Kim Kardashian, her rapper husband Kanye West, her sister Khloé Kardashian and daughter North West touched down in Armenia's capital Yerevan on Wednesday with a huge cheering crowd awaiting their arrival. Having received royal treatment at the airport with offerings of bread and salt – a tradition for greeting dignitaries – by ladies in traditional Armenian dress, the celebrity family arrived at their Marriott Hotel to throngs of more locals all waiting to welcome them warmly.
Khloé shared her gratitude and delight with a heartfelt message to fans on Instagram. "The love and welcoming to Armenia has been overwhelmingly beautiful!!! I wholeheartedly, can't believe all of you Angels who are outside our hotel with flowers and smiles. Im incredibly eager to get some sleep and see Armenia in the day light! I hope I'm able to sleep. I'm so excited to be here!!" she wrote alongside a photograph of the huge crowds.
Kim, meanwhile, wrote: "Armenia we are here! We're so grateful to be here & start this journey of a lifetime! Thank u everyone who greeted us".
Kim holds North close as they get ready to begin their trip in Armenia
Kim has always supported recognition for the massacres by the US government, and activities on her eight-day trip include a visit to a museum to learn more about Armenia's history as well as seeing the genocide monument.
She followed up her tweet with: "I can't wait to explore our country and have some yummy food! #MyDadAndGrandParentsWouldBeSoProud".The famous family are visiting Armenia just weeks before the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, which falls on 24 April.
The celebrity family touched down in Armenia on Wednesday
They will also reportedly meet with politicians and travel to the town of Gyumri, where relatives of Kim's father may live.Part of the trip will be documented on the family's TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.Previously writing on her blog about her ancestral country, Kim posted: "My family and I are incredibly proud of our heritage. My dad taught me a lot about Armenian culture, and I have a strong connection with my roots. Every year, I honour the memory of the martyrs who were killed during the 1915 Armenian Genocide."
