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Template:Infobox City Armenia Yerevan (IPA: [ˌjerəˈvɑːn], Armenian: Երեւան or Երևան; sometimes written as Erevan; former names include Erebuni and Erivan) is the largest city and capital of Armenia. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, 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.[1]

History

Early history

The territory of Yerevan was settled in the fourth millennium BC[citation needed], 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 attacks from the north Caucasus. Yerevan is thus one of the most ancient cities in the world. During the height of Urartian power, irrigation canals and an artificial reservoir were built on Yerevan's territory.

Between the sixth and fourth centuries BC, Yerevan was one of the main centers of the Armenian satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire. In 585 BC, the fortress of Teishebaini (Karmir Blur), thirty miles to the north of Yerevan, was destroyed by the Scythians.

Due to the absence of historical data, the timespan between fourth century BC and third century AD is known as the Yerevan Dark Ages. The first church in Yerevan, the church of St. Peter and Paul, was built in the fifth century. It collapsed in 1931.

Foreign occupation

Yerevan in 1672.

In 658 AD, Yerevan was conquered, during the height of Arab invasions. Since then the site has been strategically important as a crossroads for the caravan routes passing between Europe and India. It has been known as "Yerevan" since at least the seventh century AD. Between the ninth and eleventh centuries, Yerevan was a secure part of the Armenian Bagratuni Kingdom, before being overrun by Seljuks. The city was seized and pillaged by Tamerlane in 1387 and subsequently 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. At the height of the Turkish-Persian wars, the city changed hands fourteen times between 1513 and 1737. In 1604, under the order of Shah Abbas I, tens of thousands of Armenians (including citizens of Yerevan) were deported to Persia. As a consequence, Yerevan's population became 80 percent Muslim and 20 percent native Armenian.[2] The Ottomans, Safavids and Ilkhanids all maintained a mint in Yerevan. During the 1670s, the Frenchman Jean Chardin 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. During the Safavid Dynasty rule, Yerevan and adjacent territories were part of the Chukhursaad (Irevan) Beglerbekate. Starting from 1747, it was part of the Erivan khanate, a Muslim principality under the dominion of the Persian Empire. This lasted until 1828 when the region was incorporated into Russian Empire.

Russian governance

File:YerevanRusCOA.gif
The coat of arms of Yerevan guberniya.

During the second Russian-Persian war, Yerevan was liberated[3][4] by Russian troops under Ivan Paskevich on 1 October, 1827. It was formally ceded by the Persians in 1828. Following the Treaty of Turkmenchay, Tsarist Russia sponsored Armenian resettlement from Persia and Turkey; by the turn of the twentieth century, Yerevan's population was over 29,000, of which 49% were Azerbaijani (described by Russian sources as "Azerbaijani Tatars"), 48% Armenian and 2% Russian.[5]

The city began to grow economically and politically, with old buildings torn down and new buildings in European style erected in their place. In 1829, Armenian repatriates from Persia were resettled in the city and a new quarter was built. By the time of Nicholas I's visit in 1837, Yerevan had become a uyezd.

The first general plan of the city was made in 1854, during which time the womens' colleges of St. Hripsime and St. Gayane were opened and the English Garden built. In 1874, Zacharia Gevorkian opened Yerevan's first printing house and in 1879 the first theatre, sited near the church of St. Peter and Paul, was established. Two years into the twentieth century, a railway line linked Yerevan with Alexandropol, Tiflis and Julfa, the same year Yerevan's first public library opened. In 1913, a telephone line with eighty subscribers became operational.

Brief independence (1917–1920)

The 11th Red Army of the Russian SFSR occupies Yerevan, 29 November 1920.

The Russian Empire ended in the October Revolution of 1917. In the aftermath, Armenian, Georgian and Muslim leaders of Transcaucasia united to form the Transcaucasian Federation and proclaimed Transcaucasia's secession.

The Federation, however, was short-lived and on May 28, 1918, Yerevan became the capital of the First Republic of Armenia. On November 29, 1920, the Bolshevik 11th Red Army occupied Yerevan during the Russian Civil War. Although nationalist forces managed to retake the city in February 1921, the city once again fell to Soviet forces on April 2, 1921.

