The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century BC, with the founding of the fortress ofErebuni in 782 BC by KingArgishti I ofUrartu at the western extreme of the Ararat Plain.[30] Erebuni was "designed as a great administrative and religious centre, a fully royal capital."[31] By the lateancient Armenian Kingdom, new capital cities were established and Yerevan declined in importance. The city was mostly depopulated by theGreat Surgun of 1603–05, when theSafavid Empire forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of Armenians to Iran. In 1679, the city was mostly destroyed by anearthquake, and then rebuilt on a smaller scale. In 1828, Yerevan became part of theRussian Empire, which led to the repatriation of Armenians whose ancestors had been forcibly relocated in the 17th century. AfterWorld War I, Yerevan became the capital of theFirst Republic of Armenia as thousands ofsurvivors of theArmenian genocide in theOttoman Empire arrived in the area.[32] The city expanded rapidly during the 20th century whileArmenia was a part of theSoviet Union. In a few decades, Yerevan was transformed from a provincial town within theRussian Empire to Armenia's principal cultural, artistic, and industrial centre, as well as becoming the seat of national government.
With the growth of theArmenian economy, Yerevan has undergone major transformation. Much construction has been done throughout the city since the early 2000s, and retail outlets such as restaurants, shops, and street cafés, which were rare during Soviet times, have multiplied. As of 2011[update], the population of Yerevan was 1,060,138, just over 35% of Armenia's total population. By 2022, the population further increased to 1,086,677.[17] Yerevan was named the 2012World Book Capital byUNESCO.[33] Yerevan is an associate member ofEurocities.[34]
Of the notable landmarks of Yerevan,Erebuni Fortress is considered to be the birthplace of the city, theKatoghike Tsiranavor church is the oldest surviving church of Yerevan, andSaint Gregory Cathedral is the largest Armenian cathedral in the world.Tsitsernakaberd is the official memorial to the victims of the Armenian genocide. The city is home to several opera houses, theatres, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions.Yerevan Opera Theatre is the main spectacle hall of the Armenian capital, theNational Gallery of Armenia is the largest art museum in Armenia and shares a building with theHistory Museum of Armenia, and theMatenadaran contains one of the largest depositories of ancient books and manuscripts in the world.
Etymology
The "birth certificate" of Yerevan at theErebuni Fortress—acuneiform inscription left by KingArgishti I of Urartu on a basalt stone slab about the foundation of the city in 782 BCE"YEREVAN" (ԵՐԵՒԱՆ) in an inscription fromKecharis, dating back to 1223[35]
The exact origin of the name is unknown. One theory regarding the origin of Yerevan's name is the city was named after the Armenian king,Yervand (Orontes) IV, the last ruler of Armenia from theOrontid dynasty, and founder of the city ofYervandashat.[36] However, it is likely that the city's name is derived from theUrartian military fortress ofErebuni, which was founded on the territory of modern-day Yerevan in 782 BC byArgishti I.[36] "Erebuni" may derive from the Urartian word for "to take" or "to capture," meaning that the fortress's name could be interpreted as "capture," "conquest," or "victory."[37] As elements of theUrartian language blended with that of the Armenian one, the name eventually evolved intoYerevan (Erebuni = Erevani = Erevan = Yerevan). Scholar Margarit Israelyan notes these changes when comparing inscriptions found on twocuneiform tablets at Erebuni:
The transcription of the second cuneiformbu [original emphasis] of the word was very essential in our interpretation as it is the Urartaeanb that has been shifted to theArmenianv (b > v). The original writing of the inscription read «er-bu-ni»; therefore the prominent Armenianologist-orientalist Prof. G. A. Ghapantsian justly objected, remarking that the Urartub changed tov at the beginning of the word (Biani > Van) or between two vowels (ebani > avan, Zabaha >Javakhk)....In other wordsb was placed between two vowels. The true pronunciation of the fortress-city was apparentlyErebuny.[38]
Early Christian Armenian chroniclers connected the origin of the city's name to the legend ofNoah's Ark. After the ark had landed onMount Ararat and the flood waters had receded,Noah, while looking in the direction of Yerevan, is said to have exclaimed "Yerevats!" ("it appeared!" inArmenian), from which originated the name Yerevan.[36]
In the late medieval and early modern periods, when Yerevan was under Turkic and later Persian rule, the city was known in Persian asIravân (Persian:ایروان).[39][40] The city was officially known as Erivan (Russian:Эривань) under Russian rule during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The city was renamed back to Yerevan (Ереван) in 1936.[41] Up until the mid-1970s the city's name was spelled Erevan more often than Yerevan in English sources.[42][43]
Symbols
Mount Ararat, the national symbol of Armenia, dominates the Yerevan skyline.[44][45]
The principal symbol of Yerevan is Mount Ararat, which is visible from any area in the capital. Theseal of the city is a crowned lion on a pedestal with a shield that has a depiction of Mount Ararat on the upper part and half of anArmenian eternity sign on the bottom part. The emblem is a rectangularshield with a blue border.[46]
On 27 September 2004, Yerevan adopted an anthem, "Erebuni-Yerevan", using lyrics written byParuyr Sevak and set to music composed byEdgar Hovhannisyan. It was selected in a competition for a new anthem and new flag that would best represent the city. The chosen flag has a white background with the city's seal in the middle, surrounded by twelve small red triangles that symbolise the twelve historic capitals of Armenia. The flag includes the three colours of theArmenian National flag. The lion is portrayed on the orange background with blue edging.[47]
The territory of Yerevan has been inhabited since approximately the 2nd half of the4th millennium BC. The southern part of the city currently known asShengavit has been populated since at least 3200 BC, during the period ofKura–Araxes culture of the earlyBronze Age. The first excavations at theShengavit historical site was conducted between 1936 and 1938 under the guidance of archaeologist Yevgeny Bayburdyan. After two decades, archaeologist Sandro Sardarian resumed the excavations starting from 1958 until 1983.[48] The 3rd phase of the excavations started in 2000, under the guidance of archaeologist Hakob Simonyan. In 2009, Simonyan was joined by Mitchell S. Rothman from theWidener University ofPennsylvania. Together they conducted three series of excavations in 2009, 2010, and 2012 respectively.[citation needed] During the process, a full stratigraphic column to bedrock was reached, showing there to be 8 or 9 distinct stratigraphic levels. These levels cover a time between 3200 BC and 2500 BC. Evidences of later use of the site, possibly until 2200 BC, were also found. The excavation process revealed a series of large round buildings with square adjoining rooms and minor round buildings. A series of ritual installations was discovered in 2010 and 2012.[citation needed]
The ancient kingdom ofUrartu was formed in the 9th century BC by KingArame in the basin ofLake Van of theArmenian Highland, including the territory of modern-day Yerevan.[49] Archaeological evidence, such as acuneiform inscription,[50] indicates that theUrartian military fortress of Erebuni was founded in 782 BC by the orders of KingArgishti I at the site of modern-day Yerevan, to serve as a fort and citadel guarding against attacks from the northCaucasus.[36] The cuneiform inscription found at Erebuni Fortress reads:
By the greatness of the GodKhaldi, Argishti, son ofMenua, built this mighty stronghold and proclaimed it Erebuni for the glory of Biainili [Urartu] and to instill fear among the king's enemies. Argishti says, "The land was a desert, before the great works I accomplished upon it. By the greatness of Khaldi, Argishti, son of Menua, is a mighty king, king of Biainili, and ruler of Tushpa."[Van].[51]
During the height of the Urartian power,irrigation canals and artificial reservoirs were built in Erebuni and its surrounding territories.
Foundations ofTeishebaini building commenced in mid-7th century BC
In the mid-7th century BC, the city ofTeishebaini was built byRusa II of Urartu, around 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) west of Erebuni Fortress.[52] It was fortified on a hill -currently known as Karmir Blur withinShengavit District of Yerevan- to protect the eastern borders of Urartu from the barbaricCimmerians andScythians. During excavations, the remains of a governors palace that contained a hundred and twenty rooms spreading across more than 40,000 m2 (10 acres) was found, along with acitadel dedicated to the Urartian godTeisheba. The construction of the city of Teishebaini, as well as the palace and the citadel was completed by the end of the 7th century BC, during the reign ofRusa III. However, Teishebaini was destroyed by an alliance ofMedes and theScythians in 585 BC.
In 590 BC, following the fall of the Kingdom of Urartu at the hands of the IranianMedes, Erebuni along with the Armenian Highlands became part of the Median Empire.
However, in 550 BC, theMedian Empire was conquered byCyrus the Great, and Erebuni became part of theAchaemenid Empire.[53] Between 522 BC and 331 BC, Erebuni was one of the main centres of theSatrapy of Armenia, a region controlled by theOrontid dynasty as one of thesatrapies of the Achaemenid Empire. The Satrapy of Armenia was divided into two parts: the northern part and the southern part, with the cities of Erebuni (Yerevan) and Tushpa (Van) as their centres, respectively.[54]
Coins issued in 478 BC, along with many other items found in theErebuni Fortress, reveal the importance of Erebuni as a major centre for trade under Achaemenid rule.
