Yerevan

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Երեւան
Yerevan

Flag Coat of arms
Location
Location of Yerevan in Armenia
Government
Country	Armenia
Established	782 BC
Mayor	Yervand Zakharyan
Geographical characteristics
Area  - City	227 km²
Population  - City (2004)    - Density	1,088,000   5196.4/km²
Coordinates	40°10′11.99″N, 44°31′12″E
Elevation	989.3808 m
Time zone - Summer (DST)	GMT (UTC+4) GMT (UTC+5)
Other Information
Website: www.yerevan.am

Yerevan (Armenian: Երեւան or Երևան; sometimes written as Erevan; former names include Erebuni and Erivan) is the largest city and capital of Armenia. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, at 40°10′N 44°31′E, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century BC, with the founding of the Urartian fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC.^[2]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early history 1.2 Foreign domination 1.3 Yerevan (Irevan) Khanate 1.4 Russian governance 1.5 Brief independence (1917–1920) 1.6 Soviet Yerevan 1.7 Post-USSR independence 2 Geography and climate 3 Culture 4 Economy 4.1 Development 5 Mayors of Yerevan 5.1 Soviet Armenia (1922-1991) 5.2 Republic of Armenia (1991-present) 6 Monuments, movie theaters and other buildings 7 City districts 8 Sister cities 9 Education 9.1 Universities 10 Sports 10.1 Football (soccer) teams 11 Notable people 12 Gallery 12.1 Yerevan 12.2 Historical photographs of Yerevan under Imperial Russia 13 See also 14 Footnotes 15 References 16 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Early history

The territory of Yerevan was settled by humans since the fourth millemium BC, fortified settlements from the Bronze Age include Shengavit, Karmir Blur, Karmir Berd and Berdadzor. Archaeological evidence indicates that an Urartian military fortress called Erebuni (Էրեբունի) was founded in 782 BC by the orders of King Argishtis I at the site of current-day Yerevan, to serve as a fort/citadel guarding against attacks from the north Caucasus. Yerevan is thus one of the most ancient cities in the world. During the height of Urartian power, irrigation canals and an artificial reservoir were built on Yerevan's territory.

Between the sixth and fourth centuries BC, Yerevan was one of the main centers of the Armenian satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire. In 585 BC, the fortress of Teishebaini (Karmir Blur), thirty miles to the north of Yerevan, was destroyed by the Scythians.

Due to the absence of historical data, the timespan between fourth century BC and third century AD is known as the Yerevan Dark Ages. The first church in Yerevan, the church of St. Peter and Paul, was built in the fifth century. It collapsed in 1931.

[edit] Foreign domination

In 658 AD, Yerevan was conquered, during the height of Arab invasions. Since then the site has been strategically important as a crossroads for the caravan routes passing between Europe and India. It has been known as "Yerevan" since at least the seventh century AD.

Between the ninth and eleventh centuries, Yerevan was a secure part of the Armenian Bagratuni Kingdom, before being overrun by Seljuks. The city was seized and pillaged by Tamerlane in 1387 and subsequently became an administrative center of the Ilkhanate.

Due to its strategic significance, Yerevan was constantly fought over and passed back and forth between the dominion of Persia and the Ottomans. At the height of the Turkish-Persian wars, the city changed hands fourteen times between 1513 and 1737. In 1604, under the order of Shah Abbas I, tens of thousands of Armenians (including citizens of Yerevan) were deported to Persia. As a consequence, Yerevan's population became 80 percent Muslim and 20 percent native Armenian.^[3]

The Ottomans, Safavids and Ilkhanids all maintained a mint in Yerevan.

During the 1670s, the Frenchman Jean Chardin visited Yerevan and gave a description of the city in his Travels of Cavalier Chardin in Transcaucasia in 1672-1673. On June 7, 1679, a devastating earthquake razed the city to the ground.

[edit] Yerevan (Irevan) Khanate

During the Safavid Dynasty rule, Yerevan and adjacent territories were part of the Chukhursaad (Irevan) Beglerbekate. Starting from 1747 and until 1828, it was an independent Erivan Khanate, until its incorporation into Russian Empire.

