Erevan

Erevan (in Armenian: Երևան, Yerevan ) is more the big city and the thirteenth capital of the Arménie. It was founded in 782 av. J. - C. in the west of the country, at the end is plain of the Ararat above the throats of the river Hrazdan. Even if it is old of almost 2.800 years, Erevan became the capital of Arménie only in 1922 and the majority of its constructions date only from the 20th century.

The city is the principal arts center, artistic and industrialist of the country. She is also the seat of all her political institutions.

Strong of its 1.245.700 inhabitants, the agglomeration erevanaise gathers more than 42% of the Armenian population. Its inhabitants is called the Erevanais and the Erevanaises .

Etymology and symbols

The origin of the name of the town of Erevan comes from that of the fortress urartéenne Erebouni, built beside the current downtown area and of which there remain still ruins. They was at the time one of principal the city of the Urartu. In addition, one of the twelve districts of Erevan names Erebouni.

The principal symbol of the town of Erevan is obviously the Mont Ararat, visible by good weather from any place of the city. It is represented besides on the weapons of the city (cf below).

The weapons of the city take again the symbol of the lion crowned already used by the Republic of Arménie. This symbol represents the Armenian kingdom dating from the first king of Cilicie, Lévon II. The lion appears Lévon (Leo, Latin lion in ). It is, over all, the symbol most frequent Héraldique, as well in Orient as in Occident, and evokes force and majesty.

The lion of Lévon, as well as all kings of the dynasty roupénide, is represented crowned, a Sceptre with the right forefoot, a shield - on which the Mont Ararat is drawn - on the chest and going to four legs, the head of face, contrary to the Western symbols where the lion is represented upright (at the 13th century, Arménie turning to the Roman Occident, obtains with the lion upright and profile).

Since 2004, Erevan obtained a national anthem, Erépouni-Yerevan , written by Barouïr Sévag and composed by E. Hovhannissian, selected at the conclusion of a contest to represent the city as well as possible, and of a flag, based on the weapons of the city. The flag takes again the ecu with the lion. This one is on white zone, surrounded by 12 small red triangles representing the 12 successive capitals of Arménie.

is one of the oldest cities of the world. It is also one of the rare cities to be able to pride itself to have its “certificate of birth”, whose authenticity does not lend to any doubt: a Wedge-shaped inscription engraved on stone on order of the king Argishti I {{er}} in 782 av. J. - C. indicates that this one made build a military fortress to deny oneself the attacks of north the Caucasus and named it Erebouni (origin of the name “Erevan”) - although there is had traces of former dwellings. It is at that time of the full power urartéenne that the city was equipped with artificial tank and irrigation canals.

One century later, was built the fortress of Teishebani by the king Rusa II. It was destroyed 100 years afterwards by the Scythes. VI {{E}} with the IV {{E}} century before J. - C., the city was one of the principal centers of the Armenian satrapie of the Empire achéménide. At the end of the time urartéenne, the dynasty of Ervandounis and Orontides reigning on the country contribute largely to the urban development.

By absence of data, historical evidence or testimonys, the period between the IV {{E}} century before J. - C. and the III {{E}} century after J. - C. is known like the dark age of Erevan .

The urban development is ceaseless at the beginning of the Moyen-âge (Towards Ve and VIe centuries) and the first church of Erevan, the Saint-Pierre-and-Paul church, is built at the 5th century (it will crumble in 1931). It is as at that time as the Arab will in vain try to invade the city. At the 10th century, strong of its military and economic power, Erevan becomes the true center of Arménie Eastern.

Modern times

The 16th century and 17th century are another dark period of the city: initially prone of the Persian , it will be later a battle field between Perses and Turks and finishes in major part destroyed after the seism of 1679.

When it was occupied by the Russian towards 1827, the city counted only 12.500 inhabitants, whose about half Armenian was not . Returned peace, the population growth started to take off timidly and the city obtained the statute of capital of province then of governorship.

At the beginning of the century, Erevan was only one small village of province of 30.000 inhabitants, with the doors of the Russian Empire. In 1918, it was declared capital of the news République independent of Arménie, becoming thus the center of Arménie independent until in 1920. The town planner as a chief Alexandre Tamanian reorganized all the city to transform it into capital worthy of this republic. This exceptional growth completely upset the face of this city: construction of new districts, new roads and bridges, a international airport, installation of the subway in 1980, etc

It is quite naturally that it became the capital of the Soviet socialist République of Arménie in 1922, then that of the third republic to the independence of the country in 1991. The demonstrations in favor of the independence of the Haut-Karabagh in 1988 are the demonstration of the installation of the Perestroïka in Soviet Union and of the will of independence of the 15 Soviet republics. The Séisme of December 7th, 1988 slows down the process and Arménie is one of the last republics to obtain its independence.

