Editing Yerevan (section)

==History==

{{Main|History of Yerevan}}
{{For timeline}}

===Pre-history and pre-classical era===
{{see also|Kura–Araxes culture}}
[[File:Shengavit Settlement 2.jpg|thumb|Foundations of [[Shengavit Settlement|Shengavit historical site]] (site settled 3200 BC cal to 2500 BC cal) ]]
The territory of Yerevan has been inhabited since approximately the 2nd half of the [[4th millennium BC]]. The southern part of the city currently known as [[Shengavit District|Shengavit]] has been populated since at least 3200 BC, during the period of [[Kura–Araxes culture]] of the early [[Bronze Age]]. The first excavations at the [[Shengavit Settlement|Shengavit historical site]] was conducted between 1936 and 1938 under the guidance of archaeologist Yevgeny Bayburdyan. After two decades, archaeologist Sandro Sardarian resumed the excavations starting from 1958 until 1983.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/details/118010/|title=Շենգավիթ. Հին Երևանի ամենավաղ և բացառիկ վկայությունը. Հայտնի հնավայրի 2012 թ-ի պեղումների և նշանակության մասին|website=PanARMENIAN.Net|access-date=3 January 2021|archive-date=16 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116141209/https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/details/118010/|url-status=live}}</ref> The 3rd phase of the excavations started in 2000, under the guidance of archaeologist Hakob Simonyan. In 2009, Simonyan was joined by Mitchell S. Rothman from the [[Widener University]] of [[Pennsylvania]]. Together they conducted three series of excavations in 2009, 2010, and 2012 respectively.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} During the process, a full stratigraphic column to bedrock was reached, showing there to be 8 or 9 distinct stratigraphic levels. These levels cover a time between 3200 BC and 2500 BC. Evidences of later use of the site, possibly until 2200 BC, were also found. The excavation process revealed a series of large round buildings with square adjoining rooms and minor round buildings. A series of ritual installations was discovered in 2010 and 2012.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

===Erebuni===
{{main|Erebuni Fortress}}
[[File:Yerevan - Armenië (2901349237).jpg|thumb|Painting showing the founding of Yerevan by [[Argishti I of Urartu|Argishti I]] in 782 BC ([[Erebuni Museum]])]]
[[File:Erebuni Fortress, Yerevan, Armenia 01.jpg|thumb|[[Erebuni Fortress]], founded by King [[Argishti I of Urartu|Argishti I]] in 782 BC]]
The ancient kingdom of [[Urartu]] was formed in the 9th century BC by King [[Arame of Urartu|Arame]] in the basin of [[Lake Van]] of the [[Armenian Highland]], including the territory of modern-day Yerevan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yerevan.am/main.php?page_id=278&lang=3|title=Yerevan Municipality:Old Yerevan|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002075814/http://www.yerevan.am/main.php?page_id=278&lang=3|archive-date=2 October 2011}}</ref> Archaeological evidence, such as a [[cuneiform]] inscription,<ref>Brady Kiesling, {{cite web|url=http://yerevan.usembassy.gov/armenia.pdf |title=''Rediscovering Armenia'' |year=2000 |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926164336/http://yerevan.usembassy.gov/armenia.pdf |archive-date=26 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> indicates that the [[Urartian]] military fortress of Erebuni was founded in 782 BC by the orders of King [[Argishti I of Urartu|Argishti I]] at the site of modern-day Yerevan, to serve as a fort and citadel guarding against attacks from the north [[Caucasus]].<ref name="SAE"/> The cuneiform inscription found at Erebuni Fortress reads:
{{blockquote|By the greatness of the God [[Khaldi (god)|Khaldi]], Argishti, son of [[Menuas of Urartu|Menua]], built this mighty stronghold and proclaimed it Erebuni for the glory of Biainili [Urartu] and to instill fear among the king's enemies. Argishti says, "The land was a desert, before the great works I accomplished upon it. By the greatness of Khaldi, Argishti, son of Menua, is a mighty king, king of Biainili, and ruler of Tushpa."<nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Van, Turkey|Van]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>.<ref>Israelyan. ''Erebuni'', p. 9.</ref>}}

During the height of the Urartian power, [[irrigation]] canals and artificial reservoirs were built in Erebuni and its surrounding territories.
[[File:Karmir Blur Town.JPG|thumb|Foundations of [[Teishebaini]] building commenced in mid-7th century BC]]
In the mid-7th century BC, the city of [[Teishebaini]] was built by [[Rusa II]] of Urartu, around {{convert|7|km|abbr=off}} west of Erebuni Fortress.<ref>Ian Lindsay and Adam T. Smith, ''A History of Archaeology in the Republic of Armenia'', Journal of Field Archaeology, Vol. 31, No. 2, Summer, 2006:173.</ref> It was fortified on a hill -currently known as Karmir Blur within [[Shengavit District]] of Yerevan- to protect the eastern borders of Urartu from the barbaric [[Cimmerians]] and [[Scythians]]. During excavations, the remains of a governors palace that contained a hundred and twenty rooms spreading across more than {{convert|40000|m2|acre|abbr=on|0}} was found, along with a [[citadel]] dedicated to the Urartian god [[Theispas|Teisheba]]. The construction of the city of Teishebaini, as well as the palace and the citadel was completed by the end of the 7th century BC, during the reign of [[Rusa III]]. However, Teishebaini was destroyed by an alliance of [[Medes]] and the [[Scythians]] in 585 BC.

