ancient ruins
Zvartnots Cathedral
Haunting ring of 7th-century columns from a collapsed circular cathedral, framed by Mount Ararat on the Yerevan–Etchmiadzin road; a UNESCO World Heritage ruin.
15 km · about 30 min drive
AsiaArmeniaYerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan, Armenia · Asia
About Yerevan
Yerevan is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Shengavit, 15km from Zvartnots Cathedral.
Yerevan is in Armenia, with about 1.1 million people. The nearest town is Shengavit, about 4 km away.
Yerevan (UK: YERR-ə-VAN, US: , -VAHN; Armenian: Երևան [jɛɾɛˈvɑn] ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of the country,Read more
as its primate city. It has been the capital since 1918, the fourteenth in the history of Armenia and the seventh located in or around the Ararat Plain. The city also serves as the seat of the Araratian Pontifical Diocese, which is the largest diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and one of the oldest dioceses in the world.
The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century BC, with the founding of the fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC by King Argishti I of Urartu at the western extreme of the Ararat Plain. Erebuni was "designed as a great administrative and religious centre, a fully royal capital." By the late ancient Armenian Kingdom, new capital cities were established and Yerevan declined in importance. The city was mostly depopulated by the Great Surgun of 1603–05, when the Safavid Empire forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of Armenians to Iran. In 1679, the city was mostly destroyed by an earthquake, and then rebuilt on a smaller scale. In 1828, Yerevan became part of the Russian Empire, which led to the repatriation of Armenians whose ancestors had been forcibly relocated in the 17th century. After World War I, Yerevan became the capital of the First Republic of Armenia as thousands of survivors of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire arrived in the area. The city expanded rapidly during the 20th century while Armenia was a part of the Soviet Union. In a few decades, Yerevan was transformed from a provincial town within the Russian Empire to Armenia's principal cultural, artistic, and industrial centre, as well as becoming the seat of national government.
With the growth of the Armenian economy, Yerevan has undergone major transformation. Much construction has been done throughout the city since the early 2000s, and retail outlets such as restaurants, shops, and street cafés, which were rare during Soviet times, have multiplied. As of 2011, the population of Yerevan was 1,060,138, just over 35% of Armenia's total population. By 2022, the population further increased to 1,086,677. Yerevan was named the 2012 World Book Capital by UNESCO. Yerevan is an associate member of Eurocities.
Of the notable landmarks of Yerevan, Erebuni Fortress is considered to be the birthplace of the city, the Katoghike Tsiranavor church is the oldest surviving church of Yerevan, and Saint Gregory Cathedral is the largest Armenian cathedral in the world. Tsitsernakaberd is the official memorial to the victims of the Armenian genocide. The city is home to several opera houses, theatres, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. Yerevan Opera Theatre is the main spectacle hall of the Armenian capital, the National Gallery of Armenia is the largest art museum in Armenia and shares a building with the History Museum of Armenia, and the Matenadaran contains one of the largest depositories of ancient books and manuscripts in the world.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Yerevan?
Within an hour or so of Yerevan: Zvartnots Cathedral (15 km), Garni Temple (20 km), Geghard Monastery (26 km), Khor Virap (34 km).
Are there any good drives near Yerevan?
The nearest famous roads are Orbelian's Caravanserai (Vardenyats Pass).
Where is Yerevan?
Yerevan is in Yerevan, Armenia, about 4 km from Shengavit.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,144,700
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Armenia
- Region
- Yerevan
- Timezone
- Asia/Yerevan
- Coordinates
- 40.1776, 44.5126
Tags
Worth the detour from Yerevan
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
ancient ruins
Garni Temple
The only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded temple in the former Soviet Union, a 1st-century pagan shrine overlooking the dramatic Azat River gorge.
20 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Geghard Monastery
A UNESCO partially rock-cut medieval monastery with extraordinary acoustics, said to house the spear that pierced Christ's side at the crucifixion.
26 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Khor Virap
An iconic Armenian monastery at the foot of Mount Ararat where Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years, offering the most famous view of Ararat.
34 km · about 40 min 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.
34 km · about 40 min drive
Driving roads near Yerevan
- 67 kmOrbelian's Caravanserai (Vardenyats Pass)Best-preserved caravanserai in Armenia, built in 1332 at the 2,410 m Vardenyats (Selim) Pass on the Silk Road: the hairpin climb between Yeghegnadzor and Lake Sevan is a classic drive.
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