After severe the Economic crisis of the Years 1990, due partly to the blockade imposed by the Turkey and the Azerbaïdjan, the Années 2000 see the return of the growth and the face of Erevan has changed for each day.

Demography

In the beginning a small village, Erevan became at the same time as the capital of Arménie a big city of more than one million inhabitants. Whereas in 1827, the city is yet made up only of 6 public parks, 851 shops, 7 Caravansérail S, 10 public baths and 1736 stone small houses inhabited by 12.500 hearts, these is more than 1 200.000 inhabitants that populate the city in 1989, that is to say 1/3 of the total population of the country.

Until the of the Soviet Union falls, the population was mainly made up of Armenians, but also of minorities Russian S, Kurdish S and Azerbaijani be. Since, following the War of Haut-Karabagh between 1988 and 1994, the minority Azerbaijani E completely disappeared, the economic crisis of the Années 1990 made flee most of the Russian population and today, Erevanais are mainly Armenian.

As in the remainder of the country and other former Soviet republics, the economic crisis made flee much people towards the foreigner (mainly the Europe and the North America). Erevan saw its population falling of almost 1.250.000 in 1989 with 1.091.235 in 2003. The population of the agglomeration would be of 1 103.488 inhabitants in 2001 and, according to the municipality of Erevan, 1 245.700 inhabitants in 2006

Erevan is populated of the 3 capitals of the the Caucasus.

Sources: Municipality of Erevan, ArmStat

Geography

Topography and situation

Altitude: average: 990 m - min. 865 m - max. 1.390 Mr.
Situation: at the edge of the river Hrazdan, with of the plain of Ararat.

Erevan is located at the mid-west of the country, at the north-eastern end of the large plain of Ararat, where the plates and the mountains take over. Indeed, one of the great geographical characteristics of the capital Armenian is not to have certain districts located in plain, others on hills, in cliff edge or even in mountain, with more than 1.300 meters.

The southern and south-western districts of the city are with 900 meters of altitude, in edge of the plain of Ararat. Very hot and not very ventilated there time being in summer, they are especially popular quarters and industrialists where economic development is less felt that in the other districts. One finds there in particular the two airports of the city, several tens of old factories to the abandonment like in outer suburbs, several powerplants, of which the Nuclear plant of Metsamor to about thirty kilometers in the west.

North-western downtown area and districts, also in the " part; basse" , to some 950-1000 m, are built around the hills of the Tsitsernakapert and the Canyon of the river Hrazdan, the only fresh place of the central zone in summer. Several tens of restaurants and clubs settled besides there and the tourists and the buildings like to refresh the heats estival evenings there. The district of the Kentron (downtown area) is on Right Bank while the left bank shelters the district much more popular of Ajapnyak. The grounds are sandy there and the arid climate makes there the air pousserieux. At the western exit of the city, the river is thrown in the lake Erevanian, on the banks of which the embassy of the the United States was built.

North and is city, in altitude (until 1300m), timbered and expenses in summer, are the most sought districts, in particular the districts of Avan, Nork-Marach, Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun. The panorama on the Mount Ararat and its plain is quasi-omnipresent. It is besides in the east, perched on a small hill, which one finds the origin of the city: ruins of the fortress of Erebouni.

Erevan, contrary to the other towns of Arménie, does not form part of a marz ( province ), being itself a marz with share whole, surrounded in north by the marz of Kotayk', in the south by that of Ararat, in south-west by that of Armavir and in the North-West by that of Aragatsotn.

Climate

Natural risks

Arménie whole is located in a zone at the strong seismic risk. It is indeed in extreme cases convergent (zone of subduction) of the plates Arabic and Eurasian.

Country, and Erevan in particular, already underwent several consequent seisms in the past. Most recent and most outstanding is the Séisme of December 7th, 1988, whose epicentre was located at a hundred kilometers more in north, in the area of Spitak, and who had made between 30.000 and 100.000 dead. Of a magnitude of 6,9 on the scale of Richter, its jolts were felt until in the capital and several hundreds of buildings were tested but remained upright. A few centuries earlier, with the XVII {{E}}, the area underwent already a seism of the same width which destroyed most of the city.

