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Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia, set on the Ararat Plain in the south of the Caucasus, famous for its pink stone buildings, the Yerevan Cascade, views of Mount Ararat, its brandy and day trips to Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Yerevan traces its birth to the Urartian fortress of Erebuni, founded in 782 BC. The modern centre was largely planned in the 20th century by the architect Alexander Tamanian, whose squares and avenues were built from pink and orange volcanic tuff, giving Yerevan the nickname the Pink City.
Visitors enjoy cafe terraces, museums and lively evenings in a walkable centre, along with Armenian food from khorovats barbecue to fresh lavash. Ancient monasteries and temples lie within an hour's drive, and spring and autumn bring clear views of Ararat and mild weather.
The Yerevan Cascade is a giant white limestone stairway climbing from central Yerevan up the hillside, with fountains, terraces and modern sculptures along the way. Inside, escalators and the Cafesjian Center for the Arts run alongside. From the top, Mount Ararat appears on clear days.
Republic Square is the central square of Yerevan, an oval of grand buildings in pink and yellow volcanic tuff designed by Alexander Tamanian. The Government House and the History Museum of Armenia face it, and on summer evenings its musical fountains dance to light and song.
Mother Armenia is a giant copper statue of a woman holding a sword, raised in 1967 in Victory Park above Yerevan on the plinth where a statue of Stalin once stood. A military museum fills the pedestal. The park gives sweeping views over the city towards Mount Ararat.
The Yerevan Opera Theatre, Armenia's national opera and ballet house, is a grand circular building by Alexander Tamanian that opened in 1933 in central Yerevan. Tickets for performances are inexpensive. The squares and the small Swan Lake around it are favourite places for an evening walk.
The Matenadaran in Yerevan is a famous repository of ancient manuscripts, holding thousands of illuminated Armenian books and documents. It stands at the top of Mashtots Avenue behind a statue of Mesrop Mashtots, creator of the Armenian alphabet. Its exhibition halls show the finest pages.
The History Museum of Armenia on Republic Square in Yerevan traces the country's past from the Stone Age to modern times. Highlights include Urartian treasures, medieval artefacts and a leather shoe about 5,500 years old found in the Areni-1 cave. Allow at least two hours.
The Armenian Genocide Memorial on Tsitsernakaberd hill in Yerevan honours the victims of 1915. Twelve inward-leaning stone slabs surround an eternal flame beside a tall spire, and a museum explains the history. Each year on 24 April, huge crowds come to lay flowers.
Erebuni Fortress is the hilltop citadel founded in 782 BC by the Urartian king Argishti I on the edge of modern Yerevan, the event the city counts as its birth. Restored walls, temple remains and a cuneiform inscription survive, and a museum below shows finds from the site.
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan was consecrated in 2001 to mark 1,700 years since Armenia adopted Christianity. It is the largest Armenian cathedral, built of pale tuff with a cluster of conical domes, and it holds relics of St. Gregory. Services are open to visitors.
The Blue Mosque in Yerevan is an 18th-century Persian mosque on Mashtots Avenue, the only active mosque in the city. Its tiled dome and minaret rise over a quiet courtyard garden with trees and a pool. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times; dress modestly and be respectful.
Vernissage is the open-air market near Republic Square in Yerevan, busiest at weekends. Stalls sell carpets, wood carvings, jewellery, paintings, chess sets and Soviet-era curiosities, and many artists sell their own work. It is the best place in the city to look for souvenirs.
The Ararat Brandy Factory in Yerevan is home to the famous Armenian brandy made here since the late 19th century. Guided tours lead through the cellars and barrel halls and end with a tasting of aged brandies. The building stands near the Victory Bridge with views of the Hrazdan gorge.
Garni Temple, about 30 kilometres east of Yerevan, is a colonnaded Greco-Roman temple from the 1st century AD that fell in a 1679 earthquake and was rebuilt in the 1970s. It stands on a cliff above a gorge, and the basalt columns of the Symphony of Stones line the valley below.
Geghard Monastery, east of Yerevan in the upper Azat valley, is a medieval monastery partly carved into the cliff, with dark rock-cut chapels and a church from 1215. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and choirs sometimes sing in its echoing halls. It is a short drive beyond Garni.
Khor Virap is a monastery on a small hill near the Turkish border, a short drive south of Yerevan, where St. Gregory was imprisoned in a deep pit for years. Visitors can climb down into the pit. Its setting gives the closest and most famous view of Mount Ararat.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Vagharshapat, about 20 kilometres west of Yerevan, is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, first built in the early 4th century. It is among the oldest cathedrals in the world and part of a UNESCO site, with museums and other early churches nearby.
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