===Median and Achaemenid rules===
{{See also|Satrapy of Armenia}}
[[File:AchaemenidGoblet01.jpg|thumb|upright|Achaemenid [[rhyton]] from Erebuni]]
In 590 BC, following the fall of the Kingdom of Urartu at the hands of the Iranian [[Medes]], Erebuni along with the Armenian Highlands became part of the Median Empire.

However, in 550 BC, the [[Medes|Median Empire]] was conquered by [[Cyrus the Great]], and Erebuni became part of the [[Achaemenid Empire]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dubov |first=Kalman |url=https://www.google.am/books/edition/Journey_to_the_Republic_of_Armenia/4TNREAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Erebuni+became+part+of+the+Median+Empire&pg=PT25&printsec=frontcover |title=Journey to the Republic of Armenia |date=2021-11-26 |publisher=Kalman Dubov |language=en}}</ref> Between 522 BC and 331 BC, Erebuni was one of the main centers of the [[Satrapy of Armenia]], a region controlled by the [[Orontid dynasty]] as one of the [[satrapy|satrapies]] of the Achaemenid Empire. The Satrapy of Armenia was divided into two parts: the northern part and the southern part, with the cities of Erebuni (Yerevan) and Tushpa (Van) as their centres, respectively.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jacobs |first=Bruno |url=https://www.google.am/books/edition/A_Companion_to_the_Achaemenid_Persian_Em/uZA7EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Erebuni+was+the+center+of+the+Iranian+satrapy+of+Armina&pg=PA304&printsec=frontcover |title=A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, 2 Volume Set |last2=Rollinger |first2=Robert |date=2021-08-31 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-17428-8 |pages=304 |language=en}}</ref>

Coins issued in 478 BC, along with many other items found in the [[Erebuni Fortress]], reveal the importance of Erebuni as a major centre for trade under Achaemenid rule.

===Ancient Kingdom of Armenia===
{{see also|Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)}}
{{unreferenced section|date=February 2023}}
After [[Alexander the Great]]'s victory over the Achaemenid Empire, the Orontid rulers of the Armenian satrapy achieved independence as a result of the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC, founding the [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Armenia]]. With the establishment of new cities such as [[Armavir (ancient city)|Armavir]], Zarehavan, [[Bagaran (ancient city)|Bagaran]] and [[Yervandashat (ancient city)|Yervandashat]], the importance of Erebuni gradually declined.

With the rise of the [[Artaxiad dynasty]] of Armenia who seized power in 189 BC, the Kingdom of Armenia greatly expanded to include major territories of [[Asia Minor]], [[Atropatene]], [[Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)|Iberia]], [[Phoenicia]] and [[Syria (region)|Syria]]. The Artaxiads considered Erebuni and Tushpa as cities of Persian heritage. Consequently, new cities and commercial centres were built by Kings [[Artaxias I]], [[Artavasdes I of Armenia|Artavasdes I]] and [[Tigranes the Great]]. Thus, with the dominance of cities such as [[Artaxata]] and [[Tigranocerta]], Erebuni significantly lost its importance as a central city.
[[File:Sb Astvatsatsin Chapel, Avan, Yerevan1.JPG|thumb|The ruins of the 4th-century Holy Mother of God Chapel in Avan, north of Yerevan]]

Under the rule of the [[Arsacid dynasty of Armenia]] (54–428 AD), many other cities around Erebuni including [[Vagharshapat]] and [[Dvin (ancient city)|Dvin]] flourished. Consequently, Erebuni was completely neutralized, losing its role as an economic and strategic centre of Armenia. During the period of the Arsacid kings, Erebuni was only recorded in a [[Manichaeism|Manichaean]] text of the 3rd century, where it is mentioned that one of the disciples of the prophet [[Mani (prophet)|Mani]] founded a [[Manichaeism|Manichaean]] community near the Christian community in Erebuni.

According to the medieval Armenian geography ''[[Ashkharhatsuyts]]'', Erebuni was part of the canton ({{Transliteration|xcl|gawaṙ}}) of Kotayk (not to be confused with the current Kotayk Province) of the province of [[Ayrarat]], within Armenia Major.

Armenia became a Christian nation in the early 4th century AD, during the reign of the Arsacid king [[Tiridates III of Armenia|Tiridates III]].

===Sasanian and Roman periods===
{{see also|Persian Armenia|Marzpanate Armenia}}
[[File:Avan 1.JPG|thumb|[[Katoghike Tsiranavor Church of Avan]], 6th century]]
Following the partition of Armenia by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] and [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian]] empires in 387 and in 428, Erebuni and the entire territory of Eastern Armenia came under the rule of Sasanian Persia.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hacikyan|first=Agop Jack|title=The Heritage of Armenian Literature: From the Oral Tradition to the Golden Age|volume=1|year=2000|publisher=Wayne State University Press|location=Detroit|isbn=978-0-8143-2815-6|author-link=Agop Jack Hacikyan|author2=Basmajian, Gabriel|author3=Franchuk, Edward S.|author4=Ouzounian, Nourhan|page=[https://archive.org/details/heritageofarmeni00ajha/page/168 168]|url=https://archive.org/details/heritageofarmeni00ajha/page/168}}</ref> The Armenian territories formed the province of [[Persian Armenia]] within the [[Sasanian Empire]].