[edit] Russian governance

During the second Russian-Persian war, Yerevan was liberated^[4][5] by Russian troops under Ivan Paskevich on 1 October 1827. It was formally ceded by the Persians in 1828. Following the Treaty of Turkamanchai, Tsarist Russia sponsored Armenian resettlement from Persia and Turkey; by the turn of the twentieth century, Yerevan's population was over 29,000, of which 49% were Azerbaijani (described by Russian sources as "Azerbaijani Tatars"), 48% Armenian and 2% Russian.^[6]

The city began to grow economically and politically, with old buildings torn down and new buildings in European style erected in their place. In 1829, Armenian repatriates from Persia were resettled in the city and a new quarter was built. By the time of Nicholas I's visit in 1837, Yerevan had become a uyezd.

The first general plan of the city was made in 1854, during which time the womens' colleges of St. Hripsime and St. Gayane were opened and the English Garden built. In 1874, Zacharia Gevorkian opened Yerevan's first printing house and in 1879 the first theatre, sited near the church of St. Peter and Paul, was established. Two years into the twentieth century, a railway line linked Yerevan with Alexandropol, Tiflis and Julfa, the same year Yerevan's first public library opened. In 1913, a telephone line with eighty subscribers became operational.

[edit] Brief independence (1917–1920)

The Russian Empire ended in the October Revolution of 1917. In the aftermath, Armenian, Georgian and Muslim leaders of Transcaucasia united to form the Transcaucasian Federation and proclaimed Transcaucasia's secession.

The Federation, however, was short-lived and on May 28, 1918, Yerevan became the capital of the First Republic of Armenia. On November 29, 1920, the Bolshevik 11th Red Army occupied Yerevan during the Russian Civil War. Although nationalist forces managed to retake the city in February 1921, the city once again fell to Soviet forces on April 2, 1921.

[edit] Soviet Yerevan

Yerevan became the capital of the newly formed Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union. The Soviet era transformed the city into a modern industrial metropolis of over a million people, developed according to the prominent Armenian architect Alexander Tamanian's designs. Yerevan also became a significant scientific and cultural center.

Tamanian incorporated national traditions with contemporary urban construction. His design presented a radial-circular arrangement that overlaid the existing city. As a result, many historic buildings were demolished, including churches, mosques, the Persian fortress, baths, bazaars and caravanserais.

In 1965, during the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Yerevan was the center of a 24-hour mass anti-Soviet protest – the first such demonstration in the Soviet Union – to demand recognition of the Genocide by the Soviet authorities. In 1968, the city's 2,750th anniversary was commemorated.

The first stations of the Yerevan Metro opened in 1981.

In 1988-1989 the whole Azerbaijani population of Yerevan was expelled from the city ^[7]

[edit] Post-USSR independence

Following the end of the Soviet Union, Yerevan became the capital of the Republic of Armenia on September 21, 1991.

Maintaining supplies of gas and electricity proved difficult; a constant elecricity was not restored until 1996.

[edit] Geography and climate

Yerevan is located in Eastern Armenia in the north-eastern part of the Ararat Valley. The upper part of the city is surrounded by mountains on three sides while to the south it descends to the banks of the river Hrazdan, a tributary of the river Arax. The Hrazdan divides Yerevan in two within a picturesque canyon. The city's elevation ranges between 900 to 1,300 meters above sea level.

As the capital of Armenia, Yerevan is not part of any marz ("province"). Instead, it borders the following marzer: Kotayk (north), Ararat (south), Armavir (southwest) and Aragatsotn (northwest).

