In continuation of the previous post, I’ll write how you can combine business with pleasure in Yerevan. In the very center of the city, one old “dalan” was transformed into a souvenir shop where you can find souvenirs handmade by Armenian craftsmen for every taste. And passing through this shop-arch, you suddenly find yourself in the courtyard, where there is a cozy cafe, where you can just sit with a cup of aromatic coffee or taste different delicacies of Armenian cuisine.

Yerevan’s architecture is interesting because of many dalans(arches). Dalan is one of the symbols of old and new Yerevan. Thanks to street art todays dalans are satisfying locals and tourists. Here’s some pictures of my favorite dalans.

Тhe Republic Square is located in the very center of Yerevan and is considered one of the most amazing and famous attractios of the capital. It is a favorite destination for both locals and tourists. The famous singing fountains are also situated on the Republic Square right next to the History Museum and Art Gallery. Fountains work every day from late May to October, making exquisite music. The show starts at 9 pm and lasts until 11 pm gluing people to its colourful performance. The program of the show includes the world’s classical masterpieces, national music, rock and pop motifs of the 20th and 21st centuries. The show always ends with the song of Charles Aznavour “Eternal Love”. Both the fountains and their colours change according to the rhythm of the song or music played. The fountains can be visited both during the daytime and the nighttime, because each time they offer a different show: pure white dream under the sunlight and coloured fairy-tale as a helping hand for the moon and the stars in the darkness of the night.

Cascade is the heart of Yerevan and here’s why Cascade is an open-air museum of modern art You can enjoy the fantastic view of Ararat and whole Yerevan from top of Cascade Cascade is one of the main spots for youth pastime due to big amount of cozy terraced cafes and the atmosphere The foot of Cascade staircases is the perfect place for open-air concerts and other events.

Institute of Ancient Manuscripts Matenadaran named after St. Mesrop Mashtots is located in Yerevan. It is one of the largest and most impressive repositories of manuscripts in the world and the largest repository of ancient Armenian manuscripts. The collection of Matenadaran manuscripts is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The institute has a museum open to visitors. The word "matenadaran" in translation from Armenian means the repository of manuscripts. The beginning of the creation of the Matenadaran collection dates back to the V century.The funds of Matenadaran include more than 17 thousand ancient manuscripts and more than 100 thousand ancient archival documents. Along with Armenian manuscripts (over 13,000), over 3,000 manuscripts are stored here in Russian, Hebrew, Latin, Arabic, Syriac, Greek, Georgian, Indian, Japanese, Persian and other languages. The repository contains more than 17000 manuscripts, 450 thousand documents, and 3000 ancient books. Here you will see the biggest Armenian book “ Msho Charyntir” (weights 28 kg) and the smallest book (19g).