Soviet Yerevan

Yerevan became the capital of the newly formed Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union. The Soviet era transformed the city into a modern industrial metropolis of over a million people, developed according to the prominent Armenian architect Alexander Tamanian's designs. Yerevan also became a significant scientific and cultural center.

Tamanian incorporated national traditions with contemporary urban construction. His design presented a radial-circular arrangement that overlaid the existing city. As a result, many historic buildings were demolished, including churches, mosques, the Persian fortress, baths, bazaars and caravanserais.

In 1965, during the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Yerevan was the center of a 24-hour mass anti-Soviet protest – the first such demonstration in the Soviet Union – to demand recognition of the Genocide by the Soviet authorities. In 1968, the city's 2,750th anniversary was commemorated.

The first stations of the Yerevan Metro opened in 1981.

In 1988-1989 the whole Azerbaijani population fled the city because of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. [6]

Post-USSR independence

Following the end of the Soviet Union, Yerevan became the capital of the Republic of Armenia on September 21, 1991.

Maintaining supplies of gas and electricity proved difficult; a constant elecricity was not restored until 1996.

Geography

Yerevan from space.

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. The Hrazdan divides Yerevan in two within a picturesque canyon. The city's elevation ranges between 900 to 1,300 m (3,000 to 4,300 ft) above sea level.

As the capital of Armenia, Yerevan is not part of any marz ("province"). Instead, it borders the following marzer: Kotayk (north), Ararat (south), Armavir (southwest) and Aragatsotn (northwest).

Climate

The climate of Yerevan is relatively continental, with dry, hot summers and cold and short winters. The temperature in August can reach 40°C (104°F), while January may be as cold as -15°C (5°F). The amount of precipitation is small, amounting annually to about 350 mm (14 in).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average temperature [°C] -5 0 7 11 19 23 25 25 20 15 8 1 13
Precipitation [cm] 2 2 3 4 4 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 27

Culture

The Opera House illuminated at night.

As a centre of Armenian culture, Yerevan is the site of Yerevan State University (1919), 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, Assyrian, 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 Opera House, 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).

Economy

View of Mashtots Avenue from the Matenadaran.

Yerevan 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.

Development

Recently, 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 ([2]) criticism from some residents. Jermaine Jackson has planned to build an entertainment complex in a new 5-star hotel which is being built in the city.

Mayors of Yerevan

Soviet Armenia (1922-1991)

Republic of Armenia (1991-Present)

Monuments, movie theaters and other buildings

Cascades Massive white steps that ascend from downtown Yerevan towards Haghtanak Park (Victory Park).
Cossack Monument A monument to the Cossacks killed during the Russian-Persian wars in 1826-1827.
Hamalir Concert hall and sports complex.
Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts. One of the richest depositories of manuscripts and books in the world.
Moscow Cinema (Kino Moskva)     Famous movie theater.
Mother Armenia A statue located in Haghtanak Park (Victory Park).
Nairi Cinema (Kino Nairi) Famous movie theater.
Pantheon Cemetery Cemetery where many famous Armenians are buried.
Sasuntsi Davit A statue dedicated to a famous Armenian hero.
Statue of Hayk Statue of a legendary patriarch and founder of the first Armenian nation.
Tsitsernakaberd Monument commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
Yerablur Cemetery where Armenians that fought in the Nagorno-Karabakh War are buried.
Yerevan Zoo Yerevan zoo.

City districts

Yerevan is divided into several districts, each with an elected community leader:

Column-generating template families

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Column templates
Type Family
Handles wiki
table code?†
 Responsive/
mobile suited 		Start template Column divider End template
Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}}
"columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}}
Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}}
"columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – –
Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – –
Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}},
{{col-begin-fixed}} or
{{col-begin-small}} 		{{col-break}} or
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Sister cities

Currently, Yerevan has twenty-seven sister cities.

