TOURS
TUMANYAN STREET
Tumanyan Street is full of teahouses, cafes and restaurants.
Tumanyan street has been renamed several times. At the beginning of the 19th century, before the October revolution, it was called Medical Street. In 1921, it was renamed Stepan Alaverdyan Street, in 1954 - M. Lenin Street, and finally in 1961, it honored poet Hovhannes Tumanyan. Hovhannes Tumanyan (1869 – 1923) was an Armenian poet, writer, translator, and literary and public activist. He is the national poet of Armenia.
It's best to start your walk from Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences, which is just across from the Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum. You may notice that a group of men gathered at the entrance to the university, which is amusing as the university students are almost exclusively female. The university students and their admirers are lucky, because Tumanyan Street is lined with a wide range of teahouses, cafes and bars.
On the corner of Parpetsi Street (at 40, Tumanyan Street) there is an interesting underground spot - "The Club". The Club is a neat space, with a café, a restaurant, a teahouse and even a small shop selling souvenirs and art books. The interior design creates an atmosphere that is at once classy and casual. They frequently host exhibitions and music events here. You can smell the aroma of freshly roasted coffee from a small shop next to the "The Club".
One of Yerevan's most famous backyards is situated near "The Club". This is where the Armenian cult film “Our Yard" was shot. After sitting for a few minutes on a bench in this legendary backyard, you will understand the peculiarities of the yard life of Yerevan residents. Here neighbors are like family. As you sit and contemplate, remember that incredibly famous people have sat on that very bench, from popular local actors to the pop group like Boney M.
The part of the street from Mashtots Avenue to Khanjyan Street has lots of eateries. "Old Erivan" is one of the traditional Armenian restaurants in heart of Yerevan, with matching ethnic interior design. The entrance is decorated with carpets, big clay pitchers called "caras", and a statue of a woman in traditional dress.
This is the beginning of Northern Avenue, with Swan Lake and the statue of Famous Soviet and Armenian composer and pianist Arno Babajanyan (2003, sculptor David Bejanyan) across the street.
The statue gave rise to many arguments in the city. Some thought the large, pointed nose and the unnaturally long fingers of the musician were grotesque. But little by little, people got used to the statue and started love it. Nowadays, it is a must to take a photo with the proud profile of the genius composer.
Tumanyan Street is also famous for shawarma (a sandwich-like wrap of meat in flatbread), which is actually popular all over the city. This Middle Eastern treat is probably the most common fast food in Yerevan.
The small Georgian restaurant "Khinkali" is also very popular. Khinkali is a popular Georgian dish consisting of meat-filled dumplings. The delicious food combined with the unique Renaissance-style interior is sure to leave you satisfied.
The majority of the buildings were constructed in the mid 20th century, but there are some older ones, such as two symmetrical buildings at the intersection of Tumanyan and Nalbandyan, which partly overlook the street. One of these buildings, 21 Nalbandyan Street, is home to composer and conductor, founder of Armenian national symphonic music Alexander Spendiarov's House-Museum, which was founded in 1961. The atmosphere of the musician's apartment is thoroughly recreated in the museum. Alongside the piano, the violin, and the desk, you can see one of the most interesting exhibits in the museum: a musical instrument that was jokingly called the "Spendiarophone" by Russian composer Nikolai Rimskiy-Korsakov. This instrument, consisting of a leather belt and small bronze bells, was played at the performance of the "Three Palms" symphony to recreate the sound of a camel caravan passing through a desert. Different events are held at the museum. The first grade class of the Spendiarov Music School comes here every year on an excursion and the top three students are given the chance to play the maestro's instruments.
There used to be a girls' school on Tumanyan Street that became a hospital during the war years. In 1920, it became Alexander Tamanyan's workshop, where the great architect designed the city's general plan. The Historical Monuments Preservation Committee, which was also founded by Tamanyan, held its meetings here.
The avenue ends up with the Khanjyan street to the southeast.
Duration:
2
h
Place of departure:
Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum
Place of arrival:
Khanjyan street
Activity period:
Year-round
Route
Start: Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum
- Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences
- Leisure and entertainment center "Club"
- Filming location of the film "Our yard"
- Traditional Armenian restaurant "Old Erivan"
- Beginning of Northern Avenue
- Statue of Arno Babajanyan
- Swan Lake
- Middle Eastern & Georgian cuisine
- House-Museum of Alexander Spendiarov
- Workshop of Alexander Tamanyan
- East Cuisine
End: Khanjyan street