Jane’s Walk is a movement to inspire free, citizen-led walking tours inspired by Jane Jacobs, a Canadian/American journalist and activist. Jane’s Walks are locally organized walking tours designed to celebrate neighborhoods and other areas of cities worldwide. It concentrates on the ideal that everyone sees their neighborhood in a different light. For example, one tour in Colchester, England, was led by two brothers aged 6 and 4 who showed walkers their favorite park and shared historical information about a local castle.
The walks in Yerevan are organized by Urbanlab, a Yerevan think tank that focuses on man-made environment development, community involvement, and citizens’ rights to a healthy and sustainable settlement.
One of the walks took us to Kond, a hilltop neighborhood in Yerevan. Kond, which means “long hill” in Armenian, is one of Yerevan’s three original quarters from the 17th century. During Persian rule, the area became populated with ethnic Armenians, who were ruled over by the Geghamian family of Meliks (armenian nobles). Because of the multitude of influences from prior residences, Kond is home to structures from times of Ottoman, Persian, and Muslim rule. The ruins of the Thapha Bashi Mosque, which served as a refuge to Armenian’s fleeing the 1915 genocide, can still be seen, though the dome collapsed in 1960. St. Hovhannes Church, which was first built in the 15th century, still stands on it’s original site, the result of extensive renovation.
Because of its improvised nature, with most homes and alleyways built upon older structures and utilities added post construction, Kond has been the target of urban redevelopment projects since the Soviet Era. Because many lack titles to their homes in the district, many fear removal without compensation as a result of Yerevan’s construction boom. Currently there are plans to construct residential and commercial buildings in and around historical structures.
“Kond is our history.” – Melik Aghamalyan
St. Hovhannes Church was reconstructed in 1710 in the place of a medieval era church that was ruined after an earthquake. It wasrenovated further in the 1980s by architect Baghdasar Arzoumanian and engineers Avetik Tekevejian and Mikayel Hovhannissian. Cross stones from the original church, pre renovation, can be seen in the outer walls of the church.
Entrance to Kond at Buzand and Firk Streets, where older dilapidated buildings intermingle with much newer structures. Moving into Kond, newer buildings became sparse, and tourers were treated to a look at Yerevan history. From hasty infrastructure to literal remains of mosques serving as homes, Kond is a place unlike any other in the whole of Yerevan.
Residents of Kond are curious and hospitable. Children play in the streets and many emerge from their homes, interested what brings such a large group of people to their narrow alleys and improvised living spaces. Many were invited in to see sights that are hidden from casual pedestrians, while kids in the street were happy to pose for cameras with big smiles.
- After exiting the district, walking along the Hrazdan Gorge, visitors were treated to a spectacular view of western Yerevan and Ararat beyond. A stark contrast from the claustrophobic corridors of Kond, the spectacular view is a reminder of how much variety exists in Armenia’s capital city.
photos and text, Gabriel Ouzounian
