This place, which is not far from where I live, is quite old and used to be one of the 7 districts of old Yerevan. In old times, this area was densely populated — there were around 32 leather workshops here. The houses were not only on top of the gorge, but also down the slope. Since most of the buildings here were wooden, most of them were lost to fire. In 1980, there were plans to restore this area as an ethnographic center. There would be workshops of all crafts that were practiced in Armenia. It didn’t happen. Despite that, some of the buildings have been restored since then.
My favorite spot here is the house-museum of the renowned Armenian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov. It has a yard and in the center of it there is a big tree which covers the whole yard. I love sitting under it, as it is calm and relaxing. This house-museum is well located and popular among tourists, but there is more than just that house. Once you go to the backyard and walk along the narrow street, you will reach other buildings in the neighborhood, which are just as beautiful. The view from this place is also gorgeous, as it overlooks Hrazdan gorge, the Ararat brandy factory (check articles) is visible to the right of the river and Ararat mountain is right in front (on sunny days of course).
