Republic Square

Yerevan


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

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…

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