“By the greatness of the God Khaldi, Argishti, son of Menua, built this mighty stronghold and proclaimed it Erebuni for the glory of Biainili (Urartu) and to instill fear among the king’s enemies”.

In 782 BC the Urartian King Argishti I founded the fortress Erebuni on Arin-Berd hill. He perpetuated this event in the cuneiform inscription, which was later discovered during the excavations in Yerevan. 782 BC is considered to be the year of the foundation of Yerevan. Hence, present-day Yerevan is considered one of the oldest cities in the world. The name Yerevan was first mentioned in the written sources in 609, though the city was not noticeable at that time. In the 12th century it became a famous trade center having close connections with the city of Ani, which was the capital of Armenia during that period. Gradually the role of Yerevan started to increase and since the 14th century the city was mentioned in the written sources as the “capital of Ararat land”. Yerevan was several times conquered by Persia and Turkey during the wars. In 1827, it was conquered by the Russian army and after signing the treaty of Turkmenchay, it became the center of one of the states of the Russian Empire. The city began to develop in the 19th century. The railway, new hotels and bathhouses were built. The city was supplied with electricity.

On the 29th of November, 1920, Erivan became the capital of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Alexander Tamanyan became the main architect of the city and designed the plan of the present-day Yerevan. He built a number of buildings which are now among the main attractions of the city. In September of 1991, Yerevan became the capital of the Independent Republic of Armenia.

In the small center of the city you can see the 19th-century one or two-storey houses, which are faced with black or red tuff. This kind of buildings are still preserved in Abovyan, Hanrapetutyan, Mher Mkrtchyan, Arami, Melik Adamyan streets. Next to the peaceful small yards of Old Yerevan you can see large business centers, modern hotels and elite block of flats.

The typical feature of Yerevan architecture is the colorful stone tuff (from pink to black) which is used in facing the buildings. The buildings of many districts are faced with pink tuff which is why Yerevan is also known as a “pink city”. Yerevan is an important cultural center. Here you can attend classic or jazz concerts of both Armenian and world famous performers. In numerous museums of Yerevan you can get acquainted with the rich history of Armenia and other countries. The ruins of Erebuni and Teishebaini fortresses discovered by the archeologists are also situated in Yerevan.