AfterAlexander the Great's victory over the Achaemenid Empire, the Orontid rulers of the Armenian satrapy achieved independence as a result of the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC, founding theKingdom of Armenia. With the establishment of new cities such asArmavir, Zarehavan,Bagaran andYervandashat, the importance of Erebuni gradually declined.
With the rise of theArtaxiad dynasty of Armenia who seized power in 189 BC, the Kingdom of Armenia greatly expanded to include major territories ofAsia Minor,Atropatene,Iberia,Phoenicia andSyria. The Artaxiads considered Erebuni and Tushpa as cities of Persian heritage. Consequently, new cities and commercial centres were built by KingsArtaxias I,Artavasdes I andTigranes the Great. Thus, with the dominance of cities such asArtaxata andTigranocerta, Erebuni significantly lost its importance as a central city.
The ruins of the 4th-century Holy Mother of God Chapel in Avan, north of Yerevan
Under the rule of theArsacid dynasty of Armenia (54–428 AD), many other cities around Erebuni includingVagharshapat andDvin flourished. Consequently, Erebuni was completely neutralised, losing its role as an economic and strategic centre of Armenia. During the period of the Arsacid kings, Erebuni was only recorded in aManichaean text of the 3rd century, where it is mentioned that one of the disciples of the prophetMani founded aManichaean community near the Christian community in Erebuni.
According to the medieval Armenian geographyAshkharhatsuyts, Erebuni was part of the canton (gawaṙ) of Kotayk (not to be confused with the current Kotayk Province) of the province ofAyrarat, within Armenia Major.
Armenia became a Christian nation in the early 4th century AD, during the reign of the Arsacid kingTiridates III.
Following the partition of Armenia by theByzantine andSasanian empires in 387 and in 428, Erebuni and the entire territory of Eastern Armenia came under the rule of Sasanian Persia.[55] The Armenian territories formed the province ofPersian Armenia within theSasanian Empire.
Due to the diminished role of Erebuni, as well as the absence of proper historical data, much of the city's history under the Sasanian rule is unknown.[citation needed]
The 7th-century church of the Holy Mother of God, demolished in 1936
In 658 AD, at the height of the Arab Islamic invasions, Erebuni-Yerevan was conquered during theMuslim conquest of Persia, as it was part of Persian-ruled Armenia. The city became part of theEmirate of Armenia under theUmayyad Caliphate. The city of Dvin was the centre of the newly created emirate. Starting from this period, as a result of the developing trade activities with the Arabs, the Armenian territories had gained strategic importance as a crossroads for the Arabcaravan routes passing between Europe and India through the Arab-controlled Ararat Plain of Armenia. Most probably, "Erebuni" has become known as "Yerevan" since at least the 7th century AD.
After two centuries of Islamic rule over Armenia, theBagratid princeAshot I of Armenia led the revolution against theAbbasid Caliphate. Ashot I liberated Yerevan in 850, and was recognised as the Prince of Princes of Armenia by the Abbasid Caliphal-Musta'in in 862. Ashot was later crowned King ofArmenia through the consent of Caliphal-Mu'tamid in 885. During the rule of the Bagratuni dynasty of Armenia between 885 and 1045, Yerevan was relatively a secure part of the Kingdom before falling to theByzantines.
However, Yerevan did not have any strategic role during the reign of the Bagratids, who developed many other cities ofAyrarat, such asShirakavan,Dvin, andAni.
The remains of Surp Hovhannes Chapel, dating back to the 12–13th centuries
After a brief Byzantine rule over Armenia between 1045 and 1064, the invadingSeljuks—led byTughril and later by his successorAlp Arslan—ruled over the entire region, including Yerevan. However, with the establishment of theZakarid Principality of Armenia in 1201 under theGeorgian protectorate, the Armenian territories of Yerevan and Lori had significantly grown. After the Mongols capturedAni in 1236, Armenia turned into aMongol protectorate as part of theIlkhanate, and the Zakarids became vassals to theMongols. After the fall of the Ilkhanate in the mid-14th century, the Zakarid princes ruled over Lori, Shirak and the Ararat Plain until 1360 when they fell to the invading Turkic tribes.
During the last quarter of the 14th century, theAq Qoyunlu SunniOghuz Turkic tribe took over Armenia, including Yerevan. In 1400,Timur invaded Armenia and Georgia, and captured more than 60,000 of the survived local people as slaves. Many districts including Yerevan were depopulated.[56]
In 1410, Armenia fell under the control of theKara Koyunlu Shia Oghuz Turkic tribe. According to the Armenian historianThomas of Metsoph, although the Kara Koyunlu levied heavy taxes against the Armenians, the early years of their rule were relatively peaceful and some reconstruction of towns took place.[57] The Kara Koyunlus made Yerevan the centre of the newly formedChukhur Saad administrative territory. The territory was named after a Turkic leader known asEmir Saad.
However, this peaceful period was shattered with the rise ofQara Iskander between 1420 and 1436, who reportedly made Armenia a "desert" and subjected it to "devastation and plunder, to slaughter, and captivity".[58] The wars of Iskander and his eventual defeat against theTimurids, invited further destruction in Armenia, as many more Armenians were taken captive and sold into slavery and the land was subjected to outright pillaging, forcing many of them to leave the region.[59]
Following the fall of theArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1375, the seat of the Armenian Church was transferred fromSis back toVagharshapat near Yerevan in 1441. Thus, Yerevan became the main economic, cultural and administrative centre in Armenia.
An illustration of Yerevan by French travelerJean Chardin in 1673 while he was travelling through theSafavid Empire
Yerevan in 1796 in theQajar era, by G. Sergeevich. An Armenian church can be seen on the left and a Persian mosque on the right.
Kond, a historic neighbourhood of Yerevan, formed during the 17th century
In 1501–02, most of theEastern Armenian territories including Yerevan were swiftly conquered by the emergingSafavid dynasty of Iran led by ShahIsmail I.[60] Soon after in 1502, Yerevan became the centre of theErivan Province, a new administrative territory of Iran formed by the Safavids. For the following 3 centuries, it remained, with brief intermissions, under the Iranian rule. Due to its strategic significance, Yerevan was initially often fought over, and passed back and forth, between the dominion of the rivallingIranian andOttoman Empire, until it permanently became controlled by theSafavids. In 1555, Iran had secured its legitimate possession over Yerevan with the Ottomans through theTreaty of Amasya.[61]
In 1582–1583, the Ottomans led bySerdar Ferhad Pasha took brief control over Yerevan. Ferhad Pasha managed to build theErivan Fortress on the ruins of one thousand-years old ancient Armenian fortress, on the shores of Hrazdan river.[62] However, Ottoman control ended in 1604 when the Persians regained Yerevan as a result offirst Ottoman-Safavid War.[citation needed]
ShahAbbas I of Persia who ruled between 1588 and 1629, ordered thedeportation of hundreds of thousands of Armenians including citizens from Yerevan to mainlandPersia. As a consequence, Yerevan significantly lost its Armenian population who had declined to 20%, while Muslims including Persians, Turks, Kurds and Tatars gained dominance with around 80% of the city's population. Muslims were either sedentary, semi-sedentary, or nomadic. Armenians mainly occupied the Kond neighbourhood of Yerevan and the rural suburbs around the city. However, the Armenians dominated over various professions and trade in the area and were of great economic significance to the Persian administration.[63]
During thesecond Ottoman-Safavid War, Ottoman troops under the command of SultanMurad IV conquered the city on 8 August 1635. Returning in triumph toConstantinople, he opened the "Yerevan Kiosk" (Revan Köşkü) inTopkapı Palace in 1636. However, Iranian troops commanded byShah Safi retook Yerevan on 1 April 1636. As a result of theTreaty of Zuhab in 1639, the Iranians reconfirmed their control over Eastern Armenia, including Yerevan. On 7 June 1679,a devastating earthquake razed the city to the ground.
In 1724, the Erivan Fortress was besieged by the Ottoman army.[citation needed] After a period of resistance, the fortress fell to the Turks. As a result of the Ottoman invasion, the Erivan Province of theSafavids was dissolved.[citation needed]
Following a brief period of Ottoman rule over Eastern Armenia between 1724 and 1736, and as a result of the fall of the Safavid dynasty in 1736, Yerevan along with the adjacent territories became part of the newly formed administrative territory ofErivan Khanate under theAfsharid dynasty of Iran, which encompassed an area of 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 square miles). TheAfsharids controlled Eastern Armenia from the mid-1730s until the 1790s. Following the fall of the Afsharids, theQajar dynasty of Iran took control of Eastern Armenia until 1828, when the region wasconquered by the Russian Empire after their victory over the Qajars that resulted in theTreaty of Turkmenchay of 1828.[64]
Although not mentioned specifically by name, article XV of the Turkmenchay treaty was intended solely for the repatriation of those Armenians whose ancestors had been forcibly relocated to Iran in the early 17th century during the Safavid period. The Russians sponsored the resettlement process of the Armenian population from Persia and Turkey and spread announcements in Armenian villages.[68] Due to the resettlement, the percentage of the Armenian population of Yerevan increased from 28% to 53.8%. The resettlement was intended to createRussian power bridgehead in the Middle East.[69] In 1829, Armenian repatriates from Persia were resettled in the city and a new quarter was built.
