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    Tourist Attractions in Yerevan

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Yerevan. Photos and a brief description.

    Yerevan
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    About Yerevan

    More than a third of the Armenian population lives in Yerevan. The city is the cultural, economic and political center of the country. If we consider 782 BC (when the Erebuni fortress was founded) as the date of the foundation of Yerevan, it turns out that the Armenian capital is older than Rome. There are no magnificent palaces and monumental Baroque facades, but there is a unique charm of streets, parks and small squares.

    Yerevan could not recover for a long time after the devastating events of the 1990s. For many years of decline and lack of funding, many buildings and entire districts require renovation. However, today it is clear that the city is being revived, turning into a beautiful and attractive place for tourists, where there are many worthy attractions.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Yerevan

    Complex "Cascade"

    An architectural composition designed by A.O. Tomanyan. It consists of several elements: a museum (the Gafeschyan Art Center), a staircase, a fountain and observation decks offering panoramic views of Yerevan. The museum's collection consists of an extensive collection of glass products that once belonged to millionaire Levon Gafeschyan, as well as interesting works of modern art.

    Complex
    Sculpture

    Sculpture "Smoking woman"

    The original work of the modern sculptor F. Botero is located in the park opposite the Cascade complex. It represents the figure of a curvy naked woman reclining on a pedestal with a cigarette in her hands. The installation of the sculpture caused a contradictory reaction in society. Some citizens claimed that it was a challenge to traditional moral principles, while others, on the contrary, considered it very original.

    Matenadaran

    A research center and a museum where ancient Armenian manuscripts of great historical value are kept. Translated from Armenian, "matenadaran" means "repository of manuscripts". To date, there are several thousand manuscripts in the collection. It is believed that it has existed since the V century and was founded by the creator of the Armenian script – M. Mashtots.

    Matenadaran
    Tsitsernakaberd

    Tsitsernakaberd

    A memorial complex dedicated to the numerous victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. The memorial was built on the hill of the same name in the 1960s on the initiative of local authorities. It consists of a 44-meter stele split in two, a cone of stone slabs, inside which the eternal flame burns, and a 100-meter Wall of mourning. In 1995, the complex acquired an underground museum.

    Armenian Genocide Museum

    The opening of the exhibition was timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the genocide. According to the idea of the creators, the underground building of the museum is designed to symbolize the tomb in which more than a million lives have been "buried" since 1915. The collection is located on two floors. Its exhibits tell about the terrible tragedy of the Armenian people, who had to endure simply inhuman suffering during the persecution organized by the Ottoman Empire.

    Armenian Genocide Museum
    Erebuni Fortress

    Erebuni Fortress

    The ruins of an ancient city in the Ararat Valley, where the state of Urartu flourished long before the advent of our era. Presumably, Erebuni was erected under King Argishti I in the VIII century BC and served as a defensive structure. The date of the foundation of the fortress is often considered the year of the foundation of Yerevan. In the museum located next to Erebuni, you can explore the collection of valuable artifacts of the ancient kingdom of Urartu.

    Republic Square

    The central square of the Armenian capital, built according to the project of A.O. Tomanyan in the middle of the XX century. Its architectural appearance is formed by five buildings located around the perimeter. Among them is the Museum of the History of Armenia with a worthy collection of paintings by famous artists. In the middle of the square there is a singing fountain with lighting. The facades of the houses are lined with pink and white tuff, the bases are made of basalt.

    Republic Square
    Armenian Government Building

    Armenian Government Building

    The monumental structure of tuff and basalt is located on the Republic Square. It was erected in 1926-52. The facade is decorated with columns and high arched spans. Above the central arch is a tower with a clock face. The architectural style of the building consists of a mixture of classical and medieval Armenian architecture. Today, some rooms are used for exhibitions.

    Charles Aznavour Square

    Charles Aznavour was born into a family of Armenian immigrants. To perpetuate the name of this famous chansonnier in 2001, the square near the cinema "Moscow" was renamed and named after the singer. He personally attended the opening ceremony of the renovated square. It should be noted separately the cinema building itself, built in the 1930s in the style of constructivism popular at that time.

    Charles Aznavour Square
    Northern Avenue

    Northern Avenue

    A pedestrian street stretching for 1.5 km from Republic Square to Opera Square. The avenue was laid on the site where private houses were previously located. The government bought the territory from the population and started construction only in 2001, although the project was conceived by A.O. Tomanyan at the beginning of the XX century. The opening of the first part of the avenue took place in 2006, the second and third – in 2007. Office buildings, luxury residential real estate, restaurants and shops are located along the street.

    Historical Museum and Art Gallery of Armenia

    The gallery and museum are located in one of the buildings on the central square of the Republic. The museum exposition consists of ethnographic, archaeological, numismatic and historical departments. The collection of paintings includes works by Armenian, Russian and Western European artists. There are paintings by Aivazovsky, Levitan, Repin, Rubens, Tintoretto, Boucher.

    Historical Museum and Art Gallery of Armenia
    Armenian Opera and Ballet Theater

    Armenian Opera and Ballet Theater

    A full-fledged musical theater was created on the basis of the opera class of the Yerevan Conservatory in 1932. A separate building was built by 1940. The southern facade of the stage is located opposite Freedom Square, one of the most beautiful places in Yerevan. There are monuments to the national poet of Armenia O. T. Tumanyan and composer A.A. Spendiarov.