The climate of Yerevan is relatively continental, with dry, hot summers and cold and short winters. The temperature in August can reach 40 degrees Celsius, while January may be as cold as -15 degrees Celsius. The amount of precipitation is small, amounting annually to about 350 mm.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average temperature [°C]	-5	0	7	11	19	23	25	25	20	15	8	1	13
Precipitation [cm]	2	2	3	4	4	2	1	1	1	3	2	2	27

[edit] Culture

As a centre of Armenian culture, Yerevan is the site of Yerevan State University (1919), the Armenian Academy of Sciences, a historical museum, an opera house, a music conservatory and several technical institutes. The Matenadaran archives hold a rich collection of valuable ancient Armenian, Greek, Syrian, Hebrew, Roman and Persian manuscripts. Yerevan has several large public libraries, a number of museums and theaters, botanical gardens and zoos. It is also at the heart of an extensive rail network and is a major trading centre for agricultural products. In addition, industries in the city produce metals, machine tools, electrical equipment, chemicals, textiles and food products.

Two major tourist attractions are the ruins of an Urartu fortress and a Roman fortress. The Zvartnots Airport serves Yerevan. The Armenia Marriott Hotel is situated in the heart of the city at Republic Square (also known as Hraparak).

[edit] Economy

Yerevan is Armenia's industrial, transportation, and cultural center. Manufactures include chemicals, primary metals, machinery, rubber products, plastics, textiles, and processed food. Not only is Yerevan the headquarters of major Armenian companies, but of international ones as well, as it's seen as an attractive outsourcing location for Western European and American multinationals. Recently, Lycos moved its headquarters from Paris to Yerevan. Yerevan is also the country's financial hub, home to the Armenian National Bank, the Armenian Stock Exchange, as well as some of the country's largest commercial banks.

[edit] Development

Recently, Yerevan has been undergoing an ambitious redevelopment process in which old Soviet-style apartments and buildings are being demolished and replaced with modern buildings. However, this urban renewal plan has been met with opposition and ([2]) criticism from some residents. Jermaine Jackson has planned to build an entertainment complex in a new 5-star hotel which is being built in the city.

[edit] Mayors of Yerevan

List of mayors of Yerevan:

[edit] Soviet Armenia (1922-1991)

• Artashes Geghamyan (1989-1990)

[edit] Republic of Armenia (1991-present)

• Hambartsoum Galstyan
• Vano Siradeghyan
• Vahagn Khachatryan
• Murad Muradyan
• Robert Nazaryan
• Suren Abrahamyan
• Albert Bazeyan (1999-2001)
• Khosrov Harutiunyan
• Yervand Zakharyan (2003-present)

[edit] Monuments, movie theaters and other buildings

Cascades	Massive white steps that ascend from downtown Yerevan towards Haghtanak Park (Victory Park).
Cossack Monument	A monument to the Cossacks killed during the Russian-Persian wars in 1826-1827.
Hamalir	Concert hall and sports complex.
Matenadaran	Institute of Ancient Manuscripts. One of the richest depositories of manuscripts and books in the world.
Moscow Cinema (Kino Moskva)	Famous movie theater.
Mother Armenia	A statue located in Haghtanak Park (Victory Park).
Nairi Cinema (Kino Nairi)	Famous movie theater.
Pantheon Cemetery	Cemetery where many famous Armenians are buried.
Sasuntsi Davit	A statue dedicated to a famous Armenian hero.
Statue of Hayk	Statue of a legendary patriarch and founder of the first Armenian nation.
Tsitsernakaberd	Monument commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
Yerablur	Cemetery where Armenians that fought in the Nagorno-Karabakh War are buried.
Yerevan Zoo	Yerevan zoo.

[edit] City districts

Yerevan is divided into several districts, each with an elected community leader:

Ajapnyak Arabkir* Avan Bangladesh Davtashen Erebuni Kentron

Malatia-Sebastia Nor-Nork Nork-Marash Nubarashen Qanaqer-Zeytun Shengavit

* Named for the town Arabkir.

[edit] Sister cities

Currently, Yerevan has twenty-seven sister cities.

