Old Gyumri Tour

Visit Kumayri museum, historic houses, workshops, taverns, guesthouses and museums that make up Old Gyumri (formerly known as Alexandropl).

Armen Hovsepyan

Introduction

The tour covers the site of Kumayri preserve-museum, allowing you to take a closer look at the historic houses, workshops, taverns, guesthouses and museums that make up Old Gyumri (formerly known as Alexandropl).

During the tour you can savor the 19th century urban atmosphere of Gyumri, a blend of local and European (including Russian) architectural styles which transform the city into a unique spot in Eastern Armenia.

Alexandropol. Armenian Belle Époque (late 19th century – early 20th century)

The city's diverse ethnic, religious and occupation groups were divided into districts (mahlans), each with its own name. Among them were Frangneri (Catholic), Urumneri (Greek), Boshi (sievers), Geghtsonts (peasants), Slabodka (Russian) and Turki (Turkish).

Ostentatious houses were a common feature, regardless of the owners' social strata. Most of the houses had inner and outer yards. Inner yards were used for domestic purposes only and were concealed from the outside world. The building facades featured balconies with wooden embellishments. Overall, Gyumri was remarkable for the diversity of its facade patterns.

The combination of red and black tufa was characteristic of the city's architectural style during the 1860-1880s. Pink stone added unique vividness to the city.

Though the use of red tufa became less common after the 1880s, the exquisite stone-work was still accentuated with a layer of white. European (Russian) influence became apparent in the 1890s. There remain elegant two and three-storey buildings from this period.