At the centre of Yerevan is Republic Square. Here you will find some of the capital's most attractive architecture, which in summer is enlivened by fountains and colour. Close by is the vernissage market, a veritable treasure trove of locally-made jewellery, paintings, chess sets made from obsidian, and hand-carved wooden items.

Perhaps Yerevan's proudest exhibit is the Matenadaran Museum, one of the greatest depositories of illuminated manuscripts in the world. Armenians are proud of their education and literacy, and outside the museum sits a statue of Mashtots, creator of the Armenian alphabet and the man who made the first translation of The Bible into Armenian.

Victory Park still displays a monument in the shape of a wheat stalk, symbolising 50 years of Soviet rule, but the vast statue of Stalin, which once dominated the city, has now been replaced by one of Mother Armenia, symbolising Armenia's independence.