Republic Square

Yerevan

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From dawn till late into the night, Republic Sq is Yerevan's focal point and beating heart. Designed by architect Alexander Tamanyan as part of his 1924 urban plan for the city and originally named after Vladimir Lenin until 1991, the square is enclosed by a few current and former government buildings, the Armenia Marriott Hotel and the History Museum and National Gallery. Its famous musical fountains (8pm to 10pm in summer) are the city's most endearing attraction and a popular meeting point.

Underneath the square is a large bunker constructed during the Cold War to protect high-ranking officials in the event of a nuclear attack. This is closed to the public.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Geghardavank or Geghard monastery is an Orthodox Christian monastery located in Kotayk Province of Armenia

    Geghard Monastery

    16.4 MILES

    Named after the lance that pierced Christ’s side at the crucifixion (a shard is now on display at the museum in Etchmiadzin), this World Heritage–listed…

  • "Yerevan, Armenia - October 28, 2009. Eternal flame in Tsitsernakaberd. Tsitsernakaberd is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. Yerevan, Armenia. The eternal flame inside the memorial."

    Armenian Genocide Memorial & Museum

    1.39 MILES

    Commemorating the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1922, this institution uses photographs, documents, reports and films to…

  • Yerevan, Armenia - May 02, 2015: Republic Square. The National History Museum of Armenia. Was founded in 1919 as Ethnographic-Anthropological Museum-Library. One of main landmarks in city

    History Museum of Armenia

    0.05 MILES

    Its simply extraordinary collection of Bronze Age artefacts make this museum Armenia's pre-eminent cultural institution and an essential stop on every…

  • Garni Temple

    Garni Temple

    12.37 MILES

    Built by Armenia’s King Trdat I in the 1st century AD, this Hellenic-style temple set on the edge of a gorge overlooking the Azat River was dedicated to…

  • YEREVAN, ARMENIA - SEPTEMBER 28, 2015: The Cascade is a giant stairway in Yerevan, Armenia.; Shutterstock ID 371398735; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: 100 Cities Guides app image downloads

    Cafesjian Center for the Arts

    1.05 MILES

    Housed in a vast flight of stone steps known as the Cascade, this arts centre is one of the city's major cultural attractions. Originally conceived in the…

  • Khor Virap Monastery

    Khor Virap Monastery

    20.89 MILES

    Located 32km south of Yerevan at the foot of Mt Ararat, Khor Virap has been repeatedly rebuilt since the 5th century. Legend says the pagan King Trdat III…

  • Sergei Parajanov Museum

    Sergei Parajanov Museum

    0.7 MILES

    For something totally unique, head to this museum near Hrazdan Gorge. Crammed with collages, drawings, photographs and assemblages created by the…

  • Matenadaran

    Matenadaran

    1.01 MILES

    Standing at the top of Yerevan’s grandest avenue, this cathedral-like manuscript library is a source of enormous pride to all Armenians. The first…

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Nearby Yerevan attractions

1. History Museum of Armenia

0.05 MILES

Its simply extraordinary collection of Bronze Age artefacts make this museum Armenia's pre-eminent cultural institution and an essential stop on every…

2. National Gallery of Armenia

0.05 MILES

Housed on the top floors of the History Museum, Armenia's foremost art gallery holds a large but somewhat underwhelming collection of European and Russian…

4. Charles Aznavour Square

0.37 MILES

Named after the beloved French-Armenian singer often referred to as Paris' Frank Sinatra, the square is focused on the Moscow Cinema, built in 1936 on the…

5. Blue Mosque

0.37 MILES

There has been a mosque on this site since 1765, but like the other eight or so mosques that operated in Yerevan at the beginning of the 20th century it…

6. Modern Art Museum of Yerevan

0.39 MILES

When it opened in 1972, this was the first specialised museum of contemporary and modern art in the Soviet Union, and a source of enormous pride for the…

7. Surp Grigor Lusavorich Cathedral

0.45 MILES

Built to celebrate 1700 years of Christianity in Armenia and consecrated in 2001, this is the largest cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The…

8. Katoghike

0.58 MILES

The tiny 13th-century chapel incongruously known as the Katoghike (Cathedral) nestles beside the recently constructed Surp Anna Church. It has a…