Yerevan is the capital of Armenia (since 1918), as well as the administrative, cultural, economic and industrial center of the country. It is considered one of the oldest cities in the world, which was founded by Argishti 1st in 782 BC. You can find the ruins of the ancient city in the Erebuni Museum. Legend has it that when Noah’s Ark landed on Mount Ararat, the first thing he saw was this land, and he said, “Yerevats (appeared). And from that day on, the city was named Yerevan.
Sights of Yerevan
Yerevan is the cultural center of Armenia. The main universities, companies, embassies of all countries, the UN office and other international companies are located in the capital. There are many museums and galleries here that “preserve” the history of our country.
Republic Square is located in the heart of Yerevan and includes the National Gallery, the Museum of the History of Armenia and the “singing” fountains, which combine music, water and color. The square is framed by the buildings of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, the Marriott Hotel and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The architect of the square was Alexander Tamanyan, who created a masterpiece and truly a national work of art.
Matenadaran
The Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, also known as Matenadaran, is a repository of ancient manuscripts and has one of the largest collections of manuscripts in Armenia. It was founded in 1959. The repository contains more than 17,000 manuscripts, 450,000 documents and 3,000 ancient books. The oldest manuscript is “Vehamor Avetaran”, which has been kept since the 8th century. Here you will see the largest Armenian book “Msho Charyntir” (weight 28 kg) and the smallest book (190 g).
Tsitsernakaberd
Another important place for Armenians is Tsitsernakaberd. It is a monument dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. It was built in 1967 in Yerevan. The memorial complex also includes the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, which was opened in 1995.
Churches of Yerevan
You can find many churches in the pink city. St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral is the largest Armenian Apostolic church in Armenia. It is located in the central part of Yerevan. The architect was the famous Stepan Kurkchyan.
Zoravar Surb Astvatsatsin is one of the oldest churches in Yerevan. It is located in the oldest part of the city, which was called the Shakhar district. The chapel was once a famous sanctuary. The church changed its name to Zoravar because in the 13th century it was a repository for the Zoravor Bible. In modern Yerevan, the church is located in the Kentron district.
The Katogike of the Most Holy Theotokos is a small medieval church located in the Kentron area. On one of the walls of the church there is a carved inscription dating back to 1264. Khachkars were also found in the church. Katoghike was damaged by the earthquake of 1679; the new church was built of Armenian tuff.
St. Sarkis Church is located on the left bank of the Hrazdan River and was built in Yerevan in 1842.
Once it was a huge complex surrounded by high gates and included three churches of St. Sarkis, St. Gevorg and St. Hakob. St. Sarkis Church was the official residence of the Patriarch, and the monastery was the patriarch’s guest hotel. Unfortunately, two churches were destroyed during the earthquake of 1679, only St. Sarkis Church has been preserved and it is currently the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Theaters
Yerevan is also known for its theaters, cinemas and other cultural centers. The building of the Opera and Ballet Theater adorns the city center. It’s beautiful at night when the lights turn on and the city shows us its true beauty again. If you are in the capital of Armenia, just enjoy this beautiful city and you can learn a lot here in this small town.
Parks of Yerevan
In Yerevan, you can find many parks where you can go and just take a walk. One of them is Victory Park, which is dedicated to the victory in World War II, and where one of the imposing statues of Armenian architecture, Mother Armenia, stands proudly.
Another cultural and important park is located next to the Opera House. The park was named after the great Armenian artist Martiros Saryan. It looks like an open-air museum, because artists present their work here.
Weather
Residents of the capital know that it is already warm in Yerevan with the arrival of spring. It is sunny here 365 days a year. In summer, the average temperature is +25, sometimes rising to +43 (July-August); in winter −4-5 C. Summer in Yerevan lasts for more than 4 months. Winters are short and warm here. So our pink capital is a dream for tourists and residents of our country.
Source: Armenia Discovery
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