Yerevan Cascade

The Yerevan Cascade is a giant staircase on a hillside, climbing north from the centre of the city.

Tamanyan's idea

The idea goes back to Alexander Tamanyan's master plan of the 1920s: he wanted a formal axis linking the lower city with the upper quarters. Construction began only in 1971, to a design by Jim Torosyan, Aslan Mkhitaryan and Sargis Gurzadyan, half a century after the idea.

How it is built

The structure is faced in pale travertine and made up of several terraces with fountains, flower beds and reliefs; the climb is over a hundred metres and there are around five hundred steps. Escalators run inside the Cascade, so the way up takes no effort, and it is better to walk down for the views.

A museum inside a staircase

Works from Gerard Cafesjian's collection are shown on the landings, and his art centre has occupied the building since 2009. Both the staircase and the museum halls are free to enter, unusual for a collection of this standing.

What is around it

Tamanyan Park with its sculpture lies at the foot, and the Revived Armenia monument and Victory Park with the Mother Armenia statue stand at the top. The terraces are lit in the evening, and the cafes in Tamanyan Park below stay open late.

Ararat is visible from the upper platform only in clear weather, most often in the morning.

Address

Tamanyan Street 10, Yerevan · above Tamanyan Park

Opening hours

Steps always open; escalators and halls by day

Prices

Free

On the map