Yerevan

Yerevan is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. It is situated along river Hrazdan and has been the capital of Armenia since 1918. It is the 13th capital in the history of Armenia. Founded in 782 BC by king Argishti I the initial name of the city was Erebuni and the city was initially designed to be religious and cultural center in Armenia. The population is around 1 million currently. Yerevan has its own flag and seal. The seal shows winged Erebuni lion with a bronze shield having a blue circumference with Ararat Mountain on the chest. The lion has a tree of life as a crown and holds a power staff. In 2012 Yerevan was named World Book Capital by UNESCO and currently the city is an associate member of Eurocities.
Yerevan is home of dozens of museums and churches such as Matenadaran Institute, the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex, The National Gallery of Armenia, Sergei Parajanov Museum, Cafesjian Museum of Art at Cascade complex, Yerevan Opera House, Lover’s Park, Victory ark, Republic Square of Armenia, Yerevan Brandy Company, Saint Sargis Church and so much more.
Being inspired by the Armenian historic architecture Alexander Tamanian perfectly combined the natural stone of Armenia and his knowledge of world architecture to create a unique Yerevan style. In mid 1920s he drew the firs general plan of Yerevan.
Tamanian designed the building of the Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiaryan, which was officially opened in 1933. The building consists of two concert halls: the Aram Khatchaturian concert hall with 1,400 seats and the Alexander Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet National Theatre with 1,200 seats. It is an active cultural center with weekly performances. Artists like Sirusho, Djivan Gasparyan, and more.
Nearby the Opera and Ballet Theater there is a beautiful lake called “The Swan Lake”. From spring to fall swans live there and in winter the lakes turns into an ice rink. The latest construction of Northern Bulverde has originally been designed by Alexander Tamanian. He envisioned green gardens lining the pedestrian pathway connecting the Republic Square to the Opera House.
The National Gallery of Armenia (NGA) is the largest art museum in the Republic of Armenia, it is Located on Yerevan's Republic Square. The NGA currently houses around 26,000 works of art, many of which are permanently displayed in the museum's 56 galleries and halls.
One of the most popular museums is The Sergei Parajanov Museum dedicated to a Soviet Armenian director and artist Sergei Parajanov. He had a unique style and most of the time his artworks were banned for his fearless and creative ideas expressed in his movies. However he managed to leave rich cultural heritage. (https://parajanovmuseum.am/ )
Yerevan is also home for Saint Sarkis Cathedral. Standing against the upper part of the village of Dzoragyugh, and facing the old Erivan Fortress on the left bank of the River Hrazdan, a hermitage-monastery was functioning since the earliest Christian era. During the rule of His Holiness Vazgen I Catholicos of Armenians, the church underwent basic renovations and improvements.
Statue of Jules Bastien-Lepage is in the French square in downtown Yerevan as a symbol of partnership between Yerevan and Paris. There is also a Jewish Holocaust Memorial in Yerevan that is located in the city’s Aragats Park – a few blocks north of the centrally located Republic Square.
Yerevan Brandy Company is the leading enterprise of Armenia of the production of alcohol and beverage. Its main brand is named Ararat after the biblical mountain and is the major export to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The company was founded in 1887. It is open to visitors for tour.
Yerevan is a live city full of cultural events and exciting late night activities. It is a safe city to walk around till dawn and enjoy the delicious Armenian food and meet friendly people.
Yerevan is the home of jazz, the first jazz band of Yerevan was founded in 1936, by composer Tsolak Vardazaryan. Throughout the year many famous jazz composers visit Armenia with concerts. One of the famous Armenian jazz artists is Malkhas and sometimes he is even called Armenia’s Jazz Godfather. The Malkhas Jazz Club is popular among Armenians and tourists as the best place to spend evenings.