Yerevan served as the seat of the newly formedArmenian Oblast between 1828 and 1840. By the time ofNicholas I's visit in 1837, Yerevan had become anuezd ("county"). In 1840, the Armenian Oblast was dissolved and its territory incorporated into a new larger province; theGeorgia-Imeretia Governorate. In 1850 the territory of the former oblast was reorganised into theErivan Governorate, covering an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 square miles). Yerevan served as the centre of the newly established governorate until 1917.
At that period, Yerevan was a small town with narrow roads and alleys, including the central quarter ofShahar, theGhantar commercial centre, and the residential neighbourhoods of Kond, Dzoragyugh, Nork and Shentagh. During the 1840s and the 1850s, many schools were opened in the city. However, the first major plan of Yerevan was adopted in 1856, during which, Saint Hripsime and Saint Gayane women's colleges were founded and theEnglish Park was opened. In 1863, theAstafyan Street was redeveloped and opened. In 1874, Zacharia Gevorkian opened Yerevan's first printing house, while the first theatre opened its doors in 1879.
On 1 October 1879, Yerevan was granted the status of a city through a decree issued byAlexander II of Russia. In 1881, The Yerevan Teachers' Seminary and the Yerevan Brewery were opened, followed by the Tairyan's wine and brandy factory in 1887. Other factories for alcoholic beverages and mineral water were opened during the 1890s. The monumental church ofSaint Gregory the Illuminator was opened in 1900. Electricity and telephone lines were introduced to the city in 1907 and 1913 respectively. When British travellerH. F. B. Lynch visited Yerevan in 1893–1894, he considered it anOriental city.[70] However, this started to change in the first decade of the 20th century, in the penultimate decade of Imperial Russian rule, when the city grew and altered dramatically.[70] In general, Yerevan rapidly grew under Russian rule, both economically and politically. Old buildings were torn down and new buildings of European style were erected.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Yerevan city's population was over 29,000.[71] In 1902, a railway line linked Yerevan withAlexandropol,Tiflis andJulfa. In the same year, Yerevan's first public library was opened. In 1905, the grandnephew ofNapoleon I; prince Louis Joseph Jérôme Napoléon (1864–1932) was appointed as governor of Yerevan province.[72] In 1913, for the first time in the city, a telephone line with eighty subscribers became operational.
The Federation, however, was short-lived. After gaining control overAlexandropol, the Turkish army was advancing towards the south and east to eliminate the centre of Armenian resistance based in Yerevan. On 21 May 1918, the Turks started their campaign moving towards Yerevan via Sardarabad.CatholicosGevorg V ordered that church bells peal for 6 days as Armenians from all walks of life – peasants, poets, blacksmiths, and even the clergymen – rallied to form organised military units.[74] Civilians, including children, aided in the effort as well, as "Carts drawn by oxen, water buffalo, and cows jammed the roads bringing food, provisions, ammunition, and volunteers from the vicinity" of Yerevan.[75]
By the end of May 1918, Armenians were able to defeat the Turkish army in the battles ofSardarabad,Abaran andKarakilisa. Thus, on 28 May 1918, theDashnak leaderAram Manukian declared the independence of Armenia. Subsequently, Yerevan became the capital and the centre of the newly foundedFirst Republic of Armenia, although the members of theArmenian National Council were yet to stay inTiflis until their arrival in Yerevan to form the government in the summer of the same year.[76] Armenia became aparliamentary republic with four administrative divisions. The capital Yerevan was part of theAraratian Province. At the time, Yerevan received more than 75,000 refugees fromWestern Armenia, who escaped the massacres perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks during theArmenian genocide.
The11th Red Army entered Armenia on 29 November 1920, beginning the end of the First Republic. On 2 December 1920, Yerevan became the capital of theArmenian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the constituent republics of the emergingSoviet Union and initially part of theTranscaucasian SFSR withSoviet Georgia andSoviet Azerbaijan.[77] The Soviet government in Yerevan was briefly overturned by the former leaders of the First Republic in theFebruary Uprising of 1921. However, Soviet authority was restored with the defeat of the rebels in early April.[78]
Within the USSR, Yerevan saw significant development duringVladimir Lenin'sNew Economic Policy (NEP). The city became the first in the Soviet Union for which a general plan was developed. The "General Plan of Yerevan" was devised by the architectAlexander Tamanian and approved by Soviet authorities in 1924.[79][80] Tamanian's plan was initially designed for a population of 150,000.[81] However, as the Armenian capital grew rapidly into a modern industrial metropolis, Tamanian began developing plans for a Greater Yerevan of 500,000 residents in 1934.[81] Many of the districts aroundcentral Yerevan were named after former Armenian communities that were destroyed by theOttoman Turks during theArmenian genocide. The areas of Arabkir, Nor Kilikia, and Nor Zeytun, for example, were named afterArabkir,Cilicia, andZeitun, respectively.[82]
Tamanian incorporated national traditions into contemporary urban construction, bringing together neoclassicism with the organictuff stone of Armenia.[81] His design presented a radial-circular arrangement that overlaid the existing city and incorporated much of its existing street plan. As a result, many historic buildings were demolished, including churches, mosques, theErivan Fortress, baths, bazaars andcaravanserais. Tamanian's successor,Mark Grigorian, noted that Tamanian originally included a monument to Lenin in his plans.[83] However, this was not realised until after Tamanian's death, whenAnastas Mikoyan urged the Soviet Armenian leadership to "actively pursue the matter."[84] The monument, designed bySergey Merkurov, was inaugurated at Lenin Square (todayRepublic Square) on 24 November 1940.[85]
Yerevan played a major role in the rise of theKarabakh movement.Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms ofglasnost andperestroika created the conditions for open discussion on the rights of theNagorno-Karabakh Armenians, as well as other issues such as the legacies ofStalinism, ecological concerns, and eventually independence. By the beginning of 1988, nearly one million Armenians from several regions of the republic engaged in demonstrations in support of the Karabakh movement, centred on Yerevan's Theater Square (todayFreedom Square).[91]
Following thedissolution of the Soviet Union, Yerevan became the capital of the independent Republic of Armenia on 21 September 1991.[92] The monument to Lenin was removed from Republic Square even before independence, on 13 April 1991, although mayorHambardzum Galstyan argued in favour of a more nuanced and tolerant position.[85] In the early years of independence, maintaining supplies of gas and electricity proved difficult amid the1990s energy crisis. Constant electricity was not restored until 1996 amidst the chaos of the badly instigated and planned transition to amarket-based economy.
Since 2000, central Yerevan has been transformed into a vast construction site, with cranes erected all over the Kentron district. Officially, the scores of multi-storied buildings are part of large-scale urban planning projects. Roughly $1.8 billion was spent on such construction in 2006, according to the national statistical service.[citation needed] Prices for downtown apartments have increased by about ten times during the first decade of the 21st century.[citation needed] Many new streets and avenues were opened, such as the Argishti street, Italy street, Saralanj Avenue, Monte Melkonian Avenue, andNorthern Avenue.
However, as a result of this construction boom, the majority of the historic buildings located on the centralAram Street, were either entirely destroyed or transformed into modern residential buildings through the construction of additional floors. Only a few structures were preserved, mainly in the portion that extends betweenAbovyan Street andMashtots Avenue.
The first major post-independence protest in Yerevan took place in September 1996, after the announcement of incumbentLevon Ter-Petrosyan's victory in thepresidential election. Major opposition parties of the time, consolidated around the formerKarabakh Committee member and former Prime MinisterVazgen Manukyan, organised mass demonstrations between 23 and 25 September, claiming electoral fraud by Ter-Petrosyan.[93] An estimated of 200,000 people gathered in theFreedom Square to protest the election results.[94] After a series of riot and violent protests around the Parliament building on 25 September, the government sent tanks and troops to Yerevan to enforce the ban on rallies and demonstrations on the following day.[95] Prime MinisterVazgen Sargsyan and Minister of National SecuritySerzh Sargsyan announced on thePublic Television of Armenia that their respective agencies have prevented an attemptedcoup d'état.[96]
In July 2016, a group of armed men calling themselves theDaredevils of Sassoun (Armenian:Սասնա ԾռերSasna Tsrrer)stormed a police station in Erebuni District of Yerevan, taking several hostages, demanding the release of opposition leaderJirair Sefilian and the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan. 3 policeman were killed as a result of the attack.[99] Many anti-government protestors held rallies in solidarity with the gunmen.[100] However, after 2 weeks of negotiations, the crisis ended and the gunmen surrendered.
Geography
Topography and cityscape
Yerevan is situated in the northeastern part of the Ararat Plain.
Yerevan has an average height of 990 m (3,248.03 ft), with a minimum of 865 m (2,837.93 ft) and a maximum of 1,390 m (4,560.37 ft)above sea level in its southwestern and northeastern sections, respectively.[101] It is among the fifty highest cities in the world with over 1 million inhabitants.[102]
Yerevan is located on the banks of theHrazdan River, northeast of theArarat Plain, in the central-western part of the country. The upper part of the city is surrounded with mountains on three sides while it descends to the banks of the riverHrazdan at the south. The Hrazdan divides Yerevan into two parts through a picturesque canyon.
