Gyumri — City of Black Tuff, Old Streets and Living History

Gyumri is a city you don't just see — you feel it. Gyumri is nothing like Yerevan. Here the rhythm is different, the stone is different, the humor is different, the character is different. Historic houses of black and red tuff, old wooden balconies, the wide streets of Alexandropol, nineteenth-century churches and the mighty Black Fortress create the atmosphere of a city with an exceptionally strong memory. Gyumri has survived wars, earthquakes, and changes of empires and names — yet it has kept its own character. That is why this route is built not only around individual landmarks: much of the tour is the city itself.

09:00 — departure from Yerevan. At the agreed time, an Amaras Tour car arrives directly at your address in Yerevan — your hotel, apartment or another pre-arranged place. There is no shared meeting point: the tour is run only for you and your company. From Yerevan we head northwest, toward the Shirak plateau.

As the drive continues, the landscape opens up more and more. Shirak lies much higher than Yerevan: the climate is different here, there is more open space, the wind is stronger, and winters are significantly colder. It is this harsh nature that has largely shaped the region's character and its architecture. The main city of Shirak is Gyumri.

Gyumri is Armenia's second-largest city, but its history is far older than the modern city. Settlements existed in and around Gyumri back in antiquity. However, the urban look we know today began to take shape actively in the 19th century.

Over its history the city has changed its name several times. Its ancient name was Kumayri. In the 19th century the city was renamed Alexandropol, and it was precisely in this period that it developed especially fast. In Soviet years the city was called Leninakan. After Armenia regained independence, its historical name — Gyumri — was restored. Each of these names reflects a separate era in the life of the city.

The 19th century was especially important for Gyumri. After the region became part of the Russian Empire, the city began to grow rapidly. Trade, crafts, the military, construction and urban culture all developed here. It was then that a significant part of the historic center — today known as Old Gyumri — took shape.

The first major stop will be the famous Black Fortress — Sev Berd. Set on a rise, it makes an entirely different impression than Armenia's church complexes: this is a powerful 19th-century military structure.

The fortress is built of local black volcanic tuff, and it is the color of the stone that gave it its name: Sev Berd — the Black Fortress. Its massive round shape and dark stone give it a very stern, monumental look.

The fortress was built between 1834 and 1847. It appeared after the Russian Empire reinforced its southern borders in the region: at the time, Gyumri lay close to the strategically important border with the Ottoman Empire, so the city took on major military significance.

The Black Fortress's main task was to defend the city and the border territory. It stood on a high point from which the surrounding area could be controlled, and its round shape allowed defense to be organized around almost the entire perimeter. Although the fortress never became the site of a major siege, it played an important role in the region's military system.

The Black Fortress's main feature is its nearly circular shape. Thick walls, dark tuff and an enclosed layout are a reminder that the structure was built first and foremost for defense. Beautiful panoramas of Gyumri and its surroundings open up from its grounds. Today the fortress is also used as a cultural space.

After exploring the fortress, we leave time for photographs. From the height, the scale of the city is clearly visible — this is a convenient place to begin getting to know Gyumri: first take it in from above, then descend into the historic center and walk its streets on foot.

The next stop is the heart of the city, Vardanants Square — one of Gyumri's main squares. Buildings from different eras surround it, and two major churches form a recognizable architectural ensemble. The character of 19th-century Alexandropol is especially palpable here.

One of Gyumri's main symbols is the Church of the Holy Savior — Surb Amenaprkich. It was built in the second half of the 19th century, and its architecture was inspired by the famous cathedral of the medieval city of Ani.

Ani was once one of the capitals of medieval Armenia, and its architecture had an enormous influence on Armenian church building. In designing Surb Amenaprkich, the architects looked directly to Ani's cathedral. In this way, Gyumri's church became a kind of architectural bridge between 19th-century Alexandropol and great medieval Ani.

Construction of the church began in 1858 and continued for many years. It became one of the largest and most prominent structures in Alexandropol, and its tall silhouette is visible from different parts of the city.

On December 7, 1988, northern Armenia was struck by the catastrophic Spitak earthquake. Gyumri, then Leninakan, was one of the hardest-hit cities. Surb Amenaprkich suffered severe damage: parts of the structure collapsed, including the dome.

Restoration of the church went on for decades. For Gyumri it carried not only architectural but also symbolic weight: the church's return became a symbol of how the city was gradually recovering after one of the heaviest tragedies in its history. Today Surb Amenaprkich is once again one of Gyumri's main architectural symbols.