Due to the diminished role of Erebuni, as well as the absence of proper historical data, much of the city's history under the Sasanian rule is unknown.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

In 587, during the reign of [[Maurice (emperor)|emperor Maurice]], Yerevan and much of Armenia came under Roman administration after the Romans defeated the [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanid Persian Empire]] at the [[battle of the Blarathon]].{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} Soon after, [[Katoghike Tsiranavor Church of Avan|Katoghike Tsiranavor Church]] in [[Avan district|Avan]] was built between 595 and 602. Despite being partly damaged during the [[1679 Armenia earthquake|1679 earthquake]]), it is the oldest surviving church within modern Yerevan city limits.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

The province of Persian Armenia (also known as Persarmenia) lasted until 646, when the province was dissolved with the [[Muslim conquest of Persia]].

===Arab Islamic invasion===
{{see also|Arminiya}}
{{unreferenced section|date=February 2023}}
[[File:Katokhike before.png|thumb|The 7th-century church of the Holy Mother of God, demolished in 1936]]
In 658 AD, at the height of the Arab Islamic invasions, Erebuni-Yerevan was conquered during the [[Muslim conquest of Persia]], as it was part of Persian-ruled Armenia. The city became part of the [[Arminiya|Emirate of Armenia]] under the [[Umayyad Caliphate]]. The city of Dvin was the centre of the newly created emirate. Starting from this period, as a result of the developing trade activities with the Arabs, the Armenian territories had gained strategic importance as a crossroads for the Arab [[Camel train|caravan]] routes passing between Europe and India through the Arab-controlled Ararat Plain of Armenia. Most probably, "Erebuni" has become known as "Yerevan" since at least the 7th century AD.

===Bagratid Armenia===
{{see also|Bagratid Armenia}}
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2023}}
After two centuries of Islamic rule over Armenia, the [[Bagratuni dynasty|Bagratid]] prince [[Ashot I of Armenia]] led the revolution against the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. Ashot I liberated Yerevan in 850, and was recognized as the Prince of Princes of Armenia by the Abbasid Caliph [[al-Musta'in]] in 862. Ashot was later crowned King of [[Bagratid Armenia|Armenia]] through the consent of Caliph [[al-Mu'tamid]] in 885. During the rule of the Bagratuni dynasty of Armenia between 885 and 1045, Yerevan was relatively a secure part of the Kingdom before falling to the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]].

However, Yerevan did not have any strategic role during the reign of the Bagratids, who developed many other cities of [[Ayrarat]], such as [[Shirakavan (ancient city)|Shirakavan]], [[Dvin (ancient city)|Dvin]], and [[Ani]].

===Seljuk period, Zakarid Armenia and Mongol rule===
{{see also|Zakarid Armenia|Mongol Armenia}}
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2023}}
[[File:Avan, Hovhannes-chapel1.jpg|thumb|The remains of Surp Hovhannes Chapel, dating back to the 12–13th centuries]]
After a brief Byzantine rule over Armenia between 1045 and 1064, the invading [[Seljuk Empire|Seljuks]]—led by [[Tughril]] and later by his successor [[Alp Arslan]]—ruled over the entire region, including Yerevan. However, with the establishment of the [[Zakarid Armenia|Zakarid Principality of Armenia]] in 1201 under the [[Kingdom of Georgia|Georgian]] protectorate, the Armenian territories of Yerevan and Lori had significantly grown. After the Mongols captured [[Ani]] in 1236, Armenia turned into a [[Mongol Armenia|Mongol protectorate]] as part of the [[Ilkhanate]], and the Zakarids became vassals to the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]]. After the fall of the Ilkhanate in the mid-14th century, the Zakarid princes ruled over Lori, Shirak and the Ararat Plain until 1360 when they fell to the invading Turkic tribes.

===Aq Qoyunlu and Kara Koyunlu tribes===
{{See also|Kara Koyunlu}}
[[File:Argavand Tower Back.JPG|thumb|upright|The [[Mausoleum of Kara Koyunlu emirs]] in [[Argavand, Ararat|Argavand]], near Yerevan]]
During the last quarter of the 14th century, the [[Aq Qoyunlu]] Sunni [[Oghuz Turks|Oghuz Turkic]] tribe took over Armenia, including Yerevan. In 1400, [[Timur]] invaded Armenia and Georgia, and captured more than 60,000 of the survived local people as slaves. Many districts including Yerevan were depopulated.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rbedrosian.com/atmi4.htm |title=The Turco-Mongol Invasions |publisher=Rbedrosian.com |access-date=2012-05-22 |archive-date=22 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722083934/http://rbedrosian.com/atmi4.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1410, Armenia fell under the control of the [[Kara Koyunlu]] Shia Oghuz Turkic tribe. According to the Armenian historian [[Thomas of Metsoph]], although the Kara Koyunlu levied heavy taxes against the Armenians, the early years of their rule were relatively peaceful and some reconstruction of towns took place.<ref>Kouymjian, Dickran (1997), "Armenia from the Fall of the Cilician Kingdom (1375) to the Forced Migration under Shah Abbas (1604)" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume II: Foreign Dominion to Statehood: The Fifteenth Century to the Twentieth Century'', ed. [[Richard G. Hovannisian]], New York: St. Martin's Press, p. 4. {{ISBN|1-4039-6422-X}}.</ref> The Kara Koyunlus made Yerevan the centre of the newly formed ''Chukhur Saad'' administrative territory. The territory was named after a Turkic leader known as ''Emir Saad''.

