hripsime and St. Shoghakat, Ejmiatzin is also known for a cultural place called Machanents toun, from where you can take great memories. 

Machanents toun

Machanents Tourism & Art, 36 Shahumyan Street, Vagharshapat, Armenia

Machanents toun translated means "the Machanent’s home", and it is a home where people live and create artworks. This cultural corner aims at helping people in need through an NGO “Cross of Armenian Unity”, and everything you spend there will go to the charity. The “Home” offers several services among which is the Guesthouse, where you can stay overnight if you wish to explore Ejmiadzin the next day as well. Here, you are offered not only to try the traditional eco-food but also to participate in its preparation, including the making of traditional long and thin bread Lavash. This place is good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well.

In the Machanents home, there is a gallery founded in 2016, where one can get familiar with the works (paintings, collages and books) of Machanents. In another small gallery called "Gift" are represented the paintings of Grigor Babakhanyan. In the international gallery are the works that Machanents had represented in the international symposiums. Last but not least, the Kid's gallery shows the clay artworks prepared by kids.

A not less interesting corner is the museum that operates since 2000, where the works collected by Machanents Babakhanyan for 30 years are exhibited. The number of those works grows thanks to the donations and presents. The exhibit includes the items representing the culture and daily life of Armenians. There is also a Pottery Museum (representing ancient clay works), Museum of Heart voices (here the visitor can record his/her heart voice), World poets’ winery Museum (where one can get familiar with the history of winemaking). An interesting fact about this corner is that here you can buy the wine and ask to place it in the collages of the wine tables that are in the gallery, so it gets aged (also mentioning on it the year you are going to be back to open it). It is kind of a motivating thing you to be back there to try your wine after a couple of years.

From the souvenir shop, the travelers can get different small and big hand-made works. Here, you can also find traditional Armenian carpets including the eco ones. Very often open classes of clay work are organized for tourists and locals, along with cultural entertainment activities. In one word, Machanents toun in Ejmiadzin is a small house that promises to be a spot where you will collect great memories.