According to the current administrative division of Armenia, Yerevan is not part of anymarz ("province") and has special administrative status as the country's capital. It is bordered byKotayk Province to the north and the east,Ararat Province to the south and the south-west,Armavir Province to the west andAragatsotn Province to the north-west.
TheErebuni State Reserve, formed in 1981, is located around 8 km southeast of the city centre within theErebuni District of the city. At a height between 1300 and 1450 metres above sea level, the reserve occupies an area of 120 hectares, mainly consisting of semi-deserted mountain-steppes.[104]
Climate
Winter view of Yerevan
Yerevan features acontinental influencedsteppe climate (Köppen climate classification:BSk or "cold semi-arid climate",Trewartha climate classificationBSao), with long, hot, dry summers and short, but cold and snowy winters. This is attributed to Yerevan being on a plain surrounded by mountains and to its distance from the sea and its moderating effects. The summers are usually very hot with the temperature in August reaching up to 40 °C (104 °F), and winters generally carry snowfall and freezing temperatures with January often being as cold as −15 °C (5 °F) and lower. The amount ofprecipitation is small, amounting annually to about 318 millimetres (12.5 in). Yerevan experiences an average of 2,700 sunshine hours per year.[101] On 12 July 2018, Yerevan recorded a temperature of 43.7 °C (110.7 °F), which is the joint highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Armenia (along withMeghri city).[105][106][107]
Climate data for Yerevan (1991–2020, extremes 1885–present)
A major redevelopment process has been launched in Yerevan since 2000. As a result, many historic structures have been demolished and replaced with new buildings. This urban renewal plan has been met with opposition[110] and criticism from some residents, as the projects destroy historic buildings dating back to the period of theRussian Empire, and often leave residents homeless.[111][112][113] Downtown houses deemed too small are increasingly demolished and replaced by high-rise buildings.
Aram Street of old Yerevan and the newly builtNorthern Avenue are respectively among the notable examples featuring the traditional and modern architectural characteristics of Yerevan.
As of May 2017, Yerevan is home to 4,883 residential apartment buildings, and 65,199 street lamps installed on 39,799street light posts, covering a total length of 1,514 km. The city has 1,080 streets with a total length of 750 km.[114]
Yerevan is a densely built city but still offers several public parks throughout its districts, graced with mid-sized green gardens. The public park of Erebuni District along with its artificial lake is the oldest garden in the city. Occupying an area of 17 hectares, the origins of the park and the artificial lake date back to the period of kingArgishti I of Urartu during the 8th century BCE. In 2011, the garden was entirely remodelled and named asLyon Park, to become a symbol of the partnership between the cities ofLyon and Yerevan.[115]
Opened in the 1960s, the Yerevan Opera Theatre Park along with its artificialSwan Lake is also among the favourite green spaces of the city. In 2019 some of the public space of the park leased to restaurants was reclaimed allowing for improved landscape design.[116] A public ice-skating arena is operated in the park's lake area during winters.
TheYerevan Lake is an artificial reservoir opened in 1967 onHrazdan riverbed at the south of the city centre, with a surface of 0.65 km2 (0.25 sq mi).
Yerevan has been the capital of Armenia since the independence of the First Republic in 1918. Situated in the Ararat Plain, the historic lands of Armenia, it served as the best logical choice for capital of the young republic at the time.
When Armenia became a republic of the Soviet Union, Yerevan remained as capital and accommodated all the political and diplomatic institutions in the republic. In 1991 with the independence of Armenia, Yerevan continued with its status as the political and cultural centre of the country, being home to all the national institutions: theGovernment House, theNational Assembly, thePresidential Palace, theCentral Bank, theConstitutional Court, all ministries, judicial bodies and other government organisations.
Yerevan received the status of a city on 1 October 1879, upon a decree issued by TsarAlexander II of Russia. The first city council formed was headed by Hovhannes Ghorghanyan, who became the first mayor of Yerevan.
The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia adopted on 5 July 1995, granted Yerevan the status of amarz (մարզ, province).[117] Therefore, Yerevan functions similarly to the provinces of Armenia with a few specifications.[118]The administrative authority of Yerevan is thus represented by:
the mayor, appointed by the President (who can remove him at any moment) upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister,[117] alongside a group of four deputy mayors heading eleven ministries (of which financial, transport, urban development etc.),[119]
theYerevan City Council, regrouping the Heads of community districts under the authority of the mayor,[120]
twelve "community districts", with each having its own leader and their elected councils.[121] Yerevan has a principal city hall and twelve deputy mayors of districts.
In the modified Constitution of 27 November 2005, Yerevan city was turned into a "community" (համայնք,hamaynk); since, the Constitution declares that this community has to be led by a mayor, elected directly or indirectly, and that the city needs to be governed by a specific law.[122] The first election of the Yerevan City Council took place in2009 and won by the rulingRepublican Party of Armenia.[123][124]
In addition to the national police and road police, Yerevan has its own municipal police. All three bodies cooperate to maintain law in the city.
Yerevan is divided into twelve "administrative districts" (վարչական շրջան,varčakan šrĵan)[125] each with an elected leader. The total area of the 12 districts of Yerevan is 223 square kilometres (86 square miles).[126][127][128][17]
Originally a small town, Yerevan became the capital of Armenia and a large city with over one million inhabitants.[citation needed] Until the fall of the Soviet Union, the majority of the population of Yerevan were Armenians with minorities ofRussians,Kurds,Azerbaijanis and Iranians present as well. However, with the breakout of theFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War from 1988 to 1994, the Azerbaijani minority diminished in the country in what was part of population exchanges between Armenia and Azerbaijan. A big part of the Russian minority also fled the country during the 1990s economic crisis in the country.[citation needed] Today, the population of Yerevan is overwhelmingly Armenian.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, due to economic crises, thousands fled Armenia, mostly to Russia, North America and Europe. The population of Yerevan fell from 1,250,000 in 1989[101] to 1,103,488 in 2001[145] and to 1,091,235 in 2003.[146] However, the population of Yerevan has been increasing since. In 2007, the capital had 1,107,800 inhabitants.
Yerevantsis in general use theYerevan dialect, anEastern Armenian dialect most probably formed during the 13th century. It is currently spoken in and around Yerevan, including the towns ofVagharshapat andAshtarak.Classical Armenian (Grabar) words compose a significant part of the dialect's vocabulary.[147] Throughout the history, it was influenced by several languages, especiallyRussian andPersian andloan words have significant presence in it today. It is currently the most widespread Armenian dialect.[148]
Yerevan was inhabited first by Armenians and remained homogeneous until the 15th century.[129][130][149][better source needed] The population of theErivan Fortress, founded in the 1580s, was mainly composed of Muslim soldiers, estimated two to three thousand.[129] The city itself was mainly populated by Armenians. French travelerJean-Baptiste Tavernier, who visited Yerevan possibly up to six times between 1631 and 1668, states that the city is exclusively populated by Armenians.[150] Although much of the Armenian population of the city was deported during the 17th century,[63] the city remained Armenian-majority during theOttoman–Hotaki War (1722–1727).[130] The demographics of the region changed because of a series of wars between the Ottoman Empire, Iran and Russia. In the early 19th century Yerevan had a Muslim majority, mainly with an Armenian and "Caucasian Tatar" population.[151][152] According to the travelerH. F. B. Lynch, the city was about 50% Armenian and 50% Muslim (Azerbaijanis and Persians) in the early 1890s.[153]
After theArmenian genocide, many refugees from what Armenians callWestern Armenia (nowadays Turkey, thenOttoman Empire) escaped to Eastern Armenia. In 1919, about 75,000 Armenian refugees from the Ottoman Empire arrived in Yerevan, mostly from theVaspurakan region (city ofVan andsurroundings). A significant part of these refugees died of typhus and other diseases.[154]
From 1921 to 1936, about 42,000 ethnic Armenians from Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Greece, Syria, France, Bulgaria etc. went to Soviet Armenia, with most of them settling in Yerevan. The second wave of repatriation occurred from 1946 to 1948, when about 100,000 ethnic Armenians from Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, France, United States etc. moved to Soviet Armenia, again most of whom settled in Yerevan. Thus, the ethnic makeup of Yerevan became moremonoethnic during the first 3 decades in the Soviet Union. The Azerbaijani population of Yerevan, who made up 43% of the population of the city prior to theOctober Revolution, dropped to 0.7% by 1959 and further to 0.1% by 1989, during theNagorno-Karabakh conflict.[155]
There is anIndian population in Armenia, with over 22,000 residents recorded in the country. Much of this population resides in Yerevan, where a large proportion run businesses, Indian restaurants, and study in Yerevan universities.[156][157]
Armenian Apostolic Christianity is the predominant religion in Armenia. The 5th-centurySaint Paul and Peter Church demolished in November 1930 by the Soviets, was among the earliest churches ever built in Erebuni-Yerevan. Many of the ancient Armenian and medieval churches of the city were destroyed by the Soviets in the 1930s during theGreat Purge.
