A French neighborhood in a traditional Armenian village
Yenokavan village of Armenia’s Tavush region will have a French neighborhood, a cultural hub of France. The ambitious initiative is authored by a French national Bernard Zhanen who settled in Armenia in the aftermath of the 1988 devastating earthquake.
The Frenchman talked to reporters today and spread light on the initiative, saying he had fallen in love with Yenokavan that was the primary reason to establish a synthesis of the Armenian and the French in a remote Armenian village.
“I have been engaged with humanitarian activity for 28 years. We used to cooperate with Armenia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations for years. And it just happened that me and my son fell in love with Yenokavan. The simple idea came to establish a French neighborhood deep inside the village, combine the Armenian traditional flavors with French traditions. Our main objective was to set up a French cuisine and construct a neighborhood in a French architectural design that would be in line with the existing local culture. Moreover, a SPA Center and an open-air swimming pool will be available for Armenian and foreign tourists,” Bernard Zhanen explained.
Aside from the French Neighborhood, The Yenokavan Development Fund plans to implement the project called Etno-Village, aimed at boosting Ethno tourism and Agro tourism.
“Foreigners for example may take lessons from the locals of carpeting, pottery and other crafts. In term of Ecotourism foreign tourists will participate at other agricultural, farming and cattle breeding activities that might attract the city residents. The culture of hotel service will be introduced in houses,” Tigran Chibukhchyan, Tourism Development coordinator of the Yenokavan Development Fund told Panorama.am.