On Vardanants Square stands another essential church — Surb Astvatsatsin, better known as Yot Verk, the Seven Wounds. It was built between 1843 and 1856.

The church's official name is Surb Astvatsatsin, the Holy Mother of God. Among the city's residents, however, it has long been known as Yot Verk — Seven Wounds. The name is linked to a venerated image of the Mother of God and the religious tradition of the seven sorrows.

Yot Verk holds a special place in the city's spiritual history. Even in the Soviet period, when the activity of many religious buildings was restricted, this church remained an important center of religious life. Today it is one of Gyumri's most visited churches.

This church, too, was damaged in 1988. Beside it you can see remnants of its former domes, left as a reminder of the earthquake. It is a very powerful detail — one that reveals not a museum's history but the city's living memory.

After the main churches, one of the most interesting parts of the route begins — a walk through Old Gyumri. It is here that the true character of the city is felt best.

A significant part of the old center lies within the historic-architectural area of Kumayri. Buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries have survived here. Many of them combine black and red tuff — a combination that has become one of Gyumri's architectural trademarks.

During the walk we will see merchants' houses, craft quarters, old inns, wooden balconies, stone façades, gates and inner courtyards, and buildings of pre-revolutionary Alexandropol. Many houses stand out for their intricate stone carving — even ordinary residential buildings here can look like architectural monuments.

One of the most atmospheric streets of Old Gyumri is Abovyan Street. Many historic buildings have survived here. Walking through this part of the city lets you better understand what Alexandropol looked like more than a hundred years ago.

Gyumri's architecture is unimaginable without tuff. Local masters knew how to combine different shades of stone: black walls were set off with red decorative elements, and red tuff was used to frame windows, doors and architectural details. Thanks to this, even austere façades look expressive.

A separate part of the city's culture is its old doors. Massive wooden leaves, metal fittings and carving made the entrance to a house an important part of its façade. No less distinctive are the wooden balconies — they create a particular atmosphere that can't be felt from inside a car. That is why Old Gyumri absolutely has to be walked.

Alexandropol was known for its craftsmen. Stonemasons, blacksmiths, jewelers, shoemakers, carpenters, potters and metalworkers all worked in the city. Craft traditions were an important part of urban culture, and even today Gyumri strives to preserve this identity.

Gyumri cannot be described through architecture alone. There is another famous part of the city's culture — Gyumri humor. The city's residents are known for their distinctive way of speaking, their self-irony, quick wit and their ability to find humor even in difficult situations. For Gyumri, humor is not just jokes — it is part of the city's character.

During the walk we also visit another important church of the old city — Surb Nshan. The church was built between 1859 and 1864 and, like many buildings of historic Gyumri, it is made of dark tuff.

Surb Nshan was one of the important spiritual centers of Alexandropol. In the Soviet period the church was used for other purposes — over the years it housed storage facilities and a workshop for theatrical stage sets.

During the 1988 earthquake the church suffered serious damage. It was later restored, and today Surb Nshan is once again a working church and an important part of the city's historic appearance.

It is impossible to tell the story of modern Gyumri without speaking of December 7, 1988. The devastating earthquake became one of the heaviest tragedies in the history of Soviet Armenia. Leninakan suffered enormous destruction, thousands of people died, and homes, schools, enterprises and historic buildings were destroyed.

The effects of the earthquake were felt for decades. Some buildings were restored, some disappeared forever, and others still bear the marks of the tragedy. That is why modern Gyumri is at once the old Alexandropol and a city that lived through 1988 — this double history is felt strongly during the walk.

Despite everything it has been through, the city never became a faceless modern space. It has kept its old streets, historic houses, churches, craft traditions, local humor and its own urban character. That is why many visitors say Gyumri is a city you don't just want to photograph — you want to listen to it.

After the guided part, we leave a bit of free time. You can stroll along the central streets, have a coffee, drop into small craft shops, buy souvenirs, take photographs, or sit in one of the atmospheric cafés of Old Gyumri. On the individual format, the length of free time is adjusted to the guests' wishes.

Meals are not included in the tour's base price. On request, we can arrange lunch at one of Gyumri's restaurants — a good chance to get to know not only the architecture but also the cuisine of Shirak. The venue can be chosen in advance or agreed on during the tour.

After the walk and free time, we head back to Yerevan. The Amaras Tour car takes you directly to the address you specify — your hotel, apartment or another agreed place. The estimated total length of the trip is 9–10 hours.