WONDERING AROUND YEREVAN: TUMANYAN STREET

This street has been renamed several times. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was called Medical Street. In 1921, it was renamed Lenin Street, and finally in 1961, it was named after one of Armenia's honored poets, Hovhannes Tumanyan.

It's best to start your walk from Brusov State Linguistic University, which is just across from the Tumanyan Museum. You may notice a group of young men gathered around the entrance of the university, which is amusing because the student body of Brusov University is almost exclusively female. Brusov students and their admirers are lucky because Tumanyan Street is lined with a wide range of tearooms, cafes and bars.

Right on the same block, you'll see Jazzve Café, an internet-tearoom, a Greek fast food place, Malkhas Cafe (not to be confused with Malkhas Jazz Club), a karaoke bar, and much more.

On the corner of Parpetsi Street there is an interesting underground spot, The Club. You can smell the aroma of freshly roasted coffee from a small shop nearby. The Club is a neat space, with a café, a restaurant, a tearoom and even a small shop selling souvenirs, art books, and a range of items that may be useful to students. Books, CDs and souvenirs are laid out in no particular order, so you have to sort through them if you're looking for something in particular. The Club serves incredibly tasty pizzas and the interior design creates an atmosphere that is at once classy and casual. They frequently host exhibitions here.

One of Yerevan's most famous backyards is situated near the Club, at 40 Tumanyan Street. This is where the Armenian cult film, "Our Yard" was shot. If you spend a few minutes sitting on the bench in this legendary yard you'll begin to understand the importance of backyard life for Yerevan residents. In the bak (yard) neighbors are like family. As you sit and reflect, bench, from popular local actors to the pop group, Boney M.

There is a flower shop at the intersection of Mashtots Avenue and Tumanyan Street that has been there for 60 years. We think there are two explanations for this; either flowers are especially fond of this place,or this place cannot live without flowers. In any case, you can always buy fresh flowers here. The part of the street from Mashtots Avenue to Khanjyan Street has lots of eateries. Old Erivan is one of the most traditionally Armenian restaurants in Yerevan, with matching ethnic interior design. The entrance is decorated with carpets, big clay pitchers called carrass, and a statue of a woman in traditional dress.

This is the beginning of Northern Avenue, with Swan Lake and the monument of composer Arno Babajanyan across the street. The monument gave rise to many arguments in the city. Some thought the large, pointed nose and the unnaturally long fingers of the musician were grote little by little, people got used to the statue and started liking it. Nowadays it is a must to take a photo with the proud profile of the genius composer.

Tumanyan Street is also famous for shawarma (a sandwich-like wrap of meat in flatbread), which is actually popular all over the city. This Middle Eastern treat is probably the most common fast food in Yerevan. There are four shawarma places on Tumanyan Street alone, and they're considered the best in the city. One of them is especially interesting, its interior design looking more like the Vienna airport than a Middle Eastern fast food joint. The small Georgian restaurant, Khinkali, is also very popular. Khinkali is a popular Georgian dish consisting of meat-filled dumplings. The delicious food combined with the unique Renaissance-style interior is sure to leave you satisfied. After a filling lunch, you will be able to appreciate Michelangelo's creations. The small restaurant once closed for an entire week because the chef left. It is no easy task to find a chef who can cook khinkali. After all, it's not hot dogs. You need a true master.

To sum up the topic of cuisine, we will mention the nearby Mer Tagh ("Our Neighborhood") restaurant. Its tiny interior is almost a replica of a yard in Yerevan. However, people do not come here just to enjoy the interior.

They come for another Eastern favorite, lahmajo, which is something like a chapatti with meat, spices and lemon juice. The dish is rally delicious here. You are likely to come across some convenient spots on Tumanyan st like a bus stop with free Wi-Fi and a small watchmakers' workshop. You may also choose to buy some trinkets from the souvenir shop near Texas Bar known for its wild atmosphere, where you can enjoy a beer. Tumanyan is also an ideal street for shoppers. Everything, from clothes to shoes and from carpets to cigars is sold here.

The majority of the buildings were constructed in the mid 20t century, but there are some older ones, such as two symmetrical buildings at the intersection of Tumanyan and Nalbandyan, which partly overlook the street. Their location has an interesting peculiarity: the small yards of the buildings open right into the sidewalk. Here you can feel how cozy the streets of Yerevan are. As one tourist wittily put it, "Walking through the streets of Yerevan is like walking through someone's apartment." One of these buildings, 21 Nalbandyan Street,is home to composer and conductor Alexander Spendiarov's House-Museum, which was founded in 1961. The atmosphere of the musician's apartment is thoroughly recreated in the museum. Alongside the piano, the violin and the desk, you can see one of the most interesting exhibits in the museum: a musical instrument that was jokingly called the "Spendiarophone" by Russian composer Nikolai Rimskiy- Korsakov. This instrument, consisting of a leather belt and small bronze bells, was played at the performance of the "Three Palms"' symphony to recreate the sound of a camel caravan

​passing through a desert. Diferent events are held at the museum. The first grade class of the Spendiarov Music School comes here every year on an excursion and the top three students are given the chance to play the maestro's instruments. There used to be a girls'school on Tumanyan Street that became a hospital during the war years. In 1920, it became Alexander Tamanyan's workshop, here the the great architect designed the city's general plan. The Historical uments Preservation Committee, which was also founded by Tamanyan, held its meetings here. Sadly, this important landmark in the city's history is no longer there.

At the end of the street, there are some elements that make it look like revan's Chinatown, including two Chinese restaurants, Beijing and Old Beijing. Their exterior has a curious story. They say that Beijing restaurant used to belong to a couple. After they divorced, the wife sued for part of the building, opened Old Beijing and took the old chef from her ex-husband's restaurant. To take revenge, the husband opened a whole chain of Beijing restaurants all around Yerevan, with the slogan, "There is no such a thing as old or new Beijing. The Chinese would surely like this piece of genuine Eastern wisdom.

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