Today, some Sismologue S Armenian fear a catastrophic seism which would devastate all the city and would make several hundreds of thousands of deaths. Concerns especially founded on the fact that the majority of the buildings erevanais either are weakened by the seism of 1988, or are built to the old standards Soviet S which underestimated much real risks.

Town planning

As a capital of the republic of Arménie, Erevan is more the big city of the country with a little more than one million inhabitants. It is also the city which experiences the most important development of the country.

It is the principal industrial, commercial, cultural center and scientist of Arménie and the center of a wide area network of railways. Industries of the city - majority with the abandonment - producing metals, tools, electrical equipment, chemicals, textiles and food products constitute the main thing of the architecture of the south of the city.

The charm of Erevan is accentuated by the irregularity of its highway network. The town planners had to yield with the requirements of nature and to compose with the relief. Indeed, the Ville is staged between 865 and 1.390 meters of altitude, and leans with the throats of the river Hrazdan.

Erevan is a made city of many contrasts. The city extends on five hills, it is made up of vast grounds, broad avenues, gardens and parks green and constructions of pink Tuf. The city takes its pink color not only by the color of the tuff, but also because when the sun lies down on the snow-covered tops of the mount Ararat in the west of the city, giving to Erevan pretty colors dew.

Downtown area

The center of the city lodges the universities, the Academy of Science, the museums, the ministries, of the public libraries, the art galleries, the night clubs, the concert halls… whereas the suburbs are mainly made up of buildings of housing Brejnev IEN.

The Kentron ( center in Armenian) is spread mainly around the place of the Republic and the Opéra. It is primarily composed of long shaded avenues leading on great places bordered of monumental constructions of Soviet type. The originality of these constructions holds in the Tuf (volcanic stone of origin) pink and ocher which recovers the frontages, decorated with reasons inspired for medieval architecture. One of the originalities of the city also holds in the number of fountains located in the middle of green areas imbricated in the city.

Contemporary Erevan

Since independence, Erevan is released little by little from the symbols of the Communist regime. The arteries and the places with the too marked names are renamed, the statues of the heroes of the Soviet Union are unbolted.

The city is also in full change: trade and restaurants flower a little everywhere and especially, of great work transform its center currently deeply. Most outstanding of this work is without any doubt the opening of a pedestrian avenue - the Avenue of North - of almost 800 meters length connecting the two neuralgic points of the capital, the Opéra and the place of the Republic.

In addition, the continuous increase of the automobile traffic obliged the municipality to undertake building work of a peripheral road to unchoke the downtown area (see low the chapter " network routier").

In spite of the crisis of the Years 1990, the city takes today more and more an aspect of capital to the Western one. The Arménie with the reputation to accommodate its guests and that well is all the more true in Erevan, which has all the advantages of a capital, in addition to one convivial atmosphere.

Parks and gardens

Erevan is a very green city, strewn with parks and fountains. The center of the city is encircled by a " girdle verte" , a long park several kilometers, in which are connected tens of coffee terraces, basketball and tennis courts, statues and much of wooded areas. The green belt begins, in the south, the level of the cathedral Sourp Krikor Loussavoritch and finishes in north by a large bar-restaurant in the shape of boat, the Poplavok , on the which occurred Machtots, behind the Opéra. Around this last, the place of freedom is a park where its pond and its dozen coffee terraces and restaurant attract many Erevanais and tourists. Its central position makes a place impossible to circumvent of the city of it.

On the first heights of the city, the park of the victory, lodging the monument of Mother Arménie, offers an exceptional panorama on Erevan, the Mont Ararat and part of its plain. One finds there also small a Amusement park with a Grande wheel, Auto-tamponneuse S and other horse-gears, a pond with boats and coffees and a large luxury hotel, the Golden delicious De luxe hotel.

Other large parks embellish the downtown area and the districts in periphery are also often surrounded by natural zones, sometimes very vast. Ultimately, it remains in the capital only few scars of the Economic crisis of 1992 and 1993, years during which Erevanais had to cut the majority of the trees of the city and the surroundings to heat itself in winter.

