Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was founded in 782 BC on an ancient plateau of volcanic origin, the height of which reaches 1300 meters above sea level. Most of the buildings are made of tuff, a pinkish-colored volcanic stone. That is why Yerevan is sometimes called the “pink city”.
Probably the first thing that many associate Yerevan with is Mount Ararat (on the map). It is located approximately 121 kilometers from the capital of Armenia in Turkey. If you believe the Old Testament, it was to this mountain that Noah once landed on his ark. Ararat is a huge volcanic massif, which consists of two already extinct volcanoes: Big and Small Ararat. The distance between them is 11 kilometers.
At the foot of Ararat, on the very border with Turkey, there is a monastery Khor Virap(on the map). The first temple appeared here in the 7th century. It was built on the site of a dungeon where, 400 years earlier, St. George the Illuminator, highly revered by the inhabitants of Armenia, was imprisoned. Unfortunately, the temple has not survived to this day. The earthquake severely damaged the building, so in the 17th century it was decided to erect a new monastery building.
One of the main attractions of Yerevan is Grand Cascade(on the map). This is an architectural complex consisting of stairs, sculptures, obelisks, fountains and flower beds, which is located on the slopes of the Kanaker Hills. The cascade starts in a small park and goes up. It resembles a multi-tiered pyramid, and from the very top there is a fabulous view of the city and Mount Ararat. To climb the Cascade, you will have to climb a staircase of 675 steps. If there is no time for such an ascent, then you can use the elevator inside the complex, which will immediately lift you to two-thirds of the entire height of the Cascade.
Yerevan Zoo (on the map) was founded in 1941 even before the start of the Great Patriotic War. Today, about 3,000 animals from all continents live here: Przewalski’s horses, ibex, lemurs, elephants, Egyptian flying dogs and many other unusual animals. If you time your visit to the zoo correctly, you can see a breathtaking show – a meal of predators.
The zoo is open every day. The entrance ticket for an adult is 800 drams (110 rubles), for children – 500 (70 rubles), and for children under 3 years old a ticket is not needed.
In Yerevan there is Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts named after St. Mesrop Mashtots(on the map). The fund of this research center includes about 17 thousand ancient manuscripts and more than 100 thousand archival documents. Here you can see a unique collection of manuscripts, the first copies of which date back to the 5th century, as well as the first printed Armenian books, works by historians, philosophers and mathematicians of the Middle Ages, translations of treatises by Greek, Arab and Syrian scientists, including those whose originals have long been lost.
The National Historical Museum is located on Republic Square and occupies the same building together with the Art Gallery of Armenia. Its funds contain more than 400,000 exhibits of cultural and historical value: archaeological finds, ethnographic collections, ancient coins, carts, weapons and archival documents (on the map).
During the period from 1915 to 1917, the Turks killed almost one and a half million Armenians, so The Genocide Museum became an important place of memory for all residents of the country (on the map).
The two-story museum with three halls is located underground. Documents and photographs are exhibited here that tell in detail about the events of that time. The museum is open every day except Monday. Admission is free for each visitor.
Republic Square is always crowded in the evenings. City residents and tourists come here to see a fascinating spectacle – singing fountains(on the map). The fountains “dance” to both national music and popular international hits. The “dance” is accompanied by lighting effects, and the performance always ends with the song “Eternal Love” by Charles Aznavour.
Connoisseurs of strong alcoholic drinks should definitely sign up for a tour of the Yerevan Brandy Factory, which takes place twice a day (on the map). During the excursion you can visit the factory museum and learn the history of the world-famous drink. They say that one of the connoisseurs of Yerevan cognac was Winston Churchill.
During the excursion you can visit the aging workshop and see how cognac is stored on the territory of the plant. A pleasant addition to the excursion is a tasting. You can buy your favorite brands of cognac right there in a special store.
Armenian wines, cognac, handmade silverware, colorful bags, wallets, vests made in the national style, leather goods and pewter with national ornaments are usually brought as gifts from Yerevan.
The easiest way to get to Yerevan is by plane. Several flights depart from Moscow every day. The flight takes no more than 3 hours. Ticket prices start from 4 thousand rubles.
On OneTwoTrip you can easily find a hotel nearby and make a reservation in a few minutes.
