ArmInfo.A working group has been established on the issue of opening the historical layer of ancient Yerevan on the Republic Square. Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia Narine Khachatryan informed about this in a conversation with ArmInfo.
To recall, the underground city identified in 2003 has a length from the former Foreign Ministry building to the tower of the Government building. Particularly, archaeologists discovered four-meter-deep basements built from red and black tuff belonging to the 16th-17th centuries. At that time, they were used as living rooms, and therefore had window openings at a certain slope for the penetration of sunlight. Meanwhile, 17 years ago, it was decided to preserve the discovered historical layer, fill it with sand and cover it with asphalt.
According to the deputy minister, thorough expert discussions will be held on the issue of turning this site into a museum object, the results of which the public will be informed about. <The main question is whether it is possible to discover and strengthen this historical layer. We need to understand whether it is worth covering this site with glass, or whether tourists can go downstairs and walk around the ancient city. These issues will be raised with archaeologists and architects>, Khachatryan informed.
According to her, the point is not to open this site for tourists this year. As noted, in 2020 this project will be thoroughly discussed, and if all parties (experts and the public) positively evaluate it, it will be implemented sequentially, step by step. To recall, on January 9, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan announced that the ancient city on Republic Square will become a kind of museum object.