Monuments

Roadway system erevanaise

Old small town, but large recent capital, Erevan has a modern roadway system, built on a geometrical level. The majority of the avenues of the large downtown area are broad (sometimes until 2x4 ways) to allow an effective transit of the vehicles. This score of avenues crosses smaller, often raised streets, intended for local circulation, and often finishes on one of tens of places which count the city.

Among the remarkable arteries, one can note broad the Avenue Machtots which connects the southern entry of the city and the Matenadaran; prestigious the Which occurred of the Marshal Baghramian who connects Barekamoutioun to the place of France, and lodges the presidential palace, the Parliament, etc; the street Sayat Nova which is the prolongation of Baghramian after the place of France, and lodges hotels, restaurants and shops; the Street Abovian, kind of Fields-Élysées Armenian, which finishes in the south on the most famous place érévanaise, the place of the Republic; the Which occurred of North, artery pedestrian currently in construction, which will cross the downtown area in skew compared to the other streets.

In addition, to cross the deep throats of the river Hrazdan, there are only three principal bridges, the Pont of Davtachen, the large bridge of Hrazdan and the Pont of the Victoire. At the bottom it canyon, to cross the river, there are five other smaller bridges, of which remarkable the Red Pont which allowed until in 1945 entering the city by the south.

Monuments of the Soviet era

In the Years 1920, the architect Alexandre Tamanian was charged to draw the plans of a capital of State. The majority of the buildings see their architecture rising from these plans. Tamanian was in Erevan what Haussmann was with Paris.

The most important monument symbolically is the memorial of the Armenian genocide called Tsitsernakapert, of the name of the hill overhanging the city on which it is located. Its construction began in 1966 and was completed in 1968.

In downtown area, the place of the Republic is the central place of the capital and one of the principal places of festivities and meeting. The majority of the ministries also elected there residence as well as the national Galerie of Arménie, the principal museum of the country, rich person of a collection of works of Armenian and European painters among whom Aivazovsky, Ivan Chichkine, Theodore Rousseau, Monticelli and Eugene Boudin.

Not far from there, the opera of Erevan is the principal theater of the Armenian capital. It shelters on the one hand the concert hall Aram Khatchatourian and, on the other hand, the national theater of opera and ballet Alexandre Spendiarian. A few years after its construction, he was noticed in 1937 with the international exhibition of Paris and gained the Large Gold medal. He is, with the place of the Republic, the neuralgic point of the festivities érévanaises.
The two places will be connected from here 2008 by future the Avenue of North, artery 800 meters length pedestrian.

Imagined in the Years 1970 to be a simple decorative work, the cascades - located at the end of the prospect Republic-Opera-Cascades - knew with the fall of the the USSR a new youth. The privatization of the monument allowed the emergence of several projects, in particular its restoration, the construction of a museum of contemporary art, the installation of real estate projects, etc In addition, the place is used sometimes as concert hall in outside as it was the case in June 2006 with the representation of the Armenian Navy Band.

Among the other monuments of the city, it should be noted the Soviet influence of the central station (the statue of Sassountsi David which throne in front of is remarkable), of the old airport (to 20 km of the center), of the Matenadaran, museum of the old manuscripts, and the omnipresence of statues in the city. Like the majority of the capitals of the former Soviet republics, Erevan has her aerial. With its 311,7 meters in height, it one of the most monuments of the world. In addition, after the death of Stalin, the giant statue with its effigy which dominated the city since the park of the Victoire, was dismounted and replaced in 1967 by the Mère Arménie, a representation of a woman holding a sword with the hand and taking care of the feeling of peace on the capital.

Religious monuments

Completed in 2001, the greatest place of Christian worship of the capital, the cathedral Sourp Krikor Loussavoritch was built to celebrate the 1700e birthday of the adoption of Christianity like religion of state by Arménie in 301; it besides is sometimes called the church of the birthday. Occupying a surface of 3.200 m ², the cathedral is in fact made up of 3 churches, principal of 1.700 places (reference to the birthday) and two others smaller, of a capacity of 300 places.

Erevan has also old churches, of which Zoravar and Katoghiké (most remarkable). Katoghiké (Holy mother of God) is oldest: wedged between two buildings of the Soviet era, it dates from XIIIe century. Zoravar, it, date completion of the XVIIe century. The capital has also other churches, less important and more recent.

The Islam has also its place of worship: the blue Mosquée of Erevan built in 1766 is the last of the eight mosques of Erevan still upright. Entirely restored starting from 1995 by funds private Iranian S, it accommodates a regular religious service today, in particular for the Iranian population of the capital.