However, this peaceful period was shattered with the rise of [[Qara Iskander]] between 1420 and 1436, who reportedly made Armenia a "desert" and subjected it to "devastation and plunder, to slaughter, and captivity".<ref>Kouymjian. "Armenia", p. 4.</ref> The wars of Iskander and his eventual defeat against the [[Timurid Empire|Timurids]], invited further destruction in Armenia, as many more Armenians were taken captive and sold into slavery and the land was subjected to outright pillaging, forcing many of them to leave the region.<ref name="Kouymjian. Armenia, p. 5">Kouymjian. "Armenia", p. 5.</ref>

Following the fall of the [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia]] in 1375, the seat of the Armenian Church was transferred from [[Sis (ancient city)|Sis]] back to [[Vagharshapat]] near Yerevan in 1441. Thus, Yerevan became the main economic, cultural and administrative centre in Armenia.

===Iranian rule===
{{See also|Iranian Armenia (1502–1828)|Erivan Khanate}}
[[File:Chardin Yerevan 1811.jpg|thumb|An illustration of Yerevan by French traveler [[Jean Chardin]] in 1673 while he was travelling through the [[Safavid Empire]]]]

In 1501–02, most of the [[Eastern Armenia]]n territories including Yerevan were swiftly conquered by the emerging [[Safavid dynasty]] of Iran led by Shah [[Ismail I]].<ref>Steven R. Ward. [https://books.google.com/books?id=MOuVAgAAQBAJ&dq=shah+ismail+conquers+armenia+in&pg=PA43 ''Immortal, Updated Edition: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005033710/https://books.google.nl/books?id=MOuVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA43&dq=shah+ismail+conquers+armenia+in&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=qktRVeLjO4i07gbns4CwCg&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=shah%20ismail%20conquers%20armenia%20in&f=false |date=5 October 2017 }} pp 43. Georgetown University Press, 8 January 2014 {{ISBN|1626160325}}</ref> Soon after in 1502, Yerevan became the centre of the [[Erivan Province (Safavid Empire)|Erivan Province]], a new administrative territory of Iran formed by the Safavids. For the following 3 centuries, it remained, with brief intermissions, under the Iranian rule. Due to its strategic significance, Yerevan was initially often fought over, and passed back and forth, between the dominion of the rivaling [[Safavid Empire|Iranian]] and [[Ottoman Empire]], until it permanently became controlled by the [[Safavid dynasty|Safavids]]. In 1555, Iran had secured its legitimate possession over Yerevan with the Ottomans through the [[Peace of Amasya|Treaty of Amasya]].<ref>''A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East'', Vol. II, ed. Spencer C. Tucker, (ABC-CLIO, 2010). 516.</ref>

In 1582–1583, the Ottomans led by [[Serdar Ferhad Pasha]] took brief control over Yerevan. Ferhad Pasha managed to build the [[Erivan Fortress]] on the ruins of one thousand-years old ancient Armenian fortress, on the shores of Hrazdan river.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.religions.am/files/788/library/historic/H006.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073943/http://www.religions.am/files/788/library/historic/H006.pdf|title=History of Eastern Armenia|archive-date=4 March 2016|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref> However, Ottoman control ended in 1604 when the Persians regained Yerevan as a result of [[Ottoman–Safavid War (1603–18)|first Ottoman-Safavid War]].{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Shah [[Abbas I of Persia]] who ruled between 1588 and 1629, ordered the [[Great Surgun|deportation of hundreds of thousands of Armenians]] including citizens from Yerevan to mainland [[Persia]]. As a consequence, Yerevan significantly lost its Armenian population who had declined to 20%, while Muslims including Persians, Turks, Kurds and Tatars gained dominance with around 80% of the city's population. Muslims were either sedentary, semi-sedentary, or nomadic. Armenians mainly occupied the Kond neighbourhood of Yerevan and the rural suburbs around the city. However, the Armenians dominated over various professions and trade in the area and were of great economic significance to the Persian administration.<ref name="v8f5">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071009205010/http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v8f5/v8f561.html Encyclopaedia Iranica]}} (George A. Bournoutian and Robert H. Hewsen, Erevan)</ref>
[[File:Kond 1.JPG|thumb|left|[[Kond]], a historic neighbourhood of Yerevan, formed during the 17th century]]
[[File:Erivan1796.jpg|thumb|Yerevan in 1796 in the [[Qajar dynasty|Qajar era]], by G. Sergeevich. An Armenian church can be seen on the left and a Persian mosque on the right.]]
During the [[Ottoman–Safavid War (1623–39)|second Ottoman-Safavid War]], Ottoman troops under the command of Sultan [[Murad IV]] conquered the city on 8 August 1635. Returning in triumph to [[Constantinople]], he opened the "Yerevan Kiosk" (''Revan Köşkü'') in [[Topkapı Palace]] in 1636. However, Iranian troops commanded by [[Safi of Persia|Shah Safi]] retook Yerevan on 1 April 1636. As a result of the [[Treaty of Zuhab]] in 1639, the Iranians reconfirmed their control over Eastern Armenia, including Yerevan. On 7 June 1679, [[1679 Armenia earthquake|a devastating earthquake]] razed the city to the ground.

