ancient ruins
Ani Ruins
The haunting UNESCO ruins of a once-great medieval Armenian capital on the Turkish-Armenian border, known as the City of 1,001 Churches.
39 km · about 45 min drive
AsiaArmeniaShirak
Gyumri
Shirak, Armenia · Asia
About Gyumri
Gyumri sits on the route: 5 minutes from Arapi, 39km from Ani Ruins.
Gyumri is in Shirak, Armenia, with about 110,000 people. The nearest town is Arapi, about 4 km away.
Gyumri (Armenian: Գյումրի, pronounced [ɡjumˈɾi]) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city was known as Alexandropol, it became the largest cityRead more
of Russian-ruled Eastern Armenia with a population above that of Yerevan. The city became renowned as a cultural hub, while also carrying significance as a major center of Russian troops during Russo-Turkish wars of the 19th century.
The city underwent a tumultuous period during and after World War I. While Russian forces withdrew from the South Caucasus due to the October Revolution, the city became host to large numbers of Armenian refugees fleeing the Armenian genocide, in particular hosting 22,000 orphaned children in around 170 orphanage buildings. It was renamed Leninakan during the Soviet period and became a major industrial and textile center in Soviet Armenia. The city's population rapidly grew to above 200,000 prior to the 1988 Spitak earthquake, when it was devastated, with the city's population being reduced to 121,976 as of the 2011 census. The city was renamed Gyumri under modern independent Armenia soon after the breakup of the Soviet Union, and post-earthquake reconstruction efforts continue. As of the 2022 census, the population of the city was 112,301.
Today, Gyumri continues to grapple with the lasting effects of the 1988 earthquake, but remains known as the cultural hub of Armenia due to the many artists and craftsman who originated from the city. The city is also notable for the large Kumayri historic district that managed to mostly survive the 1988 earthquake, dating back mainly to the 19th century and being one of the few surviving places in the world with authentic urban Armenian architecture.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Gyumri?
Within an hour or so of Gyumri: Ani Ruins (39 km), Amberd Fortress (55 km), Lake Çıldır (57 km).
Are there any good drives near Gyumri?
The nearest famous roads are Goderdzi Pass.
Where is Gyumri?
Gyumri is in Shirak, Armenia, about 4 km from Arapi.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 114,667
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Armenia
- Region
- Shirak
- Timezone
- Asia/Yerevan
- Coordinates
- 40.7931, 43.8464
Tags
Worth the detour from Gyumri
3 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Amberd Fortress
A 7th-century fortress with an 11th-century church on a triangular spur at 2,300m on the slopes of Mount Aragats, wedged between two river gorges. Ruined by the Mongols in 1236 and never rebuilt.
55 km · about 65 min drive
photogenic
Lake Çıldır
A 123 sq km lake at 1,959m near the Georgian and Armenian borders that freezes solid each winter, when locals run horse-drawn sledges across the ice and pull fish through drilled holes. Bleak and treeless the rest of the year.
57 km · about 65 min drive
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