ArmInfo.The old city under the Republic Square in Yerevan can become a tourist center. This opinion was expressed at a press conference on January 14 by archaeologist Frina Babayan, who participated in excavations of the city in 2003.
Recall that the underground city was discovered in 2003 during the reconstruction of the square. In the same year, the find was preserved, covered with sand and covered with a layer of asphalt. Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his Facebook page announced that this year work will begin on the opening of this historical and its transformation into a kind of museum object.
Babayan noted that the ancient city is indeed of interest in terms of history and architecture. So, were found related to the XVI-XVII centuries. basement four meters deep, built of red and black tuff. According to her, the very fact of using tuff, as well as the presence of a thick layer of plaster of 4-5 cm are an interesting example of construction equipment. The expert explained that in the marked period of time, the basements were living rooms. This can also explain the presence in the found buildings of windows that had a certain slope, allowing the sun to sink. According to Babayan, the construction of these windows is thus similar to the window openings in Armenian churches. In 1679, a powerful earthquake occurred in Yerevan, which destroyed the buildings to the ground. Thus, only the basements that were discovered in 2003 survived. Babayan said that the historical layer, opened 17 years ago, is located in a straight line from the former Foreign Ministry building to the clock on the tower of the Government building. Thus, in her opinion, the disclosure of this historical layer will not interfere with traffic flows in the Republic Square. Meanwhile, the archaeologist noted that the project of opening this fragment of ancient Yerevan for tourism purposes should be discussed with experts. In particular, it is necessary to understand whether it is possible to allow those who wish to go down directly to the historical buildings, or is it more advisable to close this section with a layer of glass. In any case, in her opinion, the ancient city can be extremely interesting for both tourists and local residents.