City Country Year
Moscow Russia Russia
Rostov-on-Don Russia Russia
Saint Petersburg Russia Russia
Stavropol Russia Russia
Volgograd Russia Russia From 1998
Lyon France France
Marseille France France
Paris France France From 1998
Carrara Italy Italy
Florence Italy Italy
Kiev Ukraine Ukraine
Odessa Ukraine Ukraine
Los Angeles United States United States From 2006[7]
Cambridge, MA United States United States
Buenos Aires Argentina Argentina
São Paulo Brazil Brazil From 1999
Montreal Canada Canada
Athens Greece Greece
Bratislava Slovakia Slovakia
Chişinău Moldova Moldova
Minsk Belarus Belarus
Podgorica Montenegro Montenegro From 2006
Tbilisi Georgia (country) Georgia
Beirut Lebanon Lebanon
Damascus Syria Syria
Isfahan Iran Iran
Antananarivo Madagascar Madagascar

Education

Universities

Universities in Yerevan include:

Institute Official website Date
established		 Student
population
American University of Armenia AUA http://www.aua.am 1991 268
Russian-Armenian State University RAU http://www.rau.am August 29, 1997 1,600
State Engineering University of Armenia SEUA http://www.seua.am 1933 10,000
Yerevan State University YSU http://www.ysu.am May 16, 1919 10,450
Yerevan State Linguistic University YSLU http://www.brusov.am February 4, 1935
Yerevan State Medical University YSMU http://www.ysmu.am 1930
Yerevan State Musical Conservatory YSC http://www.conservatory.am 1921
Yerevan State Pedagogical University YSPU 1922

Sports

Football (soccer) teams

Logo Club Stadium
File:Ararat logo.gif FC Ararat Yerevan Hrazdan Stadium
File:Banants-Yerevan.png FC Banants Banants Stadium
File:Kilikia logo.gif FC Kilikia Yerevan Hrazdan Stadium
File:Uliss Erevan.gif FC Uliss Yerevan Kazak Stadium
File:MikaLogo.gif FC MIKA Mika Stadium
File:Pyunik.gif FC Pyunik Hanrapetakan Stadium
File:Yerevan United FC.png Yerevan United FC Hanrapetakan Stadium
FC Dinamo Yerevan
Erebuni Yerevan
Kanaz Yerevan
Lernayin Artsakh
Malatia Yerevan
Nairit Yerevan
Van Yerevan
Yerazank Yerevan
FC Yerevan

Notable people

Notable people who are from or have resided in Yerevan:

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates
Type Family
Handles wiki
table code?†
 Responsive/
mobile suited 		Start template Column divider End template
Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}}
"columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}}
Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}}
"columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – –
Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – –
Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}},
{{col-begin-fixed}} or
{{col-begin-small}} 		{{col-break}} or
{{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} 		{{col-end}}

† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

Yerevan

Historical photographs of Yerevan under Imperial Russia

  • Yerevan, 1796. The small city had a mixture of both Christian and Muslim inhabitants, as seen by the churches and mosques in the picture.
    Yerevan, 1796. The small city had a mixture of both Christian and Muslim inhabitants, as seen by the churches and mosques in the picture.
  • Yerevan's Russian Orthodox Church
    Yerevan's Russian Orthodox Church
  • Minaret of the Urban Mosque of Yerevan
    Minaret of the Urban Mosque of Yerevan
  • The Gök-Jami ("Blue Mosque") in Yerevan.
    The Gök-Jami ("Blue Mosque") in Yerevan.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Katsenelinboĭgen, Aron (1990). The Soviet Union: Empire, Nation and Systems. New Brunswick (U.S.A) & London (U.K.): Transaction Publishers. pp. p.143. ISBN 0887383327. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  2. ^ Encyclopaedia Iranica (George A. Bournoutian and Robert H. Hewsen, Erevan)
  3. ^ Marc Ferro, The Use and Abuse of History: How the Past Is Taught to Children, Routledge: 2003, p.233 (ISBN 0415285925).
  4. ^ Arman J. Kirakossian, British Diplomacy and the Armenian Question: From the 1830s to 1914 (2003) p.142 (ISBN 1884630073).
  5. ^ Template:Ru icon Erivan in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890-1907.
  6. ^ Brady Kiesling. Rediscovering Armenia. US Embassy in Armenia. 2000. [1]
  7. ^ http://clkrep.lacity.org/councilfiles/05-1748_rpt_cla_10-17-06.pdf

References

  • The capitals of Armenia, Sergey Vardanyan, Apolo 1995 , ISBN 5-8079-0778-7
  • My Yerevan, G. Zakoyan, M. Sivaslian, V. Navasardian, Acnalis 2001, ISBN 99930-902-0-4
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