Yerevan

Yerevan is the capital of Armenia.
 In 782 BC the Urartian King Argishti the first founded Erebuni the military and administrative centre of the Urartian state on the place of the present day Yerevan. According to one of the explanations of the name ‘Yerevan’, it was the first piece of land to have been seen by Noah after the flood had receded. “Yerevats! Yerevats!”(It’s in sight), Noah is supposed to have exclaimed joyfully after catching sight of this dry piece of land.

The central part of Yerevan involves three main squares: Republic Square, Shaumian Square and Theatre Square. Republic Square is the heart of the city. The Square is framed with the buildings of the Government and The Marriott Hotel. The history museum and the Art Gallery are also to be found on Republic Square. Theatre Square is adjacent to the state Opera and Ballet House making up another picturesque ensemble.
Armenian’s rich history and culture are well documented in over one hundred museums. Most of them are in Yerevan. The National Art Gallery has three main expositions those of Armenian, Russian and European arts. It has original paintings by Tintiretto, Rubens, Van Dyke, Donatello, Bryulov, Serov, Vereshchyagin and others.
  
There is a monument to the victims of the Armenian Genocide on the Hill of Tsitsernakaberd. Its flame burns day and night over the Tsitsernakaberd Hill on the bank of the river Hrazdan. The grey magnificent stone domes which seem about to collapse symbolize people bent in grief over the flame. As one comes out of the stone domes, he finds himself viewing the most interesting part of the monument-the panorama of the new flourishing Yerevan spreading around the Tsitsernakaberd Hill, which symbolizes the renaissance of the people.
In Yerevan there are numerous parks for children (“The Children’s Railways”, “Hakhtanak Park”), full of different attractions and entertainment places,“Water World” with numerous swimming pools and cascades.
Yerevan is a city of students. Statistics show that one out of every three of Yerevan's population is studying in one or another educational establishment. Eleven of the republic's thirteen higher educational establishments are located in Yerevan. There are scores of specialized secondary schools and more than 150 secondary schools in the city.
The Yerevan State University is rightly termed the republic's main centre for training specialists. Founded in December 1920, the University was the first higher educational establishment in Armenia. Now it has become the leading higher educational institution in Armenia and one of the largest and best in the region. Many of the University's graduates have become prominent scientists, writers, executives, and public figures.
Yerevan today - a major industrial centre of the Armenian republic - contributes a large share to the development of the national economy. 
Yerevan now boasts the most modern branches of industry, those branches most needed for the national economy - chemical, electrotechnical, machine-tool, machine-building, automobile, instrument-making, electronic, and radio-electronic. All of these make up the aspect of present-day industrial Yerevan.
Yerevan is the largest centre of the republic's food and light industries. Almost all of the woollen and silk fabrics produced in Armenia are made in Yerevan. The cognacs for which Armenia is famous are produced at the Yerevan Cognac Factory which you may visit and where you can take part in the tasting of these wonderful products. Armenian cognacs are participants at almost all international exhibitions and fairs. More than fifty medals, the majority of them gold medals, from the proud collection of international awards won by Armenian cognacs. Much praise has also fallen to Armenian wines, most of which are produced at the Yerevan Winery and the Yerevan Factory of Champagne Wines.