Princely House of Yerevan (Armenia)

                                                            The Principality of Yerevan

Yerevan’s one of the ancient cities in the world. And the naming of the city is interpreted in various interesting ways.One interpretation refers to Noah and his ark. According to it, Noah’s ark landed on Masis and as he came out of it, he saw the place of the city of Yerevan. In this regard, the name Yerevan has been related to the Armenian word “yereval” (երևալ) meaning “to be seen.”

Another interpretation brought forth in 1893 refers to the Urartian settlement called “Eriani,” which was inhabited by “Eri” people. This assumption was later refused, because it turned out the Eri people lived in the region of Shirak.

A third interpretation takes to the 9th-6th centuries BC, when the Kingdom of Urartu was established, which collapsed in the 6th century BC. Excavations held in Arin-Berd (Blood Fortress) give clearer notion of what the city name might imply. An inscription found in the lower parts of Arin Berd in 1879, which has been kept in the Moscow History Museum since 1894, served as a trace for the scientists, which took them to the place from where it might have fallen down. The studies conducted there revealed that once there used to be a fortress. Further studies showed the word Yerevan has Urartian origins. An inscription carved on a basalt stone stated that King of Urartu Argishti I built Erebuni Fortress city in 782-781 BC. Further studies showed that the name Yerevan comes from Erebuni. Studies of Urartu have discovered that Urartian “b” sounds “v” in Armenian. 

There is also a fourth way of interpreting the city name. It states that Yerevan is related to the name of the founder of the city. The city was founded by Argishti I, who is thought to be King Ara I. In this regard, it’s accepted the city was named Aravan after Ara I. Aravan meant the city of Ara. This assumption is no surprise considering the fact that Armenian Kings have always named cities after them. The kings of the Kingdom were given the nicknames Eri or Ere, which implies Ara could simply be called Ere or Eri. It means the city’s name could be written Erevan (Erebuni) and be pronounced as Aravan. In this regard, the hill of Arin Berd on which Erebuni Fortress was built is interpreted as the Fortress of Ara.

People have been living in the territory of Yerevan since the 4th millennium BC. Archaeological excavations claim that in 782 BC Urartian King Argishti I (786-764 BC) built a military fortress “Erebuni Fortress” at the site of the present day Yerevan. The purpose of the fortress was to protect against the attacks from the North Caucasus. This archaeological evidence, which very often is being referred to as the “stone passport” of Yerevan, shows and at the same time proves that Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world.

Interestingly, back then, more precisely within the period when the kingdom was at its height, irrigation canals and artificial reservoir were built on the territory. Nevertheless, the glory didn’t last long, because already in the 6th-5th centuries the Kingdom of Urartu was invaded by Persian King Darius I (522-486 BC). To maintain an easier way of ruling and to effectively organize the empire Darius I divided the entire territory of his empire into 20 satrapies. The center of the 18th satrapy was Erebuni-Yerevan.

The period between the 4th century BC and the 3rd century AD is marked with the lack of historical data of Yerevan. In this regard, the period is more known as Yerevan Dark Ages.

Armenians adopted Christianity as their state religion in the beginning of the fourth century, in 301. The first church in Yerevan, however, was built only in the fifth century. It was called Saint Peter and Paul (Սուրբ Պողոս-Պետրոս Եկեղեցի). In 1679 a disastrous earthquake occurred as a result of which together with many significant buildings and churches, this church as well lay in ruins. The eastern section of the church survived, and based on that section the rest was soon rebuilt.

In some sense, it can be said that the earthquake proved to be incapable of destroying the church, but not the Soviet Government. In 1931, the church was destroyed to build a cinema (Moscow Movie Theater). Some fragments and wall paintings serving as a historical proof of the church are today displayed in the Yerevan History Museum.

In 658 AD Yerevan was captured by Arabs and later Seljuk Turks. Since the 7th century it has served as a crossroad for caravan routes between Europe and India. Notably, the city is known to be called Yerevan starting from the 7th century; back then Yerevan was not the capital of Armenia.

In the 9th-11th centuries Armenia was ruled by Bagratuni/Pirumyan Armenian Royal dynasty. During that period Yerevan was part of the Bagratuni Kingdom. In 1387 Yerevan was taken and pillaged by Tamerlane, Central Asian conqueror who proclaimed himself the Sword of Islam. Yerevan became the administrative center of the Mongol Khanate, known as Ilkhanate. Yerevan bore strategic significance therefore both Persians and Ottomans ceaselessly fought for dominion over the city. During the reign of Shah Abbas I (1587-1619), particularly in 1604, tens of thousands of Armenians were deported to Persia. Among them were the citizens of Yerevan. The deportation caused a radical decrease in the number of Armenian population in Yerevan. As a result, Muslims used to make up the 80 percent of Yerevan population then.

In 1826-1828 the second Russo-Persian war broke out after which the Treaty of Turkmenchay was signed. Yerevan was liberated by Russian forces led by Ukrainian-born military leader Ivan Paskevich. Tsarist Russia supported Armenian resettlement from Persia and Turkey. Due to this sponsorship Armenian population in Yerevan grew with Russians making up 2 percent of the entire Yerevan population, Armenians 48 percent and Azerbaijanis 49 percent. In those years the population of Yerevan made up 29,033.

This period between 1850-1917 was marked with the establishment of a number of institutions, colleges, railways and factories; the first street currently known as Abovyan Street was opened, the first printing House was founded, Yerevan was given a city status, the first brandy company was founded and so on.

In 1917 the Russian Revolution the goal of which was to destroy Tsarist autocracy started. As a result, Yerevan was controlled by the Transcaucasus interim Government. A year later, on May 28 Yerevan became the capital of the first Republic of Armenia.

The 1917 Russian Revolution eventually led to the establishment of the Soviet Union. On November 29, 1920 the 11th Red Army invaded Yerevan. Soviet regime was established and the Soviet Socialist Armenia was built. Yerevan became its capital city.

A lot of significant buildings, among them churches, mosques, baths, were demolished. It should be said that it all led to the creation of a large industrial, scientific and cultural center. Note that Yerevan was completely free from Azerbaijani presence only in 1988-1989.

On September 21, 1991 Armenia became an independent Republic of Armenia with Yerevan being its capital. Lying in the picturesque Ararat Valley and covering a territory of 300 square kilometers modern Yerevan is a developing city with renovation and reconstruction all over the city, especially in the central parts. This year Yerevan will celebrate its 2794th anniversary, once again marking its being one of the ancient cities in world, which is younger than Rome and older than Athens

Nowadays the Princely House of Yerevan has been restored under the aegis of Grand Duke Gevorg_Pirumyan, Marshall of the Armenian Nobility, duly quoted on the Almanach de Gotha, and entrusted to its crown cousin, the Prince Alexander of Yerevan.