The regulating body of the Armenian Church in Yerevan is theAraratian Pontifical Diocese, with theSurp Sarkis Cathedral being the seat of the diocese. It is the largest diocese of the Armenian Church and one of the oldest dioceses in the world, covering the city of Yerevan and theArarat Province of Armenia.[29]
Yerevan is currently home to the largest Armenian church in the world, theCathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator. It was consecrated in 2001, during the 1700th anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Church and the adoption of Christianity as the national religion in Armenia.
As of 2017, Yerevan has 17 active Armenian churches as well as four chapels.
Russian Orthodox Church
Holy Cross Russian Orthodox Church, consecrated in 2017
However, most of the churches were either closed or demolished by the Soviets during the 1930s. The Saint Nikolai Cathedral was entirely destroyed in 1931, while the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God was closed and converted first into a warehouse and later into a club for the military personnel. Religious services resumed in the church in 1991, and in 2004 a cupola and a belfry were added to the building.[159] In 2010, the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Holy Cross Russian Orthodox church took place with the presence of PatriarchKirill I of Moscow. The church was eventually consecrated on 7 October 2017, with the presence of CatholicosKarekin II, Russian bishops and the church benefactorAra Abramyan.
Other religions
According to Ivan Chopin, there were eight mosques in Yerevan in the middle of the 19th century.[160][161] The 18th-centuryBlue Mosque of Yerevan was restored and reopened in the 1990s, with Iranian funding,[162] and is currently the only active mosque in Armenia, mainly serving IranianShia visitors.
Yerevan is a major healthcare and medical service centre in the region. Several hospitals of Yerevan, refurbished with modern technologies, provide healthcare and conduct medical research, such asShengavit Medical Center, Erebouni Medical Center,Izmirlian Medical Center, Saint Gregory the Illuminator Medical Center,Nork-Marash Medical Center, Armenia Republican Medical Center, Astghik Medical Center,Armenian American Wellness Center, and Mkhitar Heratsi Hospital Complex of theYerevan State Medical University. The municipality runs 39 polyclinics/medical centres throughout the city.
The Research Center of Maternal and Child Health Protection has operated in Yerevan since 1937, while theArmenicum Clinical Center was opened in 1999,[165] where research is conducted mainly related to infectious diseases, includingHIV,immunodeficiency disorders andhepatitis.
The Liqvor Pharmaceuticals Factory, operating in Yerevan since 1991, is currently the largest medicine manufacturer of Armenia.[166]
Culture
Yerevan is Armenia's principal cultural, artistic, and industrial centre, with a large number of museums, important monuments and the national public library. It also hostsVardavar, the most widely celebrated festival among Armenians, and is one of the historic centres of traditionalArmenian carpet weaving.
Founded in 1921, theNational Gallery of Armenia and theHistory Museum of Armenia are the principal museums of the city. In addition to having a permanent exposition of works by Armenian painters, the gallery houses a collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures by German, American, Austrian, Belgian, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Dutch, Russian and Swiss artists.[167] It usually hosts temporary expositions.
The Armenian Genocide Museum is located at the foot of the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex and features numerous eyewitness accounts, texts and photographs from the time. It comprises a memorial stone made of three parts, the latter of which is dedicated to the intellectual and political figures who, as the museum's site says, "raised their protest against the Genocide committed against the Armenians by the Turks," such asArmin T. Wegner,Hedvig Büll,Henry Morgenthau Sr.,Franz Werfel,Johannes Lepsius,James Bryce,Anatole France,Giacomo Gorrini,Benedict XV,Fridtjof Nansen, and others.
View from a garden terrace of the Cafesjian Museum of Art atthe Cascade
Many museums of science and technology have opened in Yerevan, such as the Museum of Armenian Medicine (1999), the Space Museum of Yerevan (2001), Museum of Science and Technology (2008), Museum of Communications (2012) and the Little Einstein Interactive Science Museum (2016).
Libraries
Matenadaran library-museum of ancient manuscripts
TheNational Library of Armenia located on Teryan Street is the chief public library of the city and the entire republic. It was founded in 1832 and is operating in its current building since 1939. Another national library of Yerevan is theKhnko Aper Children's Library, founded in 1933. Other major public libraries include theAvetik Isahakyan Central Library founded in 1935, the Republican Library of Medical Sciences founded in 1939, the Library of Science and Technology founded in 1957, and the Musical Library founded in 1965. In addition, each administrative district of Yerevan has its own public library (usually more than one library).
On 6 June 2010, Yerevan was named as the 2012World Book Capital by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Armenian capital was chosen for the quality and variety of the programme it presented to the selection committee, which met at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris on 2 July 2010.
TheNational Archives of Armenia founded in 1923, is a scientific research centre and depositary, with a collection of around 3.5 million units of valuable documents.
Yerevan is one of the historic centres of traditionalArmenian carpet. Various rug fragments have been excavated in areas around Yerevan dating back to the 7th century BC or earlier. The tradition was further developed from the 16th century when Yerevan became the central city ofPersian Armenia. However, carpet manufacturing in the city was greatly enriched with the flock of Western Armenian migrants from theOttoman Empire throughout the 19th century, and the arrival of Armenian refugees escaping the genocide in the early 20th century. Currently, the city is home to the Arm Carpet factory opened in 1924, as well as the Tufenkian handmade carpets (since 1994), and Megerian handmade carpets (since 2000).
TheYerevan Vernissage open-air exhibition-market formed in the late 1980s onAram Street, features a large collection of different types of traditional Armenian hand-made art works, especially woodwork sculptures, rugs and carpets. On the other hand, the Saryan park located near the opera house, is famous for being a permanent venue where artists exhibit their paintings.
Jazz,classical,folk and traditional music are among several genres that are popular in the city of Yerevan. A large number of ensembles, orchestras and choirs of different types of Armenian and international music are active in the city.
TheArmenian Philharmonic Orchestra founded in 1925, is one of the oldest musical groups in Yerevan and modern Armenia. TheArmenian National Radio Chamber Choir founded in 1929, won the First Prize of the Soviet Union in the 1931 competition of choirs among therepublics of the Soviet Union. Folk and classical music of Armenia was taught in state-sponsored conservatoires during the Soviet days. The Sayat-Nova Armenian Folk Song Ensemble was founded in Yerevan in 1938. Currently directed by Tovmas Poghosyan, the ensemble performs the works of prominent Armeniangusans such asSayat-Nova,Jivani, andSheram.
TheNational Chamber Orchestra of Armenia (founded in 1961), Yerevan State Brass Band (1964), Folk Instruments Orchestra of Armenia (1977), Gusan and Folk Song Ensemble of Armenia (1983),Hover Chamber Choir (1992),Shoghaken Folk Ensemble (1995), Yerevan State Chamber Choir (1996), State Orchestra of Armenian National Instruments (2004), and the Youth State Orchestra of Armenia (2005), are also among the famous musical ensembles of the city of Yerevan. TheArs lungapiano-cello duo achieved international fame since its foundation in 2009 in Yerevan.[citation needed]
Armenian religious music remained liturgical untilKomitas introducedpolyphony by the end of the 19th century. Starting from the late 1950s, religious music became widely spread whenArmenian chants (also known assharakans) were performed by thesopranoLusine Zakaryan.[citation needed]The state-run Tagharan Ensemble of Yerevan founded in 1981 and currently directed by Sedrak Yerkanian, also performs ritual and ancient Armenian music.[citation needed]
Jazz is also among the popular genres in Yerevan. The firstjazz band in Yerevan was founded in 1936. Currently, many jazz andethno jazz bands are active in Yerevan such as Time Report, Art Voices, andNuance Jazz Band. The Malkhas jazz club founded by renowned artist Levon Malkhasian, is among the most popular clubs in the city. The Yerevan Jazz Fest is an annual jazz festival taking place every autumn since 2015, organised by the Armenian Jazz Association with the support of the Yerevan Municipality.[172]
KOHAR performing at the Freedom Square in 2011
Armenian rock has been originated in Yerevan in the mid-1960s, mainly throughArthur Meschian and his bandArakyalner(Disciples). In the early 1970s, there were a range of professional bands in Yerevan strong enough to compete with their Soviet counterparts. In post-Soviet Armenia, an Armenian progressive rock scene has been developed in Yerevan, mainly throughVahan Artsruni, theOaksenham rock band, and theDorians band. TheArmenian Navy Band founded byArto Tunçboyacıyan in 1998 is also famous for jazz,avant-garde and folk music.Reggae is also becoming popular in Yerevan mainly through theReincarnation musical band.
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is known for its regularly programmed events including the "Cafesjian Classical Music Series" on the first Wednesday of each month, and the "Music Cascade" series of jazz, pop and rock music live concerts performed every Friday and Saturday.
Open-air concerts are frequently held in curtain location in Yerevan during summer, such as the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden on Tamanyan Street, theFreedom Square near the Opera House, the Republic Square, etc. The famousKOHAR Symphony Orchestra and Choir occasionally performs open-air concerts in the city.
