Kentron District

Kentron
Կենտրոն

Kentron District

Kentron district shown in red
Kentron

Kentron district shown in red

Coordinates: 40°10′41″N 44°30′47″E / 40.17806°N 44.51306°E / 40.17806; 44.51306Coordinates: 40°10′41″N 44°30′47″E / 40.17806°N 44.51306°E / 40.17806; 44.51306
Country Armenia
Marz (Province) Yerevan
Government
 • Mayor of District Ara Sadoyan
Area
 • Total 14.2 km2 (5.5 sq mi)
Elevation 995 m (3,264 ft)
Population (2011 census)
 • Total 125,453
 • Density 8,800/km2 (23,000/sq mi)
Time zone AMT (UTC+4)

Kentron (Armenian: Կենտրոն, meaning "center"), is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It comprises the downtown, the commercial centre of the city. As of the 2011 census, the district has a population of 125,453.

Kentron is bordered by Ajapnyak and Malatia-Sebastia districts from the west, Shengavit and Erebuni districts from the south, Nor Nork District from the east and Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun districts from the north.[1] Hrazdan River flows through the western part of the district.

The district is unofficially divided into smaller neighborhoods such as Kond, Noragyugh, Pokr Kentron, Nor Kilikia, Kozern and Aygestan.

Kond and Noragyugh are among the 7 original neighbourhoods of old Yerevan.

History

The administrative building of Kentron district

After Armenia fell under Soviet rule between 1920-1921, Yerevan became the first among the cities in the Soviet Union for which a general plan was developed. The "General Plan of Yerevan" developed by the academic Alexander Tamanian, was approved in 1924. It was initially designed for a population of 150,000. The city was quickly transformed into a modern industrial metropolis of over one million people. New educational, scientific and cultural institutions were founded as well.

Tamanian incorporated national traditions with contemporary urban construction. His design presented a radial-circular arrangement that overlaid the existing city and incorporated much of its existing street plan. As a result, many historic buildings in the centre (modern-day Kentron district) of Yerevan were demolished, including churches, mosques, the Azerbaijani fortress, baths, bazaars and caravanserais.

Within the years, Kentron has become the most developed district of Yerevan, something that created a significant gap compared with other districts in the city. Most of the educational, cultural and scientific institutions were centred in the Kentron district. It also became home to administrative buildings of the Republic of Armenia, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly of Armenia, the Central Bank of Armenia, the National Security Service and most of the ministry buildings.

Streets and landmarks

Main streets and squares

Abovyan Street
Charles Aznavour square
Place de France, with the statue of Jules Bastien-Lepage at the centre

Landmarks

Parks:

Poplavok lake at the Circular Park

Religious buildings and historical sites:

Surp Zoravor Astvatsatsin Church

Educational and cultural institutions:

State Engineering University of Armenia
The National Gallery of Armenia
Hovhannes Tumanyan Puppet Theatre of Yerevan
Cafesjian Museum of Art at the Yerevan Cascade

Sports:

The Republican Stadium, Yerevan

Entertainment and recreation:

Moscow Cinema

Industrial plants:

Yerevan Brandy Company

Transportation

Republic Square metro station

Kentron district is served by a public transport network of buses and trolleybuses.

Panoramic view of Kentron district
Panoramic view from the Kentron district (from left to right): The City Hall clock tower, ArdShinBank (foreground), Glendale Hills residential buildings (background), the Yerevan Ararat Wine Factory tower, the Russian Embassy, the Mountains of Ararat in the overall background.

References

  1. ↑ Kentron District at Yerevan.am
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