On the occasion of International Women's Day, it is customary to speak about women who change the world around them through their work and talent. In Uzbekistan, there are many such examples in science, culture, education, and tourism. One of them is Armida Nazaryan, a philologist, guide, and head of the El Meros historical costume theater, who has been telling guests about Samarkand and its history for many years.

Armida Nazaryan conducts tours of Samarkand for high-ranking guests of Uzbekistan, writes scripts, loves history and languages, and also rescues cats, placing them in good families. Her name, Armida, is of Latin-Greek origin, meaning "armed," and appears in literature, such as in Torquato Tasso's poem "Jerusalem Delivered."

Nazaryan received her first education as a philologist-translator. She grew up surrounded by books, with a family library of over 25,000 volumes. She enrolled in the Institute of Foreign Languages, majoring in English philology, and simultaneously studied local history at guide-translator courses. She emphasizes that language, culture, and history are closely intertwined.

After graduating with honors, Nazaryan began teaching and became a department head at the age of 23. At the same time, she worked as a guide, allowing her to apply her knowledge of languages, history, and culture in practice. She stresses that a good guide must understand their country in a multifaceted way: knowing its history, culture, cuisine, traditions, religion, and music.

Nazaryan has worked with high-profile guests, including former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, former French President Emmanuel Macron, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and others. She notes that regardless of position, guests are first and foremost people, and she feels a great responsibility when representing her country during tours. According to her observations, tourists often remark on the friendliness of Uzbek people, hospitality, cuisine, city cleanliness, and sense of safety.

Nazaryan typically starts tours with monuments from the era of Amir Timur but also highlights the Afrosiyob Museum of Samarkand's founding history. She sometimes invites tourists to modern weddings or traditional families for masterclasses in plov preparation, allowing guests to experience contemporary Samarkand. She believes the tourism sector must constantly offer new experiences to ensure Uzbekistan is remembered from different angles.

Discussing guide training, Nazaryan pointed out that many now enter tourism for its perceived good earnings, but preparation is not always effective. In her view, youth are often impatient and think three-month courses are sufficient, whereas a true guide should deeply study archaeological sites, museums, literature of various peoples, and possess broad knowledge.

Source: podrobno.uz