Dance
Traditional dancing is very popular among Armenians. During the cool summertime of the Yerevan city, it is very common to find people dancing in groups at Northern Avenue orTamanyan Street near the cascade.
Professional dance groups were formed in Yerevan during the Soviet days. The first group was the Armenian Folk Music and Dance Ensemble founded in 1938 byTatul Altunyan. It was followed by the State Dance Ensemble of Armenia in 1958. In 1963, the Berd Dance Ensemble was formed. The Barekamutyun State Dance Ensemble of Armenia was founded in 1987 by Norayr Mehrabyan.
The Karin Traditional Song and Dance Ensemble founded in 2001 by Gagik Ginosyan is known for revitalising and performing the ancient Armenian dances of the historical regions of theArmenian Highlands,[173] such asHamshen,Mush,Sasun,Karin, etc.
Yerevan is home to many theatre groups, mainly operating under the support of the ministry of culture. Theatre halls in the city organise several shows and performances throughout the year. Most prominent state-run theatres of Yerevan are theSundukyan State Academic Theatre,Paronyan Musical Comedy Theatre,Stanislavski Russian Theatre,Hrachya Ghaplanyan Drama Theatre, and the Sos Sargsyan Hamazgayin State Theatre. The Edgar Elbakyan Theatre of Drama and Comedy is among the prominent theatres run by the private sector.
Cinema in Armenia was born on 16 April 1923, when the Armenian State Committee of Cinema was established upon a decree issued by the Soviet Armenian government.
In March 1924, the first Armenian film studio;Armenfilm (Armenian:Հայֆիլմ "Hayfilm",Russian:Арменкино "Armenkino") was opened in Yerevan, starting with adocumentary film calledSoviet Armenia.Namus was the first Armeniansilentblack and white film, directed byHamo Beknazarian in 1925, based on a play ofAlexander Shirvanzade, describing the ill fate of two lovers, who were engaged by their families to each other since childhood, but because of violations ofnamus (a tradition of honour), the girl was married by her father to another person. The first producedsound film wasPepo directed byHamo Beknazarian in 1935.
Yerevan is home to many movie theatres including theMoscow Cinema,Nairi Cinema, Hayastan Cinema, Cinema Star multiplex cinemas of theDalma Garden Mall, and the KinoPark multiplex cinemas ofYerevan Mall. The city also hosts a number of film festivals:
The ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival of Yerevan launched in 2005, is also among the popular annual events in the city.[175]
People celebrating Vardavar water festival in downtown Yerevan
In addition to the film and other arts festivals, the city organises many public celebrations that greatly attract the locals as well as the visitors.Vardavar is the most widely celebrated festival among Armenians, having it roots back to the pagan history of Armenia. It is celebrated 98 days (14 weeks) afterEaster. During the day of Vardavar, people from a wide array of ages are allowed to douse strangers with water. It is common to see people pouring buckets of water from balconies on unsuspecting people walking below them. The Swan Lake of the Yerevan Opera is the most popular venue for the Vardavar celebrations.
In August 2015, Teryan Cultural Centre supported by the Yerevan Municipality has launched its first Armenian traditional clothing festival known as theYerevan Taraz Fest.[177]
As one of the ancientwinemaking regions, many wine festivals are celebrated in Armenia. Yerevan launched its first annual wine festivals known as theYerevan Wine Days in May 2016.[178] TheWatermelon Fest launched in 2013 is also becoming a popular event in the city. TheYerevan Beer Fest is held annually during the month of August. It was first organised in 2014.[179]
Many public and private TV and radio channels operate in Yerevan. ThePublic TV of Armenia has been in service since 1956. It became asatellite television in 1996. Other satellite TVs include theArmenia TV owned by the Pan-Armenian Media Group,Kentron TV owned byGagik Tsarukyan,Shant TV and Shant TV premium. On the other hand,Yerkir Media, Armenia 2,Shoghakat TV, Yerevan TV, 21TV and the TV channels of the Pan-Armenian Media Group are among the most notable local televisions of Yerevan.
Many of the structures of Yerevan had been destroyed either during foreign invasions or as a result of the devastatingearthquake in 1679. However, some structures have remained moderately intact and were renovated during the following years.
Erebuni Fortress, also known asArin Berd, is the hill where the city of Yerevan was founded in 782 BC by KingArgishti I. The remains of other structures from earlier periods are also found in Shengavit.
The Blue Mosque
The 4th-century chapel of the Holy Mother of God and the 6th-centuryTsiranavor Church both located inAvan District at the north of Yerevan, are among the oldest surviving Christian structures of the city. Originally a suburb at the north of Yerevan, Avan was eventually absorbed by the city's gradual expansion. The district is also home to the remains of Surp Hovhannes Chapel dating back to the 12–13th centuries.
Moscow Cinema, opened in 1937 on the site ofSaint Paul and Peter Church of the 5th century, is an important example of the Soviet-era architecture. In 1959,Yervand Kochar'smonument dedicated to the legendary Armenian heroDavid of Sassoun was erected near the Yerevan Railway Station. The monumental statue ofMother Armenia is a female personification of the Armenian nation, erected in 1967.
Komitas Pantheon is a cemetery opened in 1936 where many famous Armenians are buried, while theYerablur Pantheon, is a military cemetery where over 1,000 Armenian martyrs of theNagorno-Karabakh conflict are buried since 1990.
Many new notable buildings were constructed after the independence of Armenia such as theYerevan Cascade, and theSaint Gregory Cathedral opened in 2001 to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia. In May 2016, a monumental statue of the prominent Armenian statesman and military leaderGaregin Nzhdeh was erected at the centre of Yerevan.
A second airport,Erebuni Airport, is located just south of the city. Since the independence, "Erebuni" is mainly used for military or private flights. TheArmenian Air Force has equally installed its base there and there are severalMiG-29s stationed on Erebuni's tarmac.
City buses, public vans and trolleybuses
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2024)
Public transport in Yerevan is heavily privatised and mostly handled by around 60 private operators. As of May 2017, 39 city bus lines are being operated throughout Yerevan.[181] These lines mostly consist of about 425Bogdan,Higer City Bus andHyundai County buses. However, the market share these buses in public transit is only about 39.1%.
But the 50.4% of public transit is still served by "public vans", locally known asmarshrutka. These are about 1210 Russian-madeGAZelle vans with 13 seats, that operate same way as buses, having 79 different lines with certain routes and same stops. According to Yerevan Municipality office, in future, marshrutkas should be replaced by ordinary larger buses. Despite having about 13 seats, the limit of passengers is not controlled, so usually these vans carry many more people who stand inside.
TheYerevan trolleybus system has been operating since 1949. Some old Soviet-era trolleybuses have been replaced with comparably new ones. As of May 2017, only 5 trolleybus lines are in operation (2.6% share), with around 45 units in service. The trolleybus system is owned and operated by the municipality.
A trolleybus in Yerevan
The tram network that operated in Yerevan since 1906 was decommissioned in January 2004. Its operation had a cost 2.4 times higher than the generated profits, which pushed the municipality to shut down the network,[182] despite a last-ditch effort to save it towards the end of 2003. Since the closure, the rails have been dismantled and sold.
Due to being dispersed among dozens of private operators, the transportation is barely regulated, with only trip fee is being a subject of regulation. Thus, the quality of vehicles is often inadequate, with no certain regulations for safety. Unlike the majority of world capitals, there is no established ticketing system in Yerevan's public transportation. Passengers need to pay the money directly to the driver when getting out of the vehicle. The fare -being one of the few things that is regulated- is fixed and controlled by authorities.
The central station in Nor Kilikia neighbourhood serves as bus terminal for inter-city transport, serving outbound routes towards practically all the cities of Armenia as well as abroad, notablyTbilisi andTabriz.
TheYerevan Metro named after Karen Demirchyan, (Armenian:Կարեն Դեմիրճյանի անվան Երեւանի մետրոպոլիտեն կայարան (Karen Dyemirchyani anvan Yerevani metropoliten kayaran)) is arapid transit system that serves the capital city since 1981. It has a single line of 12.1 km (7.5 mi) length with 10 active stations and 45 units in service. The interiors of the stations resemble that of the former western Soviet nations, withchandeliers hanging from the corridors. The metro stations had most of their names changed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the Republic of Armenia.
A northeastern extension of the line with two new stations is currently being developed. The construction of the first station (Ajapnyak) and of the one-kilometre (0.62-mile) tunnel linking it to the rest of the network will cost US$18 million.[183] The time of the end of the project has not yet been defined. Another long-term project is the construction of two new lines, but these have been suspended due to lack of finance.
The system transports more than 60,000 people on a daily basis.[citation needed]
Yerevan has a single central railway station (several railway stations of suburbs have not been used since 1990) that is connected to the metro via theSasuntsi Davit station. The railway station is made in Soviet-style architecture with its long point on the building roof, representing the symbols of communism:red star,hammer and sickle. Due to the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades of Armenia, there is only one international train that passes by once every two days, with neighbouring Georgia being its destination. For a sum of 9 000 to 18 000dram, it is possible to take the night train to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.[184] This train then continues to its destination ofBatumi, on the shores of theBlack sea in the summer season.
