The Old City of Yerevan is surrounded by a ring road, which has different names in different sections: Saryan Street, Moskovyan Street, Khanjyan Street and others. Park zones have been created on the eastern side of this ring road. However, should not look for quarters in the city that would preserve a completely historical appearance.
The appearance of the Old City of Yerevan was radically transformed by the famous Armenian architect Alexander Tamayan, who in 1920 prepared a Master plan for the reconstruction of Yerevan and implemented it in the 1920s. Most of the old streets have been straightened and widened. Only in some places houses of the 19th century have been preserved. High-rise buildings of the 20th century rise above them.
In 781, the King of Urartu built the Fortress of Erebuni, which became his main outpost in the Ararat Valley at the foot of the famous Mount Ararat. For several centuries, these lands were owned by different kingdoms and empires. The city of Yerevan began to form during the Roman Empire, in the 3rd century AD, a few kilometers north of the fortress. Therefore, if you want to see the place of the foundation of Yerevan, then you need to drive 7 kilometers south from the center of the Old City of Yerevan.
As for walking in the Old Town, it is convenient to start it on Republic Square. Many old houses or monumental buildings built in the Armenian architectural style have been preserved here. From Republic Square, you can walk to the southwest. There, on the banks of the small Radzan River, opposite each other, are the massive buildings of the Ararat and Noah brandy companies. Nearby, on a steep bank, there is a beautiful Church of St. Sarkis, built in 1842.
Abovyan Street stretches from Republic Square to the northeast to the Nork Plateau. Previously, it was called Serf, and was the main street of the Old City of Yerevan. There are also many historical buildings preserved there. The pedestrian Northern Avenue stretches from the National Gallery to the north to the Cascade Architectural Complex. You can first go to the Yerevan Opera House, and then climb the Cascade to Victory Park. The viewing point at the top of the cascade offers a beautiful view of the Old City of Yerevan and Mount Ararat.
