Conan O’Brien shops for rugs, tries to play matchmaker in historic trip to Armenia

Having made history with a visit to Cuba earlier this year, Conan O’Brien indulged his wanderlust again with a special episode filmed in Armenia that aired Tuesday on TBS.

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As O’Brien explained in the opening minutes of “Conan in Armenia,” the groundbreaking voyage was inspired by his longtime assistant, Sona Movsesian, who is of Armenian descent but had never visited the country that sits at the crossroads of Asia and Europe.

O’Brien embarked on his journey with a wish list from Movsesian’s family, who asked for him to return with cognac, dried apricots, “a nice painting,” a rug and — oh, yeah — a husband for Sona.

Much as he did in Cuba, O’Brien tried to master the country’s signature dance, sampled local drinks and delicacies and stumbled over the native language, all in his endearingly awkward fashion.

The comedian also crossed off several items from his bucket list by starring in an Armenian soap opera, picking up a Soviet-era rotary phone from a flea market, taking a treacherous drive through the mountains and herding sheep while discussing the nuances of “The Bachelor.”

He also tried to find a mate for Movsesian by sorting through profiles of eligible, if questionably dressed, Armenian bachelors. (Let’s just say his rug-shopping mission was slightly more successful than his matchmaking.)

But the episode wasn’t all laughs. It ended with a somber acknowledgement of the country’s “painful history” — the genocide that killed or displaced some 1.5 million people a century ago, as O’Brien explained.

You can watch the entire episode here.

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