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Discovering Yerevan

Former Foreign Affairs Government House on Republic Square
Yerevan is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. Its beginnings can be traced to the 8th century BC when Erebuni Fortress was founded as the administrative and religious center of the Urartian kingdom. The name Yerevan evolved from Erebuni. After a long history under the rule of the Safavid (Persian) Empire, the Soviet Empire, the Ottoman Turks and the Soviet Union and after having been destroyed by an earthquake in 1679 and its population annihilated by the Ottoman Turks in 1915, Yerevan is the proud capital of Armenia today.

The Pink City as Yerevan is referred to, was transformed in the early 2000s when new structures and businesses rose especially in the city center. Republic Square with its unique pink hued structures has been designated as one of the most beautiful squares in the world. It is not only elegant, it is also well loved by locals who flock to the square to enjoy its fountains and views of impressive architecture made from pink volcanic tuff.

The Clock Tower of the Government of Armenia
This building is the Government House. The northwest section of the building was designed by the famous architect, Alexander Tamanian, and completed in 1926-1929. The rest of the construction was handled by his son, Gevorg Tamanian, starting in 1938 and was completed in 1941.

National Gallery and History Museum, Republic Square

The Blue Mosque of Yerevan
The Blue Mosque is a Twelver Shia mosque built in the second half of the 18th century. It is the only active mosque in Yerevan today and the only existing structure from the Iranian period. The mosque complex consists of prayer halls, a courtyard with a rose garden, a library and a gallery for a permanent exhibit of Persian handicrafts. The Armenian government granted the Iranian Embassy a 99-year lease of the complex in December 2015.

Entrance to the Blue Mosque

Persian Handicraft Permanent Exhibit

The Cascade
The Cascade Complex of Yerevan is undeniably one of the most iconic landmarks of the city. With its terraced gardens and fountains, it is a sight to behold as it ascends to the top of the hill where you’ll find incomparable views of the city and Mount Ararat on a clear day. You can climb up 572 steps to the top or you can take an escalator inside the building and enjoy the modern and contemporary art collection of Gerard L. Cafesjian who gave $120 million towards the renovation and completion of the Cascade. This complex is a triple treat: indoor galleries with a stunning art collection, outdoor terraced gardens with sculptural pieces, fountains and the tree-lined sculpture garden. And there is no entrance fee. Make that a quadruple treat!

Freedom or Theatrical Square
This is such a pretty square with an enviable collection of sculptures from renowned artists like Botero, Peter Woytuk, John Clive and Guy Buseyne.

Woman smoking a cigarette, Fernando Botero, bronze

Mural on Freedom or Theatrical Square from the Russian Art Museum
Colorful murals and restaurants dot the square. This is one of my favorite places in Yerevan.



Cafesjian Center for the Arts at The Cascade
For more images of the works of art on display at the Center, follow this link: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2025/06/cafesjian-center-for-arts-yerevan.html

Armenian Genocide Memorial
Between 1915 and 1916, approximtely 660,000 to over a million Armenian Christians were delibertely killed and persecuted under the Ottoman Empire. There were 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman occupied Armenia in 1915. These Christians were either massacred, individually killed or suffered starvation, abuse, violence,  deportation and exposure to atrocities as they fled from the Ottoman Turks.

There are 12 concrete slabs representing the 12 provinces lost to the Ottoman Turks in 1915.

The eternal flame in the center commemorates the victims of the genocide.

Armenian Genocide Museum Institute
If you’re planning to visit the museum, check this link for museum hours, guided tours, directions as well as images from the museum collection.

View of the city from the Genocide Memorial

St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral (also Yerevan Cathedral)
St. Gregory Cathedral is the largest cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church with 1700 seats in the main church. It was consecrated on September 23, 2001 on the 1700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia. Relics and Holy Remains of St. Gregory are housed in the Cathedral. St. Gregory introduced Christianity to Armenia in the 4th century CE and is the founder of the Armenian Apostolic Church and its first official head.

Interior, St Gregory the Illuminator
I wish I had more time to spend in Yerevan. There were so many things I wanted to do like walking around Republic Square and having lunch at Freedom Square. I missed the Matenadaran Museum, the repository of ancient manuscripts and old books, which was on my bucket list. There will be a next time, I hope. I did have the chance to meet with two local young women who approached me and started a friendly conversation. We took pictures together and asked questions about each other. They were curious about where I came from. I don’t speak Armenian but one of the young ladies spoke English very well. I must learn a little bit of the language for my next visit so I can meet more locals.

How to get there from Tbilisi: I traveled to Yerevan with G7 Euro Travel and Tours. Please check out my post about Travel Tips and Resources here: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/p/travel-tips.html

Where to stay:  Holiday Inn Express is a ten-minute walk to Republic Square and beside Mashtots Park. It's on Buzand 97/2. It offers free breakfast. Reservations link is ihg.com.

What to eat: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2025/06/a-taste-of-armenia.html

Currency in Armenia : Dram. $1.00 is equivalent to 383.47 dram (exchange rate on September 13, 2025).

Electrical Outlet: Type C and F. Standard voltage is 230V at 50 Hz frequency.

Easy sightseeing tours of UNESCO World Heritage sites near Yerevan: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2025/07/unesco-world-heritage-sites-armenia.html

Stay connected



*****

Images by TravelswithCharie


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Location: Yerevan, Armenia

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