Republic Square

Republic Square occupies the heart of Yerevan and covers around 30,000 square meters. Alexander Tamanyan designed it in 1924, and construction continued for almost half a century. A monument to Lenin once stood here, but after independence the square received its present name. Five pink-and-white tuff buildings with neoclassical forms and Armenian motifs surround it: the Government House, the History Museum and National Gallery, the Marriott Hotel, the Central Post Office, and ministry buildings. The oval section is decorated with mosaic paving, while the famous singing fountains attract crowds each evening. The museum complex holds more than half a million objects, including archaeological finds, paintings, sculpture, and manuscripts. In the early 2000s, the square was renovated with illuminated musical fountains and improved pedestrian space.

During reconstruction in 2003, layers of Yerevan's history emerged beneath Republic Square. Archaeologists found cultural deposits from the 18th and 19th centuries and artifacts dating to the 10th century, including stone walls, red and black tuff tiles, old water pipes, and fragments of clay vessels. Particularly notable were 17th-century cellars matching panoramic images by Jean Chardin and Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, confirming Yerevan's importance as a trading center. Excavation had to stop so the square could reopen quickly; the finds were covered with sand to preserve them for future study.