Yerevan
Encyclopedia : Y : YE : YER : Yerevan
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| City flag | City seal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Population | 1,088,300 est. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Established | 782 BC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time zone | GMT +4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mayor | Yervand Zakharyan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [Official website] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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|} Yerevan (Armenian: Երեւան or Երևան; sometimes written as Erevan; former names include Erebuni and Erivan) (population: 1,088,300 (2004 estimate) [link]) is the largest city and capital of Armenia. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, at , 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.
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HistoryEarly historyThe territory of Yerevan was settled by humans since the 4th millennium 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 barbarian attacks from the north Caucasus, thus Yerevan is one of the most ancient cities in the world. Irrigation canals and an artificial reservoir were built on the territory of Yerevan during the height of Urartian power. The fortress of Teishebaini (Karmir Blur) was destroyed by the Scythians in 585 BC. Between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, Yerevan was one of the main centers of the Armenian satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire. The timespan between 4th century BC and 3rd century AD is known as the Yerevan Dark Ages due to absence of historical data. The first church in Yerevan, the church of St. Peter and Paul was built in the 5th century (collapsed in 1931).Foreign domination
During the height of the Arab invasions, Yerevan was taken in 658 AD. Since then the site has been strategically important as a crossroads for the caravan routes passing between Europe and India. It has been called Yerevan since at least the 7th century A.D. Between the 9th and 11th centuries Yerevan was a safe part of the Armenian Bagratuni Kingdom, before being overrun by Seljuks. Yerevan was seized and pillaged by Tamerlane in 1387. The city 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 for centuries. At the height of Turkish-Persian wars, the city changed hands 14 times bteween 1513 and 1735. Under the order of Shah Abbas I tens of thousands of Armenians, among them citizens of Yerevan, were deported to Persia in 1604. Jean Chardin, a French traveller, 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. It is of interest to note that Ottomans, Safavids and Ilkhanids all maintained a mint in the city of Yerevan. Russian liberation and control
 Yerevan was liberated by Russian troops under Ivan Paskevich during the second Russian-Persian war on 1 October, 1827 and formally ceded by the Persians in 1828. The city started to grow economically and politically. Old buildings were torn down and new buildings of European style were erected. In 1829 Armenian repatriates from Persia were resettled in the city and a new quarter was buit. By the 1830's, Yerevan was an uezd. Emperor Nicholas I visited Yerevan in 1837. The first general plan of the city was made in 1854. Between 1850 and 1860, the female colleges of St. Hripsime and St. Gayane were opened and the English Garden was built. The first printing house of Zacharia Gevorkian was opened in 1874 and the first theatre was built in 1879 near the church of St. Peter and Paul. Yerevan was connected via a railway line to Alexandropol, Tiflis and Julfa in 1902, in the same year the first public library was opened. A telephone line with 80 subscribers was put into operation in 1913. The October Revolution in 1917 put an end to the Russian Empire. The Armenian, Georgian and Muslim leaders of Transcaucasia united to form the Transcaucasian Federation, which officially proclaimed the secession of Transcaucasia from the Russian Empire. Independence: 1917–1920On May 28, 1918, Yerevan became the capital of the independent First Republic of Armenia. Soviet Yerevan
In 1920, Yerevan became the capital of the newly formed Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union. The Soviet era transformed the city that was originally intended for a few thousand residents into a modern metropolis with over a million people, developed according to the prominent Armenian architect Alexander Tamanian’s design. Tamanian successfully incorporated national traditions with contemporary urban construction. The design presented a radial-circular arrangement, most appropriate for the local relief that has since become one of the main attractions of the city. Post-USSRWith the collapse of the Soviet Union, Yerevan became the capital of the independent Republic of Armenia on September 21, 1991. The city was deprived of gas, heating and electricity. Constant supply of electricity wasn't restored until 1996. 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 that divides the city into two within a picturesque canyon. The elevation of the city ranges between 900 to 1,300 meters over the sea level, displaying a 400 meter disparity between its lowest and highest points. The climate of Yerevan is relatively continental with a dry, hot summer and a cold and short winter. The temperature of the hottest month of August reaches to 40 degrees Celsius and the coldest month of January to -15 degrees Celsius. The amount of precipitation is small and amounts to annually to about 350 mm.
Culture
Yerevan is a leading industrial, cultural, and scientific centre in the Caucasus region. As a centre of Armenian culture, Yerevan is the site of Yerevan State University (1920), 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). EconomyYerevan 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. DevelopmentRecently, 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 [criticism] from some residents. Jermaine Jackson has planned to bulid a casino in the city.City districtsYerevan is divided into several district communities, each designated with an elected community leader.
Sister citiesCurrently, Yerevan has 26 sister cities.
EducationUniversitiesUniversities in Yerevan include:
Notable peopleNotable people who are from or have resided in Yerevan:
GalleryYerevanOld ErivanSee also
References
External links
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