Photographs of some monuments

Hambartsoum Galstian was at the same time the last mayor of the second republic and the first of the third. Since the advent of this one in 1991, eight mayors followed one another. The current mayor is Yervand Zakarian.

Since 1998, the city is member of the International association of the French-speaking mayors (AIMF). As such, it for example contributed to the general meeting of Casablanca the 24 and October 25th 2001.

Districts

Erevan is divided into 12 districts (Համայնք), each one directed by a mayor of district and his elected council. Each of the twelve districts thus has, a little as Paris has town halls of district, its own town hall, depend on the town hall.

Each district itself is divided into districts (Թաղամաս). A district can count to seven districts.

Twinnings and partnerships

Erevan is twinned or in partnership with 27 cities in the world, mainly Frenchwomen and Russian.

Economy

Industry

Because of its geographical position on banks of the river Hrazdan, the town of Erevan developed the manufacture of energy Hydroélectrique: two power stations are indeed established in the commune. In addition, a Thermo plant located at the south of the city also produces a little electricity.

In addition to a sand pit, industry erevanaise is centered on manufacture, the transformation and the manutension. Even if the crisis of the Années 1990 devastated the industry of the country, there always remain nevertheless some factories in service. The petrochemical sector is particularly noticed there, and to a lesser extent, the cast iron of Aluminum.

Other industries relate to the manufacture of automobile elements, of Turbine S, electric machines, Compresseur S and machine tools.

Building

The sector of the building knows a strong and regular growth since the beginning of the decade. The panorama of the city now includes tens of cranes scattered to the horizon. The occidentalization of the Arménie brings to destroy the buildings of Soviet Architecture too - and in particular those the two last decades of the Soviet Union - or some others too decayed to rebuild of the nine in place and place. Moreover, the prices of the unceasingly climbing real estate, too the small houses of the downtown area are shaven to be replaced by buildings of several floors.

Public works

The public roads, bridges, parks and urban furniture left with the abandonment during decade 1990 have been rebuilt, even created, for a few years. The health of the economy going better, the investments increase and of the workmen are asked per thousands to give to flood a sector forsaken during nearly 15 years.

Tertiary sector

Tourism

With 380.000 visitors in 2006 and more than 450.000 planned for 2007, Arménie stresses the sector of the Tourisme. And the first to benefit from it is Erevan: tens of hotels and restaurants created in five years, extension of the airport, amusement parks, openings of travel agencies and tourism, without counting, in more indirect manner, the development of the number of taxis or prestigious shops.

Trade

Arménie approaching each day to the economic system to Western, the streets and shopping malls make their appearance in all the city. All the famous brands and signs are represented in Erevan: Adidas, Lacoste, Puma, Levi's, Naf Naf, LG, Philips, Bang & Olufsen, Hertz etc

Service

Erevan accommodates the seats of the principal media of the country: press agencies ( Armenian liberty , Azg , etc), radios ( Armenian National radio , Radio 2 , Radio VEM , Radio operator Van , City FM , Radio operator Aurora , RFI , etc) and television channels (Arménie 1, Armenia TV, Yerevan TV , etc).

The good level of studies and the low costs of work strongly attract the foreign investors. Data processing, inter alia, is under development full and after the installation of Lycos Europe in Erevan in June 2005, it is Microsoft which decides to open an office in Arménie. In addition, the specialized companies in the field of Internet or the Mobile telephony, knowing a strong growth, installed their seat with Erevan.

The increasing standard of living, of new needs are made known and thus opened since the end of the Années 1990 of many banking agencies, of the offices of lawyers or financial councils. The sector of the building and the trade going well, they are also tens of cabinets of Notaire S which were born.

Transport

Highway network

In addition to its large arteries downtown - the avenues Machtots, Baghramian and Tigran Metz initially - Erevan has several tens of kilometers of expressways forming a network in cobweb:

M1 Highway in direction of Achtarak and Gumri
Highway m2 in direction of Artashat, Goris, Kapan and the Iran
M4 Highway in direction of Sevan, Dilidjian and Idjevan
M5 Highway in direction of the airport Zvartnots, Etchmiadzin and Armavir
M15 Road, kind of North-South peripheral connecting M4 to the level of Abovian to m2 in the south of Erevan

In addition, the recent strong growth of the Armenian car fleet - 12 000 véhicules/an - saturated the traffic with downtown area and certain arteries undergo stoppers sometimes more half of the day in week. For stage with this problem, the municipality decided to inverstir in the construction of new highway networks. The most visible building site currently is the installation of an old railway on the way perish-urban which will connect the districts north to the downtown area, while passing behind a residential zone of luxury in construction, then under the monument of the Cascade.

