The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century
BC, with the founding of the Urartian fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC at
the western extremity of the Ararat plain. After World War I, Yerevan
became the capital of the Democratic Republic of Armenia as thousands
of survivors of the Armenian Genocide settled in the area. The city expanded
rapidly during the 20th century when Armenia became one of the fifteen
republics in the Soviet Union. In fifty years, Yerevan was transformed
from a town of a few thousand residents during the first republic to the
principal cultural, artistic and industrial center as well as becoming
the seat of the political institutions of the country.
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