French President Emmanuel Macron's recent visit to Yerevan, held within the framework of the European Political Community summit, highlighted the close ties between the two capitals. During the visit, the symbolic performance of Charles Aznavour's iconic song "La Bohème" served as a focal point, drawing parallels to the vibrant, preserved history of Paris.
However, while Paris is celebrated for maintaining its architectural heritage—such as the Montmartre district, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, and historic windmills—the historical landscape of Yerevan tells a different story. Observers note that the city, historically known as Erivan, once featured a distinct architectural identity, including the Erivan Fortress, khan palaces, and numerous mosques, as documented in 19th and early 20th-century paintings by artists such as Franz Roubaud and Grigory Gagarin.
For instance, Franz Roubaud's painting, "The Capture of the Erivan Fortress," depicts the city's panorama, including mosque domes and minarets. Similarly, Grigory Gagarin's "In the Residence of the Erivan Khan" illustrates the ornate, Eastern-style interiors of the khan's palace, once considered among the most beautiful in the region.
Historical records indicate that the disappearance of these landmarks was not the result of natural disasters or war, but rather a systematic process of destruction, particularly during the 1960s. The site of the former Erivan Fortress, for example, now houses a hotel, while the location of the Sardar Palace has been repurposed for industrial use, including a cognac factory.
The erasure of this cultural heritage extends to religious sites as well. The remains of mosques, such as the Tapa-bashi (Kond) mosque and the Abbas Mirza mosque, highlight the loss of historical structures. This systematic alteration of the urban landscape, which also involved the renaming of nearly two thousand geographical locations, stands in stark contrast to the preservation efforts seen in other parts of the world, where diverse cultural legacies are protected.