In 1724, the Erivan Fortress was besieged by the Ottoman army.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} After a period of resistance, the fortress fell to the Turks. As a result of the Ottoman invasion, the Erivan Province of the [[Safavid dynasty|Safavids]] was dissolved.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Following a brief period of Ottoman rule over Eastern Armenia between 1724 and 1736, and as a result of the fall of the Safavid dynasty in 1736, Yerevan along with the adjacent territories became part of the newly formed administrative territory of [[Erivan Khanate]] under the [[Afsharid dynasty]] of Iran, which encompassed an area of {{convert|15,000|km²|abbr=off}}. The [[Afsharid dynasty|Afsharids]] controlled Eastern Armenia from the mid-1730s until the 1790s. Following the fall of the Afsharids, the [[Qajar dynasty]] of Iran took control of Eastern Armenia until 1828, when the region was [[Russo-Persian War (1826-1828)|conquered]] by the Russian Empire after their victory over the Qajars that resulted in the [[Treaty of Turkmenchay]] of 1828.<ref>Timothy C. Dowling [https://books.google.com/books?id=KTq2BQAAQBAJ&dq=russo+persian+war+1804-1813&pg=PA728 ''Russia at War: From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626144341/https://books.google.nl/books?id=KTq2BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA728&dq=russo+persian+war+1804-1813&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=QnOXVJXpCcz7UPevhPAK&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=russo%20persian%20war%201804-1813&f=false |date=26 June 2015 }} pp 728–729 ABC-CLIO, 2 December 2014 {{ISBN|1598849484}}</ref>

===Russian rule===
{{See also|Armenian Oblast|Erivan Governorate}}
[[File:Capture of Erivan Fortress by Russia, 1827 (by Franz Roubaud).jpg|thumb|left|[[Franz Roubaud]]'s 1893 painting of the [[Erivan Fortress]] [[Capture of Erivan|siege of 1827]] by the Russian forces under leadership of [[Ivan Paskevich]] during the [[Russo-Persian War (1826–28)]]]]
[[File:Ձորագյուղ, Երևան.jpg|thumb|Dzoragyugh neighbourhood of old Yerevan in the 19th century]]
During the second [[Russo-Persian Wars|Russo-Persian War]] of the 19th century, the [[Russo-Persian War (1826–28)|Russo-Persian War of 1826–28]], Yerevan [[Capture of Erivan|was captured]] by Russian troops under general [[Ivan Paskevich]] on 1 October 1827.<ref name="SAE"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Ferro|first=Mark|title=The Use and Abuse of History: How the Past Is Taught to Children|publisher=Routledge|year=2003|location=London|page=233|isbn=0-415-28592-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kirakossian|first=Arman J.|title=British Diplomacy and the Armenian Question: From the 1830s to 1914|publisher=[[Gomidas Institute]]|year=2003|location=New York|page=142|isbn=1-884630-07-3}}</ref> It was formally ceded by the Iranians in 1828, following the [[Treaty of Turkmenchay]].<ref>Timothy C. Dowling [https://books.google.com/books?id=KTq2BQAAQBAJ&dq=russo+persian+war+1804-1813&pg=PA728 ''Russia at War: From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626144341/https://books.google.nl/books?id=KTq2BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA728&dq=russo+persian+war+1804-1813&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=QnOXVJXpCcz7UPevhPAK&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=russo%20persian%20war%201804-1813&f=false |date=26 June 2015 }} p 729 ABC-CLIO, 2 December 2014 {{ISBN|1598849484}}</ref> After 3 centuries of Iranian occupation, Yereven along with the rest of [[Eastern Armenia]] designated as the "[[Armenian Oblast]]", became part of the [[Russian Empire]], a [[Russian Armenia|period]] that would last until the collapse of the Empire in 1917.

Although not mentioned specifically by name, article XV of the Turkmenchay treaty was intended solely for the repatriation of those Armenians whose ancestors had been forcibly relocated to Iran in the early 17th century during the Safavid period. The Russians sponsored the resettlement process of the Armenian population from Persia and Turkey and spread announcements in Armenian villages.{{sfn|Bournoutian|1980|p=20}} Due to the resettlement, the percentage of the Armenian population of Yerevan increased from 28% to 53.8%. The resettlement was intended to create [[Russia]]n power bridgehead in the Middle East.<ref>The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: A Legal Analysis. Heiko Krger, Heiko Krüger. Springer, 2010. {{ISBN|3-642-11787-2}}, {{ISBN|978-3-642-11787-9}}.</ref> In 1829, Armenian repatriates from Persia were resettled in the city and a new quarter was built.

Yerevan served as the seat of the newly formed [[Armenian Oblast]] between 1828 and 1840. By the time of [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]]'s visit in 1837, Yerevan had become an ''[[Erivan Uyezd|uezd]]'' ("county"). In 1840, the Armenian Oblast was dissolved and its territory incorporated into a new larger province; the [[Georgia-Imeretia Governorate]]. In 1850 the territory of the former oblast was reorganized into the [[Erivan Governorate]], covering an area of {{convert|28,000|km²|abbr=off}}. Yerevan was the centre of the newly established governorate.
[[File:Surb grigor lusavorich.png|thumb|left|[[Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church, Yerevan|Saint Gregory Church]], opened in 1900 (later destroyed in 1939)]]
[[File:Erivan Main Square 1916.jpg|thumb|The [[Republic Square, Yerevan|Main Square]] of Yerevan, 1916]]
At that period, Yerevan was a small town with narrow roads and alleys, including the central quarter of ''Shahar'', the ''Ghantar'' commercial centre, and the residential neighbourhoods of Kond, Dzoragyugh, Nork and Shentagh. During the 1840s and the 1850s, many schools were opened in the city. However, the first major plan of Yerevan was adopted in 1856, during which, Saint Hripsime and Saint Gayane women's colleges were founded and the [[English Park, Yerevan|English Park]] was opened. In 1863, the [[Abovyan Street|Astafyan Street]] was redeveloped and opened. In 1874, Zacharia Gevorkian opened Yerevan's first printing house, while the first theatre opened its doors in 1879.

