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In this article, we’ll give you a brief history of the oldest neighborhood in Yerevan, Kond. We’ll explore Kond’s history, showcase what it’s doing to rejuvenate itself and how discovering  this place is one of the best things to do in Yerevan.

Kond is a hidden gem within the walls of Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan. The oldest quarter in Yerevan is often overlooked by tourists who come to the capital. However, it’s beautiful, quirky, and a historic Yerevan treasure that’s worth the little detour. 

In fact, it’s astonishing to recognize that the current urban fabric of Kond has remained the same for centuries and that the streets have preserved their same layout from the 17th century. It’s no surprise that you will find architectural remains and historical gems here and there while strolling down the narrow streets of the oldest district of Yerevan. Walking around Kond is like taking a trip back in time!

Many of the residents here joke that they live in the village. They’re not wrong. Kond was one of the last places in the city to get modern amenities. Most homes didn’t have running water, electricity or gas until 2017. The amenities came in slowly. Water in 2003, electricity in 2013, gas in 20217…

The city kept debating if it was worth bringing in these utilities or if they should just tear the old buildings down.

Old stairs and narrow alleys from Proshyan, Saryan, Paronyan, and Leo streets will lead you into this hidden city within a city. Once you’re in, it almost feels like it’s a completely different place, with the wooden doors, broken buildings, asymmetric bricks, and tight and narrow labyrinthine roads. Welcome to the oldest, most Armenian historic district in Yerevan. 

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The history of Kond, the oldest area in Yerevan

Historically, Kond was one of the three main districts of Yerevan. It gets its name from the Armenian words meaning “long hill.” It bears this Armenian name because in the 18th century, during the Persian rule, the majority of the residents of Kond were Armenians. They were the ones in charge of farming, cattle breeding, and gardening. No wonder they still joke that they are a village!

Throughout the centuries, Kond was one of the most vibrant districts of Yerevan. It was a true melting pot of different ethnic and religious groups. And although not many people lived in the area (about 3,000 in total), it was always seen as an important part of the city of Yerevan. It’s also the part of the city that has been continuously inhabited the longest. Considering Yerevan recently celebrated 2,800 years of existence, one of the cities that has been inhabited the longest, that says quite a lot about Kond!

Walking around the old town of Kond, you’ll notice a lot of the buildings that line the streets don’t have windows. This is because back when Armenia was ruled by Persia, Kond was known as being the dangerous part of town. 

The buildings lacked windows so no one would see what was happening inside. Kond is where muggings and beatings happened as well as a lot of organized crime. 

Although that time has past, the homes here still bear the signs of that time.

The Persian past of Kond

Deep into Kond, you’ll also discover an old mosque. You can recognize it from some of the shapes of the windows and some of the architecture of the building. There’s also a sign commemorating its past, but it’s been weathered by time. 

During Soviet times, the mosque was torn down, as well as many of the churches in Armenia, as the reigning politics didn’t allow for religion to be celebrated. 

Right next to the mosque, you’ll find one of the best things to do in Kond, as well as in all of Yerevan. There’s the Kondi Hayat Cafe. A local café owned by a family. They live in the home where the mullah of the mosque used to live. This has been their home for over 100 years, purchased by the patriarch of the family after the Armenian Genocide.

More on this later…

Family roots that run deep in Kond’s historic quarter

It would be impossible to dive into Kond and its history, and not recognize the family that has had the biggest impact on this old Yerevan district.

Although many Armenian families lived, and continue to live in Kond, the most notable was the aristocratic family Melik-Aghamalyan. The family owned multiple buildings and a lot of land in the district of Kond. 

For centuries, Surb Hovhannes, the only church in the district, was known as their ancestral church. The family donated a lot of money to rebuild it after it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1679. You can still find their name inscribed on one of the walls of the church.

The Aghamalyans were considered one of the richest and most renowned families of Old Yerevan but for the current residents of Kond, the Aghamalyans are famous for their kindness and generous support to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide. They provided shelter to the orphans and immigrants from Western Armenia who settled in Armenia after the great war of 1915. 

Unfortunately, the descendants of the Aghamalyans suffered a lot during the Stalin repressions. The last member of the family, Sasha Aghamalyan was kicked out of his home in Kond during the Stalin purges and died in a small basement apartment.

Currently, there is a gold watch kept in the Yerevan History Museum that was presented to the Melik-Aghamalyans from Russian Tsar Nikolai I for their contribution to the Russian-Persian war. Their princely residence constructed of black tufa stone, standing half-ruined near the entrance of the quarter, is the only reminder of the family’s existence in the district of Kond. 