    Sergei Parajanov Museum

    S. Parajanov is an avant—garde director who has made Armenian cinema famous all over the world. He was born and lived in Tbilisi. In 1991, after the death of the master, a museum dedicated to his name was opened in Yerevan. The exposition consists of the director's personal belongings, as well as of artistic works, which can give an idea of the difficult life and creative path of this extraordinary person. The interior of the Tbilisi Parajanov house has been recreated inside the museum.

    Sergei Parajanov Museum
    Dalan Art Gallery

    Dalan Art Gallery

    The gallery presents works by contemporary artists of the post-Soviet space. Many paintings are of great cultural value. There are guided tours in the museum, and there is an opportunity to take an audio guide. There is also a souvenir shop where you can buy interesting author's things, and a cozy cafe in the courtyard, where visitors relax from the hustle and bustle of the city over a cup of excellent Armenian coffee.

    Megerian Carpet

    Carpet factory and carpet museum of the Megerian family. Already the third generation of this family is engaged in the manufacture and restoration of carpets (the company was founded in 1917 in the USA). In 2002, the Megeryans opened a workshop in Yerevan, which eventually grew into a large factory, surpassing the size of their other productions. All products are made by hand by private orders using high quality wool and natural dyes.

    Megerian Carpet
    Yerevan Brandy Factory

    Yerevan Brandy Factory "ArArAt"

    The legendary factory is one of the symbols of Armenia. The famous "Ararat" is produced here, and several exclusive cognac varieties are bottled exclusively by private orders: "Cilicia", "Sparapet", "Erebuni", "Noah's Ark". The production was founded in 1887 by merchant N. Tairyants. You can get to the factory with a guided tour.

    Yerevan Railway Station

    The building was built in the 1950s on the very spot where the first railway line connecting Tiflis and Alexandropol took place at the beginning of the XX century. The complete reconstruction of the complex was carried out in 2010. During the repair work, historical interiors were restored, communications were updated and modern equipment was supplied to meet the needs of the increased flow of passengers.

    Yerevan Railway Station
    Blue Mosque

    Blue Mosque

    The temple was erected in the middle of the XVIII century by order of Khan Huseynali-Khan Qajar, who at that time was the ruler of the Erivan Khanate. The Blue Mosque symbolized the fortress of Armenian-Iranian friendship. Today it is the only functioning mosque in the capital of the country, simultaneously performing the functions of the spiritual center of the Iranian community. The dome and part of the facade of the temple are lined with blue tiles.

    Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator

    The temple was built in 2001 according to the project of S. Kurkchan with donations from the Manukyan, Gevorgyan and Nazaryan families. After Tsminda Sameba in Tbilisi, it is the largest Christian cathedral in Transcaucasia. It consists of three buildings: the Church of St. Queen Ashkhen, the Church of St. Tiridates III and the main building itself. The idea of construction belonged to Catholicos Garegin I.

    Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator
    St. Zoravor Church

    St. Zoravor Church

    One of the oldest churches in Yerevan, built at the end of the XVII century. It is located in the central part of the capital. Previously, a monastery and a chapel at the tomb of St. Nicholas were located in its place. Ananias, which were destroyed during the earthquake. According to legend, the first temple was founded in the VII century. The church was restored in the 1970s, after which it became operational again.

    Monument "Mother Armenia"

    A monument erected in 1967 in honor of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. He represents a resolute figure of a woman with a sword in her hands and a shield at her feet, personifying the Motherland. The monument is located on the territory of Akhtanak Park in the center of Yerevan. Inside the powerful pedestal there is a museum dedicated to the Second World War and the events of the Karabakh wars.

    Monument
    Vernissage Flea Market

    Vernissage Flea Market

    Antique market between Buzanda Street and Aram Street, where antique books, coins, paintings, handmade figurines, carpets and jewelry are sold. Many connoisseurs of antiquities, art historians and jewelers prefer to shop here. Tourists can buy unique souvenirs at the "Vernissage" at fairly reasonable prices or just walk among the counters with unusual things.

    Yerevan Zoo

    The zoo was established in 1941 on the initiative of Professor A. Sarkisov. At the moment, about 300 species of animals (almost 3 thousand individuals) live on its territory, who arrived here from different parts of the planet. For animals, conditions close to natural conditions have been created, up to the imitation of self-foraging. The zoo is spread out on a green area of 25 hectares in the north-eastern part of the city.

    Yerevan Zoo
    Lovers' Park

    Lovers' Park

    City public park in the central part of the capital of Armenia. Its history began in the XVIII century. At that time it was located in the suburbs of Yerevan and was called the garden of Kozern. In the second half of the XX century, the place became popular with couples in love, so in 1995 the city authorities decided to rename the square. In 2005-2008, the park was completely reconstructed.

    Virap Choir

    A monastery at the foot of Mount Ararat, located near the Turkish border and about 40 km from Yerevan. According to the biblical texts (or their interpretation), Noah's Ark landed on the site of the monastery after the end of the Flood. The monastery was founded in the VII century on a hill where the ancient city of Artashat, the capital of the Armenian state under King Artashes I, was previously located.

    Virap Choir