Highlights of Yerevan

The capital of Armenia is a city at the intersection of Europe and Asia – at the same time a great melting pot and a city full of energy but also a place full of contrasts – Parisian cafes and shashliks bars, old Russian cars (Moskvitch and Volga) and super modern cars from Western Europe, bazaars with oriental magic and large shopping centers .

It is worth spending at least 1 day in Yerevan. Due to the short distances, it can also be a starting point to visit attractions throughout the country.

What is worth seeing in Yerevan? Highlights of Yerevan

1. Matenadaran

A holy place for Armenians – here they store their greatest treasure which are old manuscripts – books of various kinds, richly illustrated, hand-written by monks in scriptories in Armenian monasteries.

The museum is a bit old-fashioned – behind the glass showcases are old books, ladies closely guarding visitors, sometimes it is difficult to squeeze to see the exhibit thoroughly but leaving the museum you get the impression that you were in a special place – about 23,000 manuscripts (only a small part is shown) and the oldest from the 5th century – the history of the Armenians written on thousands of pages.

The present building of the Museum dates from the 1950s and the building is adjacent to warehouses hollowed out in rocks to protect the collections against nuclear attack. In front of the Museum there is a huge statue of Mesrop Masztoc – the creator of the Armenian alphabet modeled on the Greek and Pahlavi alphabet, which Armenians could use during the USSR (Cyrillic was obligatory in other republics).

For Armenians, the manuscripts were and are a symbol that united them during the Persian or Turkish invasions – a recognizable sign for those scattered all over the world and living in diasporas.

Matenadaran is open every day except Sundays and Mondays – entry costs 1500 AMD, children / students 200/300 AMD, permission to take pictures 2500 AMD.

2. Cascades

Cascades are the combination of a museum and a viewpoint – the upper terrace with the 50th Anniversary Spire offers a view of Yerevan and the Ararat mountain, sacred to the Armenians.

In the center of the complex is the Cafesjian Museum of Modern Art – founded by an Armenian millionaire from the United States. However, the most interesting sculptures are located in a park adjacent to the Cascades – there you can see, among others,  Botero sculptures (Cat or Roman Warrior).

On hot summer days it is difficult to climb the Cascades peak and overcome the differences of 450 meters, but due to its location and views from the top it is a must when visiting Yerevan.

3. Republic Square

The Republic Square is the heart of Yerevan – reminiscent of a traditional Armenian carpet and with the most important buildings for Armenia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, government office, museums) erected like most buildings in Yerevan from volcanic, pink or dark red tuff (volcanic stone).

During the day, it’s worth visiting the Armenian Museum of History located at the Square (closed Mondays, entrance 2000 AMD) – where you can see khachkars (stone crosses) and … the oldest shoes in the world. In the evening, you should come here to the “light and sound” show organized by the fountains.

4. Tsitsernakaberd complex

In Armenian, it means “Swallow’s Fortress” and is a monument dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide in 1915. It is similar to another place – Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

It consists of an obelisk 44 meters high, 12 inclined posts surrounding an eternal fire, memorial walls with the names of the places where the victims of the genocide came from, avenues with trees commemorating the victims of the crime and a museum built into the hillside. The museum commemorates the memory of about a million people murdered.

This place is obligatory for Armenians from the diaspora visiting their homeland. Often you can see people who are extremely experiencing a stay in this place – perhaps they are family members who lost loved ones during the genocide.

5. The Blue Mosque and St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral

This is the only mosque in Yerevan – it is an Iranian Shia Islamic mosque. The 20-meter dome and minaret, which are decorated with turquoise mosaic, are characteristic. Due to its architecture, this mosque is a foretaste of Iran, bordering Armenia. On the roads of Armenia, there are entire motorcades of lorries from Iran and cars of Iranian tourists, in particular women who, in European costumes and without headscarves, can breathe a break from the rigors of Iran. A mosque built in the center of Yerevan confirms that Armenians and Muslims live in friendly relations in Armenia.

Another place is St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, which is the largest Armenian church in the world. It is a symbol that Christianity in Armenia, despite numerous invasions and wars, survived over 1,700 years – in 301 Christianity in Armenia as the first country in the world became a state religion. No wonder that at this church are kept the relics of St. Gregory the Illuminator or the founder of the Armenian church.

6. Cathedral in Zvartnots

Despite the fact that the cathedral is not located in Yerevan, but in the city of Zvartnots we can visit the cathedral on the way to or from the airport (in Zvartnots is the airport of Yerevan). This place was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Regardless of the fact that the cathedral dating from the 7th century is only ruins and partly reconstructed, it is still impressive, in particular with ornaments and details.

The cathedral is a unique place for the Armenians – despite numerous earthquakes haunting this area (almost completely destroyed by  the earthquake in the 10th century) – columns and partly walls built of volcanic stone (tuff) have survived to this day and are a testimony how important is religion for the inhabitants of these lands.

Practical information:

Currency – 1 Euro = 525 AMD (dram)

Flight – the best and most convenient way from Warsaw to Yerevan is by “LOT”, although “Ukraine International” or “Aeroflot” may have interesting offers with a change

Accommodation – it is best to rent a flat or a room in the guest house, e.g. Tigran Petrosyan 39/5 apartment (14,000 AMD for 1 night for 2 people)

Transport – a taxi from the airport to the center of Yerevan costs 3000 AMD; generally, it is best to travel around the city by taxi (e.g. from Kilikia bus station to Matenadaran for 1000 AMD) or you can use the metro (only 1 line, 100 AMD ticket)

Food – it is worth using local chain restaurants – “Fourchette Buffet” – choose from a buffet of salads, snacks or hot dishes, e.g. hummus portion for 390 AMD, chicken pie for 300 AMD, coffee for 300 AMD (food for average AMD 2500-3500 for one person) or “Artashi Mot” (mainly grilled meat – khorovats)