On 1 October 1879, Yerevan was granted the status of a city through a decree issued by [[Alexander II of Russia]]. In 1881, The Yerevan Teachers' Seminary and the Yerevan Brewery were opened, followed by the Tairyan's wine and brandy factory in 1887. Other factories for alcoholic beverages and mineral water were opened during the 1890s. The monumental church of [[Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church, Yerevan|Saint Gregory the Illuminator]] was opened in 1900. Electricity and telephone lines were introduced to the city in 1907 and 1913 respectively. When British traveller [[H. F. B. Lynch]] visited Yerevan in 1893–1894, he considered it an [[Orient]]al city.<ref name="Bournoutian2018Yerevan">{{cite book |last1=Bournoutian |first1=George |author1-link=George Bournoutian |title=Armenia and Imperial Decline: The Yerevan Province, 1900-1914 |date=2018 |publisher=Routledge |page=15}}</ref> However, this started to change in the first decade of the 20th century, in the penultimate decade of Imperial Russian rule, when the city grew and altered dramatically.<ref name="Bournoutian2018Yerevan"/> In general, Yerevan rapidly grew under Russian rule, both economically and politically. Old buildings were torn down and new buildings of European style were erected.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Yerevan city's population was over 29,000.<ref>{{in lang|ru}} [http://gatchina3000.ru/big/119/119478_brockhaus-efron.htm ''Erivan''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915195008/http://gatchina3000.ru/big/119/119478_brockhaus-efron.htm |date=15 September 2018 }} in the [[Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary]], St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890–1907.</ref> In 1902, a railway line linked Yerevan with [[Alexandropol]], [[Tiflis]] and [[Julfa, Azerbaijan (town)|Julfa]]. In the same year, Yerevan's first public library was opened. In 1905, the grandnephew of [[Napoleon I]]; prince Louis Joseph Jérôme Napoléon (1864–1932) was appointed as governor of Yerevan province.<ref>{{cite book|last = Walker|first = Christopher|title = Armenia: A Survival of a Nation, Chapter 3|publisher = Librairie Au Service de la Culture|year = 1980|page = [https://archive.org/details/armeniasurvivalo0000walk_c0v5/page/75 75]|isbn = 978-0-312-04944-7|url = https://archive.org/details/armeniasurvivalo0000walk_c0v5/page/75|df = dmy-all}}</ref> In 1913, for the first time in the city, a telephone line with eighty subscribers became operational.

Yerevan served as the centre of the governorate until 1917, when Erivan governorate was dissolved with the collapse of the Russian Empire.

===Brief independence===
{{Main|First Republic of Armenia}}
[[File:Government-House-of-Republic-of-Armenia-1918-1920.jpg|thumb|left|Government house of [[First Republic of Armenia|Armenia]] from where [[Aram Manukian]] declared independence in May 1918]]
[[File:May 28 1919 celebration Yerevan.jpg|thumb|Celebration of the first anniversary of the [[First Republic of Armenia]] in 1919]]
At the beginning of the 20th century, Yerevan was a small city with a population of 30,000.<ref name="Univ">{{in lang|fr}} Encyclopædia Universalis France S.A., " Erevan ", 1995.</ref> In 1917, the Russian Empire ended with the [[October Revolution]]. In the aftermath, Armenian, Georgian and Muslim leaders of [[South Caucasus|Transcaucasia]] united to form the [[Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic|Transcaucasian Federation]] and proclaimed [[Transcaucasia]]'s [[secession]].

The Federation, however, was short-lived. After gaining control over [[Gyumri|Alexandropol]], the Turkish army was advancing towards the south and east to eliminate the center of Armenian resistance based in Yerevan. On 21 May 1918, the Turks started their campaign moving towards Yerevan via Sardarabad. [[Catholicos of All Armenians|Catholicos]] [[George V of Armenia|Gevorg V]] ordered that church bells peal for 6 days as Armenians from all walks of life – peasants, poets, blacksmiths, and even the clergymen – rallied to form organized military units.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bobelian|first=Michael|title=Children of Armenia: A Forgotten Genocide and the Century-long Struggle for Justice|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location= New York|year=2009|page=34|isbn =978-1-4165-5725-8}}</ref> Civilians, including children, aided in the effort as well, as "Carts drawn by oxen, water buffalo, and cows jammed the roads bringing food, provisions, ammunition, and volunteers from the vicinity" of Yerevan.<ref>Hovannisian. ''Armenia on the Road to Independence'', p. 193.</ref>
[[File:Plan of Yerevan 1920.jpg|thumb|Map of Yerevan in 1920, made before the Soviet reconstruction of the city by [[Alexander Tamanyan]] in 1924. Taken looking west, with the [[Hrazdan River]] at the top rather than the left side.]]
By the end of May 1918, Armenians were able to defeat the Turkish army in the battles of [[Battle of Sardarabad|Sardarabad]], [[Battle of Abaran|Abaran]] and [[Battle of Karakilisa|Karakilisa]]. Thus, on 28 May 1918, the [[Armenian Revolutionary Federation|Dashnak]] leader [[Aram Manukian]] declared the independence of Armenia. Subsequently, Yerevan became the capital and the center of the newly founded [[First Republic of Armenia|Republic of Armenia]], although the members of the [[Armenian Congress of Eastern Armenians|Armenian National Council]] were yet to stay in [[Tbilisi|Tiflis]] until their arrival in Yerevan to form the government in the summer of the same year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ФАКТЫ: Передача Иревана от Азербайджана Армении - 16 "за", 1 "против"|url=https://novosti.az/azerbaijan/3635.html|access-date=18 September 2020|archive-date=2 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102043115/http://novosti.az/azerbaijan/3635.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Armenia became a [[parliamentary republic]] with four administrative divisions. The capital Yerevan was part of the ''Araratian Province''. At the time, Yerevan received more than 75,000 refugees from [[Western Armenia]], who escaped the massacres perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks during the [[Armenian genocide]].