The only railway that goes to Iran to the south passes by the closed border ofNakhchivan. For this reason, there are no trains that go south from Yerevan.
During the first decade of the 21st century, the South Caucasus Railway CJSC — which is the current operator of the railway system in Armenia—announced its readiness to put the Yerevan-Gyumri-Kars railway line in service in case the Armenian-Turkish protocols are ratified and the opening of the borders between the two countries is achieved.
As of July 2017, the following railway trips are scheduled from and to Yerevan:
Yerevan-Tbilisi-Batumi-Yerevan, with a daily trip operating since 15 June 2017, in coordination with theGeorgian Railways.[185]
Yerevan-Gyumri-Yerevan, with 3 daily trips operating since 15 June 2017.[186]
Yerevan-Yeraskh-Yerevan, with a daily trip operating since 12 July 2014.[187]
The Yerevan-Ararat-Yerevan route is temporarily not in operation, while the Yerevan-Tbilisi-Yerevan route will operate starting from 2 October 2017.
Taxi
Yerevan prides itself on having connections 24/7 as taxis are available at any time of the day or night.[189] Taxicab service companies cover the entire city in addition to many online taxi service providers, including GG Taxi, Utaxi andYandex.Taxi.
Economy and services
Industry
Yerevan Ararat Brandy Factory
As of 2013[update], the share of Yerevan in the annual total industrial product of Armenia is 41%.[190] The industry of Yerevan is quite diversified including chemicals, primary metals and steel products,machinery, rubber products, plastics, rugs and carpets, textiles, clothing and footwear, jewellery, wood products and furniture, building materials and stone-processing, alcoholic beverages, mineral water, dairy product and processed food. Even though the economic crisis of the '90s ravaged the industry of the country, several factories remain always in service, notably in the petrochemical and the aluminium sectors.
Armenian beverages, especially Armeniancognac and beer, have a worldwide fame. Hence, Yerevan is home to many leading enterprises of Armenia and theCaucasus for the production of alcoholic beverages, such as theYerevan Ararat Brandy Factory,Yerevan Brandy Company,Yerevan Champagne Wines Factory, "Beer of Yerevan" (Kilikia Beer) brewery, Armco Brandy Factory,Proshyan Brandy Factory and Astafian Wine-Brandy Factory. The 2 tobacco producers in Yerevan are the "Cigaronne" and "Grand Tabak" companies.
Yerevan Champagne Wines Factory
Carpet industry in Armenia has a deeply rooted history with ancient traditions, therefore, carpet production is rather developed in Yerevan with three major factories that also produce hand-made rugs.[191][192][193] The "Megerian Carpet" factory is the leading in this sector.
Other major plants in the city include the "Nairit" chemical and rubber plant,Rusal Armenal aluminium foil mill, "Grand Candy" Armenian-Canadian confectionery manufacturers, "Arcolad" chocolate factory, "Marianna" factory for dairy products, "Talgrig Group" for wheat and flour products, "Shant" ice cream factory, "Crown Chemicals" for paints, "ATMC" travertine mining company, Yerevan Watch Factory "AWI watches", Yerevan Jewellery Plant, and the mineral water factories of "Arzni", "Sil", and "Dilijan Frolova".
Food products include processed meat, all types of canneries, wheat and flour, sweets and chocolate, dried fruits, soft drinks and beverages. Building materials mainly include travertine, crushed stones, asphalt and asphalt concrete.
Finance and banking
This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2020)
The Central Bank of Armenia
As an attractive outsourcing location for Western European, Russian and American multinationals, Yerevan headquarters many international companies. It is Armenia's financial hub, being home to theCentral Bank of Armenia, theArmenian Stock Exchange (NASDAQ OMX Armenia), as well as the majority of the country's largest commercial banks.[194] As of 2013[update], the city dominates over 85% of the annual total services in Armenia, as well as over 84% of the annual total retail trade.
A 19th-century building in downtown Yerevan, remodelled with modern additionsCascade complex
The construction sector has experienced a significant growth during the 1st decade of the 21st century.[195] Starting from 2000, Yerevan has witnessed a massive construction boom, funded mostly by Armenian millionaires from Russia and the United States, with an extensive and controversial redevelopment process in which many 18th and 19th-century buildings have been demolished and replaced with new buildings. This growth was coupled with a significant increase in real estate prices.[196]
Many major construction projects has been conducted in Yerevan, such asNorthern Avenue and the rehabilitation ofOld Yerevan onAram Street. Northern Avenue was completed and opened in 2007, while theOld Yerevan project is still under development. In the past few years, the city centre has also witnessed major road reconstruction, as well as the renovation of the Republic square, funded by the American-Armenian billionaireKirk Kerkorian. On the other hand, the Argentina-based Armenian businessmanEduardo Eurnekian took over the airport, while the cascade development project was funded by the US based Armenian millionaireGerard L. Cafesjian.
However, the sector has significantly dropped by the end of the 1st decade of the 21st century, as a result of theglobal real estate crisis in 2007–09. In 2013, Yerevan dominated over 58% of the annual total construction sector of Armenia.[citation needed]
In February 2017, the urban development committee of the government revealed its plans for the upcoming major construction projects in the city. With a total cost of US$300 million, a new business district will rise at the centre of the city, to replace the current Firdowsi shopping area.[197] The committee has also announced the construction ofNoy (Noah) ethnographic residential district at the western vicinity of Kentron District, with an approximate cost of US$100 million.[198]
Energy
Kanaker HPP of Yerevan
The location of the city on the shores of Hrazdan river has enabled the production of hydroelectricity. As part of theSevan–Hrazdan Cascade, threehydroelectric power plants are established within the administrative territory of Yerevan: Kanaker HPP,[199] Yerevan-1 HPP,[200] and Yerevan-3 HPP.[201] The entire plant was privatised in 2003, and is currently owned byRusHydro.[202][203]
The city is also home to theYerevan Thermal Power Plant, a unique facility in the region for its quality and high technology, situated in the southern part of the city. Originally opened in 1961, a modern plant was built in 2007, furnished with a new gas-steam combined cycled turbine, to generate electric power.[204][205] In March 2017, the construction of a new thermal power plant was launched with an initial investment of US$258 million and an envisaged capacity of 250 megawatts. The power station will be in service in 2019.[206]
Tourism and nightlife
Crowded cafés near the Yerevan Opera House
Grand Hotel Yerevan operating since 1926
Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan at the Republic Square, built in 1958 with traditional Armenian arch series at the façade
Tourism in Armenia is developing year by year and the capital city of Yerevan is one of the major tourist destinations.[207] The city has a majority of luxury hotels, modern restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs. Zvartnots airport has also conducted renovation projects with the growing number of tourists visiting the country. Numerous places in Yerevan are attractive for tourists, such as the dancing fountains of the Republic Square, the State Opera House, theCascade complex, the ruins of theUrartian city of Erebuni (Arin Berd), the historical site of Karmir Blur (Teishebaini), etc. The largest hotel of the city is theAni Plaza Hotel. TheArmenia Marriott Hotel is located at the Republic Square at the centre of Yerevan, while theRadisson Blu Hotel is located near theVictory Park. Other major chains operating in central Yerevan include theGrand Hotel Yerevan of theSmall Luxury Hotels of the World,[208] theBest Western Congress Hotel, theDoubleTree by Hilton, theHyatt Place, theIbis Yerevan Center, and The Alexander, a Luxury Collection Hotel ofMarriott International.[209]
The location of Yerevan itself, is an inspiring factor for the foreigners to visit the city in order to enjoy the view of the biblical mount ofArarat, as the city lies on the feet of the mountain forming the shape of a Romanamphitheatre.
There are many historical sites, churches and citadels in areas and regions surrounding the city of Yerevan, such asGarni Temple,Zvartnots Cathedral, the monasteries ofKhor Virap andGeghard, etc.
Being among the top 10 safest cities in the world, Yerevan has an extensive nightlife scene with a variety ofnightclubs,[210] live venues, pedestrian zones, street cafés, jazz cafés, tea houses,casinos, pubs,karaoke clubs and restaurants. Casino Shangri La and Pharaon Complex are among the largest leisure and entertainment centres of the city.
Many world-famous music stars, Russian music celebrities, as well as Armenian singers from diaspora, occasionally perform in concerts in Yerevan.
