Fun things to do in K'aghak' Yerevan

The cemetery of Yerablur in Yerevan houses the dead from Nagorno Karabagh war together with Andranik Ozanian, fighter against Turkey in the late 19th centuries and Vazgen Sarkissian, the prime minister who was assassinated in parliament in 1999.

There are fedayees (soldiers) who have participated in the war in early 1990's on the premisses who can give you a tour and point out some of the most famous heros of the Armenian military personel. I recommend you taking the tour but need a translator as they do not speak english or any other language other than Russian and Armenian.

To visit this cemetery particularly on one of the traditional Armenian days for visiting graves such as Easter Monday is even more poignant than with most war cemeteries because the war in which they were killed is so recent (1989-1994) and many of the figures tending the graves are the mothers or other close relatives of those who died. Most of the graves carry a picture of the deceased.

In front of the railway station in Yerevan, in the middle of a circle is the very fine equestrain statue of David Of Sassoun mounted on his horse Dzhalali. The Armenians call this statue Sassountsi Davit and all the locals know where it is situated. This statue is another one of fine works of Ervand Kochar.

The epic stories of David of Sassoun date back to the 10th century though they were not written down until 1873. They recount the fortunes of David's family over four generations, Sassoun symbolizing Armenia in its struggle against Arab domination.

In the statue David brandishes a sword which is ready to fall on the invaders while water flows from a bowl over the pedestal, symbolizing that when the patience of the people is at an end there will be no mercy for the oppressors. David's crest of honor was a sword of lightning, belt of gold, immortal flying horse and sacred cross.

This Statue is a must when you visit Yerevan in Armenia.. It is situated conveniently across the railway station in the middle circle. Many tourists pay the statue a visit during their stay in Armenia. It is a very significant piece of Armenian history. There is no fee to visit the statue as it is situated in the street.

There is a good selection of jewelry ceramics and weapons found inside the museum. Of particular interest is three silver rythons one of which is shaped like a horse, one like a bull's head and one like a man on horseback. The helmet of king Sarduri II is on dispaly together with a large jug, possibly a funerary urn, with bull's heads.

Please refer to the Travelogue for further pictures of the museum and the ruins.

Erebuni, on a hilltop in the southern part of the city is the original site of Yerevan. Visitors can see the partially excavated remains of the site of the city together with interesting objects found there which are now housed in a worthwhile museum at the bottom of the hill.

Erebuni was discovered by chance in 1950 during exploration of Arin Berd Monastery which had later been built on the site. An English speaking guide is available in the museum as well as a booklet giving a brief description in five languages.

museum is closed on Mondays but open the rest of the week from 10:30am to 4:00pm. There is a cover charge to get into the museum building (somewhere in the neighborhood of US $2.00). There are many many steps leading to the hill top ruins from the museum building one can climb but it's tedious and for adventurous only. The rest of us can get to the ruins by car by driving road next to the museum north and making a left on one of the dirt roads leading to the hill top.

Hovhannes Toumanian is one of Armenia's greatest and well known poets (1869-1923) who has produced many fable and epic poetry. Amongst his famous writings worth noting are

In the Armenian Mountain
Armenian Grief
With My Fatherland
My Friend Nesso

and his masterpiece Anoush

A lot more will be said about Hovhannes Toumanian in my pages in Armenia when we visited his gravesite and museum..

This Statue of Hovhannes Toumanian is one of four statues situated around the famous Opera House in Yerevan, Armenia... It is a site worth visiting when in Yerevan.

The project of Yerevan's Opera House was began in 30's from the plans of famous Armenian city architect Tamanyan, who was the first to lay and plan the foundations of modern Yerevan in 1920's and 30's.

In 1937 the splendid and grandeur project of Opera House received the "Grande Prix" award of architectural design in an architectural exhibition in Paris. Opera House was by far the greatest achievement of Tamanyan's genius project building in this respect.

Inside is the Khachaturian Hall, named after world famous renowned composer, Aram Khachaturian. Tickets and schedules for the world class performances can usually be obtained for under $2 at the ticket booth.

At the back of the Opera House is a statue of the Armenian Composer, Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978). Around the front, the right hand statue is the eponymous Spendiarian while to the left is Hovanes Toumanian, a second of whose poems was the source of the most famous Armenian Opera "Anoush".

The Republic Square is absolutely gorgeous by night.. There are many people walking around outside with their families or their loved ones even on weekdays.. Definitely worth visiting at night and enjoying the atmosphere. There is the teletubies entertaining the little kids and other cartoon characters.. You may purchase refreshments or snacks from the vendors around the square and walk around. A big screen television airs music videos..

Visitors to Yerevan are inevitable drawn to the large and imposing REPUBLIC SQUARE. In Soviet times, the square used to be called the Lenin Square. The square is surrounded by different buildings with fine architecture.. An example is the "National History Museum" of 1926 on the northeast side with fountains outside. There are also government buildings, a post office and Hotel Armenia/ Marriot Hotel around the square. A must see for the tourists.. There are people vending snacks and cold drinks around the square and there are some fine restaurants near the square including the Hotel Armenia/ Marriot Hotel's restaurant on the bottom floor.