On 26 May 1919, the government passed a law to open the [[Yerevan State University]], which was located on the main [[Abovyan Street|Astafyan (now Abovyan) street]] of Yerevan.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

After the signing of the [[Treaty of Sèvres]] in 1920, Armenia was granted formal international recognition. The [[United States]], as well as many South American countries, officially opened diplomatic channels with the government of independent Armenia. Yerevan had also opened representatives in [[Great Britain]], [[Italy]], [[Germany]], [[Serbia]], [[Greece]], [[Iran]] and [[Japan]].{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

However, after the short period of independence, Yerevan fell to the [[Bolshevik]]s, and Armenia was incorporated into [[Soviet Russia]] on 2 December 1920. Although nationalist forces managed to retake the city in February 1921 and successfully released all the imprisoned political and military figures, the city's nationalist elite were once again defeated by the [[Soviet forces]] on 2 April 1921.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

===Soviet rule===
{{See also|Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic}}
[[File:Mayr Hayrenik.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mother Armenia]] erected in 1967, replacing the monumental statue of [[Joseph Stalin]]]]
[[File:David of Sasun Yerevan.jpg|thumb|''[[David of Sassoun (statue)|David of Sassoun]]'' and the [[Yerevan railway station]].]]

The [[Red Army|Red Soviet Army]] invaded Armenia on 29 November 1920 from the northeast. On 2 December 1920, Yerevan along with the other territories of the [[First Republic of Armenia|Republic of Armenia]], became part of [[Soviet Russia]], known as the [[Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. However, the Armenian SSR formed the Transcaucasian SFSR (TSFSR) together with the [[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic]] and the [[Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic]], between 1922 and 1936.

Under the Soviet rule, Yerevan became the first among the cities in the Soviet Union for which a general plan was developed. The "General Plan of Yerevan" developed by the academician [[Alexander Tamanian]], was approved in 1924. It was initially designed for a population of 150,000.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} The city was quickly transformed into a modern industrial metropolis of over one million people.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} New educational, scientific and cultural institutions were founded as well.

Tamanian incorporated national traditions with contemporary urban construction. His design presented a radial-circular arrangement that overlaid the existing city and incorporated much of its existing street plan. As a result, many historic buildings were demolished, including churches, mosques, the [[Erivan Fortress]], baths, bazaars and [[caravanserai]]s. Many of the districts around central Yerevan were named after former Armenian communities that were destroyed by the [[Ottoman Turks]] during the [[Armenian genocide]]. The districts of Arabkir, Malatia-Sebastia and Nork Marash, for example, were named after the towns [[Arapgir|Arabkir]], [[Malatya]], [[Sivas, Turkey|Sebastia]], and [[Kahramanmaraş|Marash]], respectively. After the end of [[World War II]], [[Germans|German]] [[POW]]s were used to help in the construction of new buildings and structures, such as the Kievyan Bridge.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Within the years, the central [[Kentron district]] has become the most developed area in Yerevan, something that created a significant gap compared with other districts in the city. Most of the educational, cultural and scientific institutions were centred in the Kentron district.

In 1965, during the commemorations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Yerevan was the location of a [[1965 Yerevan demonstrations|demonstration]], the first such demonstration in the Soviet Union, to demand recognition of the Genocide by the Soviet authorities.<ref>{{cite book|last=Suny|first=Ronald Grigor|author-link=Ronald Grigor Suny|title=The Revenge of the Past: Nationalism, Revolution, and the Collapse of the Soviet Union|url=https://archive.org/details/revengepastnatio00suny|url-access=limited|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=1993|location=Stanford|page=[https://archive.org/details/revengepastnatio00suny/page/n144 122]|isbn=0-8047-2247-1}}</ref> In 1968, the city's 2,750th anniversary was commemorated.

Yerevan played a key role in the Armenian national democratic movement that emerged during the [[Mikhail Gorbachev|Gorbachev]] era of the 1980s. The reforms of [[Glasnost]] and [[Perestroika]] opened questions on issues such as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the environment, [[Russification]], corruption, democracy, and eventually independence. At the beginning of 1988, nearly one million Armenians from several regions of Armenia engaged in demonstrations concerning these subjects, centered in the city's Theater Square (currently [[Freedom Square, Yerevan|Freedom Square]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Malkasian|first=Mark|title=Gha-ra-bagh!: The Emergence of the National Democratic Movement in Armenia|publisher=Wayne State University Press|year=1996|page=41|isbn=0-8143-2605-6}}</ref>

===Modern independence===
[[File:Yerevan at night.jpg|thumb|left|Nighttime view of Yerevan in September 2013]]
Following the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]], Yerevan became the capital of Armenia on 21 September 1991.<ref name="BJFAO">{{cite web|url=http://www.bjfao.gov.cn/yhjw/famous/asia/11311.htm|script-title=zh:埃里温|access-date=2017-07-08|date=2010-12-20|publisher=北京市人民政府外事办公室|language=zh|archive-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704214212/http://www.bjfao.gov.cn/yhjw/famous/asia/11311.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Maintaining supplies of gas and electricity proved difficult; constant electricity was not restored until 1996 amidst the chaos of the badly instigated and planned transition to a [[market economy|market-based economy]].
[[File:Elite Plaza Business Center at Night.jpg|thumb|The redeveloped Yerevan downtown is the commercial and business centre of the city.]]
Since 2000, central Yerevan has been transformed into a vast construction site, with cranes erected all over the Kentron district. Officially, the scores of multi-storied buildings are part of large-scale urban planning projects. Roughly $1.8&nbsp;billion was spent on such construction in 2006, according to the national statistical service.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} Prices for downtown apartments have increased by about ten times during the first decade of the 21st century.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} Many new streets and avenues were opened, such as the Argishti street, Italy street, Saralanj Avenue, Monte Melkonian Avenue, and the [[Northern Avenue (Yerevan)|Northern Avenue]].

