What is the Capital of Armenia? Yerevan is the biggest city in Armenia and the capital since 1918. It is the twelfth capital of Armenia. Yerevan was founded in 782 BC in the west of the country, on the easternmost part of the Mount Ararat plain and above the passages of the Hrazdan River. The city has a history of 2500 years filled with war, plunder, fire and earthquakes.
When did Yerevan Become the Capital?
For Yerevan, the 16th and 17th centuries were a bad period; the city became a battlefield between the Persians and the Turks, and in addition to the ongoing attack by the Arabs and Mongols, almost the entire city was destroyed by the earthquake of 1679. Today, some rare remains are encountered.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Yerevan was a village with a population of 30,000 people, at the borders of the Russian Empire. It was declared to be the capital of the new Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1918 and it was the center of the newly independent Armenia until 1920. Alexander Tamanian, the city’s chief urbanist, transformed this city entirely, transforming this republic into a real value-worthy envoy. This growth completely changed the appearance of the city, with new areas, roads, bridges, an international airport and the construction of Yerevan metros in the 1980s.
On 29 November 1920, after the Sovietization of Armenia, Yerevan was still the capital of the republic. However, in 1922, together with the foundation of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, it became the capital Tbilisi. Yerevan was again the capital of the country with the dissolution of the republic in 1936 and the establishment of Armenia Soviet Socialist Republic, and it is still the capital of the country after its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Features of Yerevan
It has a population of 1.06 million according to 2011 data. The surface area is 223 square kilometers. The plain location of the city, surrounded by mountains, has a continental climate due to its distance from the sea. This climate sometimes changes according to the districts; At high altitudes, it may be affected by the mountain climate. Winters are very heavy in snow and frost, and summers are usually very hot. It is raining little in the city due to heavy summer storms.
It is situated to the north-east of the Mount Ararat Plain in the central west. The city, which is based on seven hills, has a common feature with cities such as Rome and Istanbul in this respect. Some of the city’s quarters are located in the plain, and some of them are located in the hills of the mountains, which are about 1,300 meters high.
The contribution of Yerevan to the national industrial production rate is 50%. The main areas of the Yerevan industry are manufacturing, processing, and maintenance. Although the economic crisis that took place during the 1990s has ruined the country’s industry, there are still few, if any, active factories. Especially in the petrochemical industry and less in the aluminum smelting industry.
Important Places to See in Yerevan
Yerevan Soviet-era buildings offer many areas of interest for tourists, with cobbled streets, parks, museums and art centers. At the beginning of the places to see are; History Museum of Armenia, Republic Square and Cafesjian Center. Other places to see; Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum, Martiros Sarian House Museum, Yervand Kochar Museum, National Gallery of Armenia and Blue Mosque.