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Yerevan is one of the oldest
cities of the world, a peer of Rome,
Cartagen and Samarqand. Unlike many other cities, the date of the
foundation of which is moot or, in the best case, is obscured by myths
and legends and thus subject to guesswork, Yerevan has a <birth certificate>
the authenticity of which is beyond doubt. Yerevan
is situated in the north eastern part of the Ararat Valley.
The upland Yerevan is fringed by mountains
on three sides, and only to the south it freely descends down to the Arax River valley. During archaeological
excavations, in the 1950s on the Arin Berd hill (within Yerevan city limits), a cuneiform
inscription was uncovered, carved on a rock slate upon the orders of king
Argishti first in 782 B.C. The inscription affirms that king Argishti the
first built this fortress and called it Erebuni. Yerevan drives its name from the
fortress Erebuni. Modern day Yerevan
takes up 210 square km, its population is 1.249 thousand people, that is
over one third of the country's total population lives in the capital. Yerevan is a major industrial city, a centre of
social, political and cultural life of the Republic of Armenia.
Relatively few buildings have been survived in Yerevan that date back farther than the
20th century. Today little is left from its ancient, but still we can say
that it is mixture of ancient, old and new. Since those times Yerevan has seen and endured a lot before becoming
the 13th capital of the Republic
of Armenia. The
climate in Yerevan
is dry and strictly continental. The natural stone used for the buildings
has a pale rose tint, and the columns and balconies soften the stark
architecture.
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The
hearth of the city is Republic Square. It is famous for its architecture.
The Foreign Office, the hotel Armenia, the Council of
Ministers form a beautiful ensemble. In the centre of it towering over it
stands a magnificent building. It houses the Museum
of History of Armenia, and National Art
Gallery. The warm
color of tuff and stone-carvings make them really remarkable. In front of
the National Gallery there is a singing-dancingl fountain the present of French Republic
to Armenia.
The
cultural centre of the city is Theatre
Square on the site of which the Opera-house is
located. It overlooks a green area of parks. Not far from Theatre Square
one of the most impressive landmarks of Yerevan-Matenadaran, the depository
of ancient manuscripts and a library is located.
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The city is
surrounded by hills and mountains. If you climb to the top of the hill
you'll see a sweeping panorama.
If
shopping gives you pleasure you can visit different department
stores or a row of fashionable boutiques and shop till you drop. If you
are very tired you can call in at any cafe, or Pizza or have tasty
ice-cream. There are many working markets in Yerevan. They look like real
still-life. if you enjoy oriental markets you will feel the charm of
Armenian markets.
Yerevan is a city of
students. there are more than 20 higher educational institutions in Yerevan. Above all, YEREVAN IS
A VERY HOSPITABLE CITY. NOWHERE IN THE WORLD YOU WILL FIND SUCH
TRADITIONS OF RECEIVING GUESTS.
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