Public transport

Subway

See also: Subway of Erevan, List of the stations of the subway of Erevan

The subway of Erevan (Երեւանիմետրոպոլիտեն in Armenian language) includes/understands a single line of 12 kilometers with ten stations. A extrension of the line of two new stations towards the North-West is in the course of construction. The completion date of work is not yet defined.

The longer-term projects envisage the construction of two new lines, but the deficit of the budgetary balance does not make it possible to stop a start date of work.

and 24 drunk lines of trolley. It still remains according to old bus of the Soviet era, however, the majority of them are replaced little by little and one sees emerging more and more from yellow buses and minibuses, this color seeming to become the official color of public transport road of Erevan.

Since 2006, the municipality installs bus stops in all the districts of the city. Previously, only the accustomed buildings knew where to await their bus.

In addition to the lines of buses which traverse the city, of the bus, at the beginning of the central coach station located in the district of NOR Kilikia, almost all the towns of Arménie as well as others serve abroad, in particular Tbilissi in Georgia or Tabriz in Iran.

Tram (until 2004)

The system of Tramway which equipped Erevan since 1906 saw its last oar rolling in January 2004. Indeed the exploitation having a cost 2,4 times higher than the receipts, the municipality decides the permanent closure of the tram, trying all the same an ultimate rescue with the end of the year 2003, in vain.

Since, the rails are dismounted and resold with the weight. In 2007, the near total of the ways had been withdrawn and the regoudronnées streets.

Cable car (until 2004)

Until 2004, a Téléphérique connected the downtown area of Erevan to the residential district of Nork, in the district of Nork-Marach.

At the beginning of April of this year, a cabin takes down and makes a fall of 17 meters, killing 5 of the 7 passengers. Each day 500 people took the cable car.

Since the accident, part of the cables was taken down and the installation left with the abandonment. Already overdrawn before the accident, the cable car seeks the financial ones to take again service.

Trains

Erevan has only its only central station (certain stations of suburbs are not used any more since 1990). Of typically Soviet architecture - with its long point on the roof of the building, finishing with initials comprising the symbols of Communism: star, sickle and hammer - it is far from being to the Western standards and, since closings of the borders Turkish S and Azerbaïdjan do not be born, it does not pass any more but four regional trains there by day and an international train, one day out of two, bound for the Géorgi E neighbor.

For a going sum of 9.000 AMD with 18.000 AMD, it is for example possible to join in the night train the capital Géorgien, Tbilissi. It continues then bound for the seaside resort of Batoumi, on the edges of the Black Sea.

Iranian side , the railway line crossing the Nakhitchevan Azerbaijani, no train leaves Erevan in direction of the south. A construction project of a new line connecting the two countries directly is being studied.

The station has a correspondence with the subway at the station Sasuntsi David .

Airport

See also: International airport of Zvartnots

The international airport of Erevan is located at 12 kilometers in the west of the downtown area. It is the first airport of the country and the hub of the company Armavia.

Inaugurated in 1961 under the Soviet era , the airport of Zvartnots was first once restored in 1985, then second once in 2002 to try to adapt to the international standards. Since, the construction of a new terminal began and the first phase of work finished in September 2006 with the opening of the zone of arrivals. A second section, the hall of loading, was inaugurated in May 2007.

Flights are ensured towards tens of country of which the France, the Russia, the Germany, the the United Kingdom, the Austria, the the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, Israel, the Lebanon, the Turkey, etc

The second airport of Erevan is the Aéroport Erebouni. Since the independence of the country in 1991, the commercial flights are abandoned with the profit of private flights. The air force also posed its base on the airport and they are several MIG 29 which are stationed on the tarmac of Erebouni.

Erevan lodges five great stages, the Naïri Stadium, the Kazak Stadium, the Mika Stadium and the stage of the republic and the main thing, the Hrazdan Stadium. It draws its name from the close river, the Hrazdan. The stage includes/understands also a sports complex made up of rooms of drive of Boxe and Karaté, grounds of Basket-ball and Tennis.

