Welcome to the heart of humor and joy of Armenia. Gyumri is the second largest city and is known to be a place where people are telling funniest stories and jokes. People of this region will make you laugh hard and make the atmosphere light and cheerful. The city is also considered as the “city of crafts and arts” being famous for its schools, theaters and musicians (so-called gusans). There is a big variety of cultural activities in Gyumri. Here are some must see places in Gyumri that you should attend if you want to imagine the whole picture of the city life.
Vardanants Square
Start exploring the city from its central square called Vardanants Square. It is called after Armeian historic figure, Vardan and his dynasty. In the middle of the square there is a memorial to the Battle of Avarayr where Vardan was the leader of Armenian armies. The equestrian statue of Vardan Mamikonian is erected at the center of the memorial. The other four statues depict other historical figures and one of them is V. Mamikonian’s mother.
Holy Savior’s Church and Seven Wounds Church
Gyumri has a lot of churches and amazing buildings with diverse architectural style. It is one of the few Armenian cities where the spirit of 19th century is still alive. One of the most common things to do in Gyumri is walking around the square and attending the fascinating buildings like Holy Savior’s Church. St Amenaprkich (Holy Savior), built in 19 th century, is located in the southern part of the Vardanants square and is the highest church in Armenia with its 36m height. During the 1988 destroying earthquake, the Church of the Holy Savior was severely damaged and was reinnovated. Another fascinating construction is situated in the northern part of the square. The Seven Wounds of the Holy Mother of God is also a 19th century church. It was named after the oldest icon of the Seven Wounds of Virgin Mary which is located at the top of the main entrance on the western side of the building.
Also, walk towards the churchyard and you will see two domes which fell down after the earthquake in 1988.
Mher Mkrtchyan museum
Mher Mkrtchyan is a symbol of Gyumri, a man who had many struggles in life but always stayed a great man with a kind heart. Mostly known as Frunzik for his audience he is one of Armenians’ favorite actors of all time. He was born in Leninakan (Gyumri) in 1930 and performed both in theatre and in cinema. His museum is located on Rustaveli Street in a 20th century building made of black “tuf”(type of stone). The museum represents the life and career events of the great actor.
National Architecture and Urban Life
Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life is one of the top attractions in Gyumri. The museum is actually a house build by 4 Dzitoghtsyan brothers in 1872. The old mansion is a house for collections related to history, everyday urban life of Gyumri and the local cultural and architectural features of the city. The Museum is situated in the center of Gyumri city. On interesting thing about the house-museum is that the furniture inside the house hasn’t been changed since the times the family lived there. You will see furniture from Italy, Russia and European countries and of course hand-made carpets right from Gyumri workrooms.
The museum is a time machine which transports you to Armenia in 19 th century.
Shiraz House Museum
Gyumri has given birth to numerous talented people including poets, musicians, artists and
actors.
Hovhannes Shiraz is an outstanding poet. His works have been loved in all times and are included in literature school program. His house museum was built in 1883 by a rich Alexandrapol citizen Qeshishyan. It is now one of the top places in Gyumri, popular among tourists and a heart-warming place for poetry lovers.
If you want to manage to attend all of the cultural places and not miss any of the mentioned above you can
rent a car in Gyumri with all your preferred characteristics and enjoy your trip!
