The armenian architecture developed over the last 4,500 years of habitation in the Armenian Highland (the eastern part of Asia Minor), but its greatest achievement are the medieval churches (let us not forget that Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion, an event traditionally dated to AD 301.). This country has abundant resources of stone, and relatively few forests, so stone was nearly always used throughout for large buildings. In addition, the region being prone to earthquakes, the buildings were erected with this hazard in mind, resulting sturdy, low-slung and thick-walled structures. Even if many relics of Armenia's past, such as churches, cemeteries and khachkars, have been subject to devastation as a result of Anti-Armenianism, some of them survived, several being included among UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and others being proposed in Tentative List.
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