Le Figaro highlights Yerevan architecture

The French Le Figaro newspaper has included Yerevan in its list of 5 so-called "pink" cities in the world, referring to the widespread use of tuff in architecture.

The newspaper’s list is as follows: Jaipur (India), Yerevan (Armenia), Toulouse (France), Albi (France) and Montauban (France).

“Although some are located on different continents, they share a common hue, present in their architecture, ranging from pale salmon to deep ochre,” the author said.

“The capital of Armenia, Yerevan is distinguished by the visual unity of its city center, fashioned from a local stone: volcanic tuff. This rock, extracted around its mountains, comes in red hues, but it is the pinkish shade that dominates public buildings and old homes. It is contemplated on Republic Square, especially when the sun dresses the rock in a soft light, almost tending towards orange. Although Yerevan is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world - founded before Rome in 782 BC - its nickname "pink city" is more recent. It became established in the 20th century, during the Soviet reconstruction. The architect Alexandre Tamanian, responsible for redesigning the city in the 1920s and 1930s, chose to make it a symbol of urban harmony by widely promoting the use of this stone in the large avenues and central squares.”