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Livemint: Pink stone architecture, modern sculptures color the canvas of Yerevan

With softly hued 19th century tuff stone edifices lining its leafy boulevards, Armenia’s capital city exudes an old-world elegance, Neeta Lal writes in an article published by Delhi-based Livemint business news website

“The ubiquitous pink igneous rock also gives the city of one million people its moniker of “Pink City”. The pint-sized metropolis of a country hemmed in by Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan, Yerevan punches far above its weight in terms of arty offerings — graffiti-splashed alleys, parks filled with statues and busts, fountains prancing to classical music. Even some of the city’s roads are inlaid with kaleidoscopic murals,” the article reads.

The author reminds that “Yerevan is Rome’s elder sibling.” “It’s not an empty claim. Like the Italian capital, this south Caucasian city’s fervor for art is palpable. It is also one of the world’s oldest surviving capitals, dating back to 782 BC under king Argishti I of the Urartu tribe,” she writes.

Inspired by the great musical traditions of his twin muses—Vienna and Paris— Alexander Tamanian, the city’s chief architect, also constructed his masterpiece, the Opera House”

Not far is Abovyan Street, Yerevan’s oldest avenue. The atmosphere on this street—lined with luxurious homes, spiffy boutiques, coffee shops, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs—is so thick, it can be sliced with a knife.

“A 10-minute walk takes to the Cascades, a culture-cum-entertainment venue rolled into one, where waterfalls and gardens cascade down one of the city’s highest promontories. The garden has sculptures by different artists,” Neeta Lal writes.

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