However, as a result of this construction boom, the majority of the historic buildings located on the central [[Aram Street]], were either entirely destroyed or transformed into modern residential buildings through the construction of additional floors. Only a few structures were preserved, mainly in the portion that extends between [[Abovyan Street]] and [[Mashtots Avenue]].
[[File:Yerevan buildings and Ararat.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Panoramic view from the [[Kentron district]]]]
The first major post-independence protest in Yerevan took place in September 1996, after the announcement of incumbent [[Levon Ter-Petrosyan]]'s victory in the [[Armenian presidential election, 1996|presidential election]]. Major opposition parties of the time, consolidated around the former [[Karabakh Committee]] member and former Prime Minister [[Vazgen Manukyan]], organized mass demonstrations between 23 and 25 September, claiming electoral fraud by Ter-Petrosyan.<ref>{{cite book|last=Astourian |first=Stephan H. |title=From Ter-Petrosian to Kocharian: Leadership Change in Armenia |url=http://iseees.berkeley.edu/bps/publications/2000_04-asto.pdf |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |access-date=29 July 2020 |year=2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620084455/http://iseees.berkeley.edu/bps/publications/2000_04-asto.pdf |archive-date=20 June 2013|page=44}}</ref> An estimated of 200,000 people gathered in the [[Freedom Square, Yerevan|Freedom Square]] to protest the election results.{{sfn|Astourian|2001|p=45}} After a series of riot and violent protests around the Parliament building on 25 September, the government sent tanks and troops to Yerevan to enforce the ban on rallies and demonstrations on the following day.<ref>{{cite book|title=Human rights watch world report 1997: events of 1996|year=1997|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]|location=New York|isbn=9781564322074|page=198}}</ref> Prime Minister [[Vazgen Sargsyan]] and Minister of National Security [[Serzh Sargsyan]] announced on the [[Public Television company of Armenia|Public Television of Armenia]] that their respective agencies have prevented an attempted [[coup d'état]].<ref name="Jeffries">{{cite book|last=Jeffries|first=Ian|title=The Caucasus and Central Asian Republics at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century: A guide to the economies in transition|url=https://archive.org/details/caucasuscentrala00jeff|url-access=limited|year=2003|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=9780203358474|page=[https://archive.org/details/caucasuscentrala00jeff/page/n67 57]}}</ref>
[[File:Garegin Nzhdeh monument, Yerevan, ArmAg (14).jpg|thumb|Statue of Armenian nationalist figure [[Garegin Nzhdeh]] in central Yerevan]]
In February 2008, [[2008 Armenian presidential election protests|unrest in the capital]] between the authorities and opposition demonstrators led by ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosyan took place after the [[Armenian presidential election, 2008|2008 Armenian presidential election]]. The events resulted in 10 deaths<ref name="ArmLibApr14">[http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2008/04/1012E569-AB17-4FAA-AB68-0CF9FA972F62.asp "Death Toll in Armenia's Post-election Melee Rises to Ten"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725011617/http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2008/04/1012E569-AB17-4FAA-AB68-0CF9FA972F62.asp |date=25 July 2008 }}, Armenia Liberty ([RFE/RL]), 14 April 2008</ref> and a subsequent 20-day [[state of emergency]] declared by President [[Robert Kocharyan]].<ref name="BBCMar2">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7272299.stm Armenia declares emergency rule"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201050025/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7272299.stm |date=1 December 2017 }}, [[BBC News]], 1 March 2008.</ref>

In July 2016, a group of armed men calling themselves the ''Daredevils of Sassoun'' ({{Langx|hy|Սասնա Ծռեր}} ''Sasna Tsrrer'') [[2016 Yerevan hostage crisis|stormed a police station in Erebuni District of Yerevan]], taking several hostages, demanding the release of opposition leader [[Jirair Sefilian]] and the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan. 3 policeman were killed as a result of the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27919472.html|title=Մահացել է ՊՊԾ գնդի տարածքի գրավման ժամանակ վիրավորված ոստիկանը|website=«Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան|date=13 August 2016 |access-date=3 January 2021|archive-date=19 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119090605/https://www.azatutyun.am/a/27919472.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Many anti-government protestors held rallies in solidarity with the gunmen.<ref name="ie">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2016/jul/19/police-officials-held-hostage-for-fourth-day-in-armenia-by-pro-opposition-gunmen-882723.html|title=Police officials held hostage for fourth day in Armenia by Pro-opposition gunmen|website=The New Indian Express|date=19 July 2016 |access-date=3 January 2021|archive-date=21 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921100450/https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2016/jul/19/Police-officials-held-hostage-for-fourth-day-in-Armenia-by-Pro-opposition-gunmen-882723.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, after 2 weeks of negotiations, the crisis ended and the gunmen surrendered.