City	Country	Year
Moscow	Russia
Rostov-on-Don	Russia
Saint Petersburg	Russia
Stavropol	Russia
Volgograd	Russia	From 1998
Lyon	France
Marseille	France
Paris	France	From 1998
Carrara	Italy
Florence	Italy
Kiev	Ukraine
Odessa	Ukraine
Los Angeles	United States	From 2006[8]
Cambridge, MA	United States
Buenos Aires	Argentina
São Paulo	Brazil	From 1999
Montreal	Canada
Athens	Greece
Bratislava	Slovakia
Chişinău	Moldova
Minsk	Belarus
Podgorica	Montenegro	From 2006
Tbilisi	Georgia
Beirut	Lebanon
Damascus	Syria
Isfahan	Iran
Antananarivo	Madagascar

[edit] Education

[edit] Universities

Universities in Yerevan include:

Institute		Official website	Date established	Student population
American University of Armenia	AUA	http://www.aua.am	1991	268
Russian-Armenian State University	RAU	http://www.rau.am	August 29, 1997	1,600
State Engineering University of Armenia	SEUA	http://www.seua.am	1933	10,000
Yerevan State University	YSU	http://www.ysu.am	May 16, 1919	10,450
Yerevan State Linguistic University	YSLU	http://www.brusov.am	February 4, 1935
Yerevan State Medical University	YSMU	http://www.ysmu.am	1930
Yerevan State Musical Conservatory	YSC	http://www.conservatory.am	1921
Yerevan State Pedagogical University	YSPU		1922

[edit] Sports

[edit] Football (soccer) teams

Logo	Club	Stadium
	FC Ararat Yerevan	Hrazdan Stadium
	FC Banants	Banants Stadium
	FC Kilikia Yerevan	Hrazdan Stadium
	FC Uliss Yerevan	Kazak Stadium
	FC MIKA	Mika Stadium
	FC Pyunik	Hanrapetakan Stadium
	Yerevan United FC	Hanrapetakan Stadium

[edit] Notable people

Notable people who are from or have resided in Yerevan:

Khachatur Abovian, writer Vladimir Akopian, chess player Viktor Ambartsumian, astrophysicist Levon Aronian, chess player Alexander Arutiunian, composer Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, actor Gevorg Emin, poet Djivan Gasparyan, composer Silva Kaputikyan, poet Sergei Khachatryan, violinist

Aram Khachaturian, composer Edgar Manucharyan, soccer player Shavo Odadjian, bassist (S.O.A.D.) Sergei Parajanov, film director Sargis Sargsian, tennis player Misak Sargsian, physicist Martiros Saryan, painter Alexander Shirvanzade, writer Levon Ter-Petrossyan, president of Armenia from 1991-1998 Gevorg Sargsyan, opera conductor

[edit] Gallery

[edit] Yerevan

Matenadaran archives	Yerevan TV Tower as seen from the Nork highway	St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan. The Cathedral was completed in September 2001 in time for the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia.	Statue of David of Sasun
Yerevan Opera House	The Baronian Musical Comedy Theater	Hrazdan Stadium	New Year’s Day, Republic Square, Yerevan
Blue Mosque, Yerevan

[edit] Historical photographs of Yerevan under Imperial Russia

Yerevan, 1796. The small city had a mixture of both Christian and Muslim inhabitants, as seen by the churches and mosques in the picture.

Yerevan's Russian Orthodox Church

Minaret of the Urban Mosque of Yerevan

The Gök-Jami ("Blue Mosque") in Yerevan.

[edit] See also

• Radio Yerevan
• Zvartnots Airport
• Yerevan Physics Institute
• Yerevan Metro
• Yerevan TV Tower
• Yerevan drive

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• The capitals of Armenia, Sergey Vardanyan, Apolo 1995 , ISBN 5-8079-0778-7
• My Yerevan, G. Zakoyan, M. Sivaslian, V. Navasardian, Acnalis 2001, ISBN 99930-902-0-4

[edit] External links

• Yerevan Municipality webpage in Armenian, English and Russian
• Yerevan.ru - The capital of Armenia online (Russian)
• - Online News From Armenia. Edited by John Hughes.
• Yerevan article on Armeniapedia
• Yerevan article on Cilicia.com
• Armenia Info Yerevan page
• The Yerevan Metro system
• Interactive CD - Yerevan Virtual