Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Erevan is Older than Rome

No state in the world had so many capitals as Armenia. After Van, Armavir,Ervandashat,Artashat,Tigranakert,Vagharshapat, Dvin,Bagaran,Shirakavan,Kars and Ani,Erevan/Erebuni became the 12th capitol of Armenia. Yerevan is 29 years older than Rome. The discovered tools of the Stone Age are indicative of the fact that Shengavit, the caves of Hrazdan gorge, Tsitsernakaberd, Arinberd, Karmirblur and other ancient settlements existed thousands of years ago.

In 782BC, tsar/king Argishti-1 founded town-fortress Erebuni in the south-east part of the present Erevan, leaving the cuneiform inscription that "by God's will Khalda Argishti,son of Menua,built this unassailable fortress and named it the city of Erebuni as a token of Biainilla's power and to keep in awe the enemy..."

In october 1968 the Armenian people,Armenian diaspora and guests from many countries of the world celebrated the 2750th Anniversary of Erevan.

Light covered with rosy stone, rich in architectual monuments,Erevan is beatiful in any season of the year. Some features of Armavir,Artashat,Dvin,Ani and other capitols are reflected in the multi-age and modern Erevan.That's why together with the most famous writter and poet Paruyr Sevak the people sang and with this song proceeded to the ancient ruins of Erebuni:

Erevan, you are my Erebuni,
You are new Dvin, you are new Ani.
You are great dream of our small land.
Our eternal agony, tenderness set in stone and our beauty.

Today's Erevan occupies the territory of about 250 sq.km. If the prerevolutionary city had only one street Astafyan (now Abovyan St.), the present city occupies the slopes of neighboring hills, it includes also such towns as: Arabkir, Kanaker, Davidashen, Achapnyak,Avan,Nor Nork, Nor-Aresh, Nebarashen, Kharberd,Malatiya,Charbakh,South-West and other new populaion-areas,where open-work constructions of newly erected buildings rise high one after another(up to 26 levels),wide avenues are laid, where leaves rustle in squares and parks.

Erevan has become the city of original architectural complexes and remarkable monuments,obelisks and recreation zones. It's always full of light,hospitable,always fantastic and alluring...

The "singing" fountains in the Republic Square sound as sweet as a lullaby for the Armenian, who is building his house as industriously as a swallow. Taking a look at the Tsitsernakaberd Hill, which impersonates for each Armenian the eternal memory of Armenian Genocide (1915-1923) victims and symbolizes renaissance of the Armenian people. Just by being there at the Memorial one will feel the invincible spirit of the Armenian people, who wishes to work and live for those who are not here anymore...

Today's Erevan is one of the most important industrial, scientific, cultural and education centers of the country. No directory or guide-book can describe Erevan or its people. One needs to go there and visit the city, interact with its people and its beauty, if one wants to know what it is like to be or live in Erevan.

One needs to visit the city's great museums, on which the most famous one is Matenadaran, named after the Armenian monk or re-created Armenian alphabet in 409A.D. Matenadaran is the largest depository of Armenian manuscripts in the world, which are dating back over 2000 years. The museum is full of other ancient manuscripts as well, especially from Efiopia, which are dating back to the pre-christian and early christian period of the Meditteranean, Middle East and Africa.

As a prologue to visiting the museum, I'd like to cite from the introduction to verse collection "Poetry of Armenia" by Valery Bryussov: "Armenian medieval lyrics is one of the greatest victories of human spirit known in the annals of humanity". Bryussov insisted that reading these verses is as necessary for any intellectual, literate person as knowledge of Dante's "Divine Comedy" and Shakespeare's plays.