Arménie is for a long time in the top of the table in the field of the failures. The offices of the Armenian federation of failures are in the Kentron in Erevan and of many clubs exist through the city. In 1996, in spite of the severe economic crisis, Erevan accommodates the 32 {{E}} Olympiade of failures. In 2006, the 4 Erevanais of the team of failures of Arménie gains the championships of the world to Turin.

Entertainments

The town of Erevan includes/understands several cinemas whose cinema Moskva celebrates it. The majority of world successes leave there in room at the same time as elsewhere. Essential condition to go to the cinema in Erevan, to speak Russian. Indeed all the projected films are doubled in russe.
Since 2004, the cinema Moskva receives each year the International festival of the film Golden Apricot. The last version, chaired by Atom Egoyan, there was held of the 9 with the July 14th 2007 and decreed Apricot of gold to the film Import/export of the Austrian realizer Ulrich Seidl.

Many theaters of quality make it possible to witness a multitude of various parts and the few theaters, whose large Hamalir , offers sometimes some concerts. However, the softness of the Armenian summers allows the organization of a majority in concerts in outside.

Founded in 1940, the zoo of Erevan, after having passed through the very difficult crisis of the Years 1990, finds a better economic health today. The entry with less than one euro makes it possible to see elephant S, Aigle S, Ours, Chameau X and 260 other species.

Waterworld is a watery amusement park located on the heights of the city. It includes/understands several swimming pools, ten toboggans, bars and restaurants. The park currently closes October at May but the construction of a part covered with jaccuzi, swimming pool and Turkish baths will allow as of 2008 an opening throughout the year.

Museums and libraries

The principal museum of Erevan is the national Galerie of Arménie open since its construction in 1921. It is integrated into the museum of History of Arménie. In addition to having a rich permanent exposure of works of painters as famous as Aivazovsky, Kandinsky, Chagall, Theodore Rousseau, Monticelli and Eugene Boudin, it frequently receives temporary exhibitions, such that of Yann Arthus-Bertrand in 2005, the Italy-Arménie exposure in 2005 or for the opening of the year of Arménie in October 2006.

The museum of the Armenian genocide, more important for the symbol than for the size of its exposure, is located at the foot of the Tsitsernakapert. One finds there many testimonys, texts and photographs of time.

The Matenadaran is a library-museum gathering 17.000 old manuscripts and several bibles of the Moyen-Âge. It is in the center of the city, in top of the avenue Mesrop Machtots. In 2007, at the time of the year of Arménie in France, the matenadaran lent many manuscripts to the Musée of Louvre for its exposure Armenia Sacra .

Overhanging the river Hrazdan, the museum Parajanov, completely restored in 2002, presents 250 works, documents and photographs of the realizer and Armenian painter. Its conservative is the photographer and historian Zaven Sargsyan.

Teaching

Erevan, as a capital of State, gathers the greatest number of centers of teaching of the country. One finds there moreover 27 colleges and 12 schools of art managed by the minisère of education.

The largest universities, public or deprived, of Arménie are in Erevan. They attract foreign students enormously, in particular of India, thanks to very competitive prices and a teaching of medicine made in English language.

The oldest universities of Erevan date from the first republic (1918 - 1920). The University of State d' Erevan (Ե. Պ. Հ. - Y.S.U. ) opens on March 16th, 1919 and accommodates 10.450 students today. In 1921, right before the sovietization of the country, opens the Conservatoire State of music , then in the Années 1930, the Université of State of medicine (Ե. Պ. Բ. Հ. - Y.S.M.U.) in 1930, the University of State of engineers in 1933 (10 000 students) and the University of State of languages in 1935. Since independence, the universtiés foreign ones also opened their doors. Thus, the American university of Arménie (ՀայաստանիԱմերիյանՀամալսարան) opened the year even independence of the country in 1991, the university of State arméno-Russian (R.A.U. - Հ. Ռ. Հ. ) receives 1.600 bilingual students since 1997 and, more recently, the French Université in Arménie (UFAR) opened its doors in 2000.

Tourism

For five years, tourism in Arménie has developed a little more each year and initially benefits Erevan which gathers with it only the majority of the hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs of the country. The municipality adapts by making many alteration work and on its side the airport of Erevan is in full change and the very new airport will open its doors in definitively 2010.

Gallery

Old photographs

Random links: