A tiny Nation, only 30,000 square feet in area, Armenia has great historical significance. The first Christian nation and considered to be the cradle of civilization, she is located in the Southern Caucasus, a land bridge from Europe to Asia, and is landlocked by Turkey on the west, Georgia on the north, Azerbaijan on the east, and Iran on the south. The most notable of Armenia ’s geographic features are mountains and numerous mountain lakes, the largest of which is Lake Sevan, Armenia’s pearl.

Armenia ’s long and tumultuous history, marked by invasions, occupations, and massacres—battered by war for more than 3,000 years, shaped Armenian culture, and the art that expresses that culture, as well as Armenia’s ever-changing geography and unique mountainous landscape reflected in its architecture and art. Few people have endured so many trials and rebounded with such dignity and strength. Recent history tells only a part of the devastating story—the massacres of the 1890s wherein the Turkish Ottomans killing hundreds of thousands of Armenians in 1896; a second series of massacres in 1908 later determined to be a “dress-rehearsal” for the 1915 genocide perpetrated by the Turks which took the lives of more than one and one-half million Armenians; 70 years of Soviet rule through the end of the Century; a massive earthquake in 1988 that took the lives of more than 50,000 people and injured many more; and the 1988-1994 war with Azerbaijan and its subsequent economic blockades. The repercussions of these years are many, including a weakened health care delivery system.

And so it is here in Armenia that the American doctors and the Armenian people come together to fight blindness—each with a deep respect for the other. The American doctors for the resilience and the internal strength and beauty of the Armenian people. The Armenians for the caring, quiet dedication of the American doctors who come to help miracles along just because they are needed.