Republic Square

Republic Square (Hanrapetutyan Hraparak) is the ceremonial heart of Yerevan, Armenia, and the best single introduction to the city's Soviet-era planning. The ensemble was designed by the architect Alexander Tamanyan in the 1920s and built over several decades in warm pink and yellow tuff, the volcanic stone that gives Yerevan its nickname of the Pink City. The buildings form a rough oval around a large paved plaza: the Government House, the History Museum of Armenia and the National Gallery of Armenia share one long facade with a clock tower, while the former post office, a hotel and ministry buildings complete the ring. Republic Square metro station sits directly at the square, which makes it an easy starting point for a walking route through the Kentron district. Visitors spend most of their time simply walking the perimeter, photographing the facades and the clock tower, and stepping inside the two museums that open onto the square. From roughly May to October the large fountain pool in the centre runs a programme of choreographed water, music and lights in the evening, and crowds of locals and visitors gather around the edge. The square also hosts concerts, national celebrations and public gatherings, so access to parts of it can be restricted on event days. A visit takes 45 minutes to an hour if limited to the plaza, longer if combined with a museum. Light is most flattering in the late afternoon, when the stone turns a deep rose colour, and the buildings are floodlit after dark. The square is busiest on summer evenings and weekends, and quietest early on weekday mornings, which suits clear photographs of the full facade. The nearby pedestrian streets lead towards the Vernissage market, the Cascade and a dense cluster of cafes and restaurants.