The reality of Yerevan’s oldest district of Kond today

Even though it’s easy to get lost in the dozens of small and narrow streets of Kond, the district today only has three main streets: Rustaveli, Simeon Yerevantsi, and Kond. And walking down the streets, you can feel like this part of the city has been left abandoned by the government (and even its residents). There is a lack of proper services in the area, and the road conditions left much to be desired, as you can see below. 

Walking around the district, you will notice that the landscape of Kond is quickly changing. Recently, many buildings (notably the Dvin hotel) have started popping up. But to lose this historical part of Yerevan’s history would be a shame!

New hope for the old district of Kond

The idea of renovating and reconstructing Kond has been floating around for quite some time, from as early as the 1930s (according to Alexander Tamanian’s plan for Yerevan). But as you can see from the state of the district today, those plans never fully came to fruition. 

The most recent project for the district was initiated in the 1980s by Karen Demirchyan. He wanted to turn it into Yerevan’s Montmartre. But unfortunately, after the 1988 earthquake and the dire social and economic situation of the country at the time, the project was never finished. After independence, mainly in the 2000s, there were several revitalization projects for Kond which, again, were never realized.

In 2019, there was a project to pump new blood into the area. Street artists took to the streets (and walls) of the Kond district, and created murals that stretch around the main streets. Walking around the area and admiring their street art is a fun afternoon activity. 

Kond is a labyrinth and walking around, you’ll spot plenty of different types of street art. The project has been running for a few years now with new murals popping up every year. The last edition of the festival took place in the spring of 2023. Let’s hope there will be another festival in 2024, as we’d love to experience it.

We know the residents will too as many have now seen this as a friendly competition. To see whose house has the nicest mural. During the festival, they put out tables in front of their door and invite people to come and enjoy a coffee as they watch the artists work. Armenian hospitality at its best!

So many people come to Yerevan, hit up the most iconic places like Cascade and Vernissage, but they forget to go to Yerevan’s most historic spot. Kond should be on everyone’s must-see list as it’s truly a beautiful testament to Yerevan’s rich history.

A unique thing to do in Kond – Connecting with locals

As we mentioned, right next to the mosque, you’ll find one of the best things to do in Kond, as well as in all of Yerevan. If you’re strapped for time, you can stop by the Kondi Hayat Café and enjoy a cup of coffee, tea and their world-famous gata.

If you have some time, however, we highly recommend booking an experience to share a meal with the family. You can book this directly through LikeLocal.io – This organization allows you to live different experiences with locals. They’re present not only in Armenia but also in Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Greece, Georgia and Namibia.

We absolutely adored having lunch with Lusine and her husband Armen. We sat with their son Nikolay who is a renowned actor of the State Dramatic Theater and his wife Karina, a well-respected journalist in Armenia. 

What was great about the meal (apart from the dozens of Genats* we did) was the fact that we got to share it with some amazing people. Needless to say the food was delicious. And everything was homemade, including the wine we toasted with, the cheese and cured meats that Derek enjoyed.

*Genats means Cheers. But the rule in Armenia is that every time you raise a glass, you have to cheers to something. During this meal, we cheers to our parents, to good food, to new friends, to happy days to come, to health, and the list goes on. We cheers to so many different things, it’s hard to remember. 

What was also great about this meal is that we learned so much about the centuries-old house we were in and we got to talk more with Karina and Nikolay about their everyday lives as the next generation in Armenia and the struggles and opportunities they face. 

As repats and diasporans, it’s not always easy to connect with locals, even if we are looking to. In general, making friends as adults is not the easiest. We crave learning more about everyday life, about the realities of the local people and about what they think of the future. This was a great way to create a lasting connection. And what better way to connect than with delicious food? 

So if you’re looking for one of the most unique and amazing things to do in Yerevan, this is it! Not only do you get to explore the oldest neighborhood in the city, you get to connect with locals, sit in a 300-year-old home, share a delicious meal with locals, and see how the street art is rejuvenating this area that many refer to as the village in the city.

Where is Kond located?

When you’re in Yerevan, accessing Kond is very easy. It is situated between Proshyan, Saryan, Paronyan, and Leo streets.

The easiest way to get there is to take the stairs that lead up to it on Pavstos Buzand Street, right off the very hip and popular Martiros Saryan Street.

Exploring Kond is really easy from there. And we highly recommend you take a little break from the hustle and bustle of the city to walk around these historic old streets. Sure, it may not seem like much when you look at it, but the more people come to visit these hidden gems, the more hope we can give to the district that better days are ahead. Because losing such a historic part of Yerevan would truly be a shame!

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