Northern Avenue connects the Opera House with Abovyan street and serves as a popularpedestrian zone in Yerevan with modern residential buildings, business centres, restaurants, bars and cafés. Another popular landmarks is theYerevan Cascade and the "Cafesjian Sculpture Garden" onTamanyan Street with its pedestrian zone, featuring many coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and pubs at the sidewalks. The "Cafesjian Center for the Arts" regularly organises art events throughout the year, including classical music series, traditional folk dance events, and live concerts of jazz, pop and rock music.[211]
International study conducted by Mercer and published in 2019 identified Yerevan to offer higher quality of living, than other capital cities of Transcaucasia.[212][213]
Yerevan is a major educational centre in the region. As of 2017[update], the city is home to more than 250 schools, of which about 210 are state-owned, with 3/4 of them run by the municipality and the rest run by the ministry of education. The rest of the schools (about 40) are privately owned. The municipality also runs 160 kindergartens throughout the city.[214]
Under the Soviet rule, Yerevan has turned into a major centre for science and research. TheArmenian National Academy of Sciences is the pioneer of scientific research in Armenia. It was founded in 1943 as the Armenian Branch of theSoviet Academy of Sciences to become the primary body that conducts research and coordinates activities in the fields of science in Armenia. It has many divisions, including Mathematical and Technical Sciences, Physics and Astrophysics, Natural Sciences, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Armenology and Social Sciences.[216]
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, over 40,000 Russian professionals and programmers arrived in Yerevan. Half stayed briefly and then moved on while the rest reestablished themselves using internet connections that kept Armenia connected to the world while Russia was increasingly cut off. In addition to IT experts the exodus included many bloggers, journalists and activists who faced arrest for criticising the war in Ukraine. Interviews indicated that none of the exiles encountered hostility in Yerevan. They can enter Armenia without visas or passports and remain six months; Russian is widely spoken.[220]
As of 2017, there are around 130 mini-football pitches among the courtyards of the Yerevan neighbourhoods, built by the municipal authorities.[224]
Chess
Tigran Petrosian Chess House
Armenia has always excelled inchess with its players being very often among the highest ranked and decorated. The headquarters of theChess Federation of Armenia is located in theTigran Petrosian Chess House of Yerevan.[225] Already in primary school, chess education is offered. The city is home to a large number of chess teams and training schools. In 1996, despite the severe economic conditions in the country, Yerevan hosted the32nd Chess Olympiad.[226] In 2006, the four members from Yerevan of the Armenian chess team won the37th Chess Olympiad inTurin and repeated the feat at the38th Chess Olympiad inDresden. Armenian won the chess Olympiad for the 3rd time in2012 inIstanbul. The Yerevan-born leader of the chess national team;Levon Aronian, is one of the top chess players in the world.
Tennis is also among the popular sports in Yerevan. Several tennis clubs operate in the city, with many of them founded during the Soviet days. Incourt Tennis Club –founded in 1974– is the largest in the city, with many indoor and outdoor courts.[228] Ararat Tennis Club founded in 1990, is also among the prominent clubs in the city.[229] Tennis clubs are also found within the Yerevan State Sports College of Olympic Reserve since 1971, and the Yerevan Football Academy since 2010.
Armenia has produced many Olympic champions inartistic gymnastics during the Soviet days, such asHrant Shahinyan,Albert Azaryan andEduard Azaryan. The success of the Armenian gymnasts in the Olympic competitions has greatly contributed in the popularity of the sport. Thus, many prominent competitors represent the country in the European and World championships, includingArtur Davtyan andHarutyun Merdinyan.
Yerevan has many state-owned schools of artistic gymnastics, including the Albert Azaryan School opened in 1964 and the Hrant Shahinyan School opened in 1965.
The "Yerevan State Sports College of Olympic Reserve" is a large sports and educational complex located in the Malatia-Sebastia District of the city. It was founded in 1971, and is home to individual as well as team sport schools, such as wrestling, boxing, weightlifting,judo, athletics,acrobatic gymnastics,artistic gymnastics,swimming, table tennis, cycling, basketball, volleyball and handball.[233]
In September 2015, the new Olympic Training Complex of Yerevan, locally known asOlympavan, was opened in Davtashen District. It is a state of the art sports complex, with training facilities for most Olympic individual and team sports, as well as water sports. It is also home to the anti-doping medical centre and a hotel designated to accommodate more than 300 athletes.[234]
Golf has been introduced to the citizens of Yerevan in 1999, with the foundation of the Ararat Valley Country Club in the Vahakni neighbourhood of Ajapnyak District. It is the first-evergolf course opened in Armenia as well as the Transcaucasian region.[236]
Arena Bowling and Billiards Club is an up-to-date sports and leisure centre opened in 2004 and located onMashtots Avenue in central Yerevan.[237]
Recently,MMA has gained massive popularity in Armenia, being promoted byArmfighting Professional Federation based in Yerevan. It was founded in 2005 byHayk Ghukasyan and currently runs several branches throughout the provinces of Armenia andArtsakh with more than 2,000 athletes.[241]
With the increased interest in healthy lifestyle and fitness, many large and modern training complexes with indoor and outdoor swimming pools have recently been opened in the city such as the Davit Hambardzumyan Swimming and Diving Olympic School, Orange Fitness Premium Club, DDD Sports Complex, Aqua Land Sports Complex,Gold's Gym, Grand Sport Complex,Reebok Sports Club, and Multi Wellness Sport and Health Center.
International relations
The city of Yerevan is member of many international organisations: the International Assembly of CIS Countries' Capitals and Big Cities (MAG), the Black Sea Capitals' Association (BSCA), the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF),[242] theOrganization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC), the International Association of Large-scale Communities, and the International Urban Community Lighting Association (LUCI).
Place de France with the statue ofJules Bastien-Lepage byAuguste Rodin at the centre are among the symbols featuring the partnership between Yerevan andParis
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^"Տուֆ [Tuff]".encyclopedia.am (in Armenian).Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved28 October 2014.Երևանն անվանում են վարդագույն քաղաք, որովհետև մեր մայրաքաղաքը կառուցապատված է վարդագույն գեղեցիկ տուֆե շենքերով:
^"Old Yerevan".yerevan.am. Yerevan Municipality.Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved28 October 2014.Since this construction material gave a unique vividness and specific tint to the city, Yerevan was called "Rosy city".
^Shagoyan, Gayane (2011). "The Second City as the First City".Urban Spaces After Socialism: Ethnographies of Public Places in Eurasian Cities. Campus Verlag. p. 69.ISBN9783593393841.When curfew was declared in Yerevan in 1988, it was announced at the rally held in Leninakan that the center of the Karabakh Movement would be moving from the capital (Mother City in Armenian) to the Father City.
^Smith, Adam T. (2012). ""Yerevan, My Ancient Erebuni"". In Hartley, Charles W.; Yazicioğlu, G. Bike; Smith, Adam T. (eds.).The Archaeology of Power and Politics in Eurasia: Regimes and Revolutions. Cambridge University Press. p. 59.ISBN9781107016521.A Stratigraphic History of Yerevan [...] the earliest known built settlement in the area is the Early Bronze Age site of Shengavit...
^Sarukhanyan, Petros (21 September 2011).Շնորհավո՛ր տոնդ, Երեւան դարձած իմ Էրեբունի.Hayastani Hanrapetutyun (in Armenian). Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved1 February 2014.Պատմական իրադարձությունների բերումով Երեւանին ուշ է հաջողվել քաղաք դառնալ։ Այդ կարգավիճակը նրան տրվել է 1879 թվականին, Ալեքսանդր Երկրորդ ցարի հոկտեմբերի 1—ի հրամանով։{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)()
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^Hartley, Charles W.; Yazicioğlu, G. Bike; Smith, Adam T., eds. (2012).The Archaeology of Power and Politics in Eurasia: Regimes and Revolutions. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press. p. 72.ISBN9781107016521....of even the most modern Yerevantsi.
^Ishkhanian, Armine (2005).Atabaki, Touraj; Mehendale, Sanjyot (eds.).Central Asia and the Caucasus: Transnationalism and Diaspora. New York:Routledge. p. 122.ISBN9781134319947....Yerevantsis (residents of Yerevan)...
^R. D. Barnett (1982)."Urartu". In John Boardman; I. E. S. Edwards; N. G. L. Hammond; E. Sollberger (eds.).The Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. 3, Part 1: The Prehistory of the Balkans, the Aegean World, Tenth to Eighth Centuries BC (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 346.ISBN978-0521224963.
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^Israelyan, Margarit A. (1971).Էրեբունի: Բերդ-Քաղաքի Պատմություն [Erebuni: The History of a Fortress-City] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Hayastan Publishing Press. pp. 12–13.
^Bournoutian, George A. (1982).Eastern Armenia in the Last Decades of Persian Rule, 1807-1828: A Political and Socioeconomic Study of the Khanate of Erevan on the Eve of the Russian Conquest. Undena Publications. p. 3 (note 3).ISBN978-0890031223.Erevan is pronounced Yerevan and was called Iravan by Persian sources, and Erivan by Western and Russian sources of the time.
^Bournoutian, George A. (2021).From the Kur to the Aras: A Military History of Russia's Move into the South Caucasus and the First Russo-Iranian War, 1801-1813. Brill. p. xvii.ISBN978-90-04-44515-4.After the sixteenth century, almost all Armenian sources, including manuscripts, consistently refer to the present-day capital of Armenia as Yerevan. Russian sources in the period under discussion call it Erivan and the Iranians Iravan.
^Boniface, Brian; Cooper, Chris; Cooper, Robyn (2012).Worldwide Destinations: The Geography of Travel and Tourism (6th ed.). Taylor & Francis. p. 338.ISBN978-0-415-52277-9.The snow-capped peak of Ararat is a holy mountain and national symbol for Armenians, dominating the horizon in the capital, Erevan, yet it is virtually inaccessible as it lies across the border in Turkey.
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