Yerevan Opera Theatre
Tamanian's 1933 opera house set in Freedom Square
- Area Yerevan
- Type City landmark
- Time needed 30m
The Yerevan Opera Theatre is Alexander Tamanian's 1933 building at the centre of the city, a circular complex holding both an opera house and a concert hall. The squares and park around it are the social heart of Yerevan.
Open in the planner →Getting there
A minute from Republic Square by car and a short walk up Northern Avenue from the centre.
What you see
The building is a drum of tuff with a colonnaded exterior, designed so two auditoria share one circular plan. Outside, Freedom Square on one side and the park with the Swan Lake pond on the other are busy from mid-morning until late. Statues of Tamanian, Komitas and Aram Khachaturian stand in the surrounding grounds.
What to pair it with
Sits between Northern Avenue and the Cascade, and is a few minutes from the National Gallery and Parajanov Museum.
When to go
Evenings for performances and for the life of the square. The main season runs through the cooler months, so summer programming is thinner. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
What is hard about it
There is no routine daytime access to the interior unless you have a ticket or a scheduled tour, so a daytime visit is an exterior walk-round. The pond is drained in parts of the year and becomes an ice rink in winter.
Common questions
Can I look inside during the day?
Not reliably. Access generally means a performance ticket or an arranged tour. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
How do I get tickets?
Through the theatre box office or its official channels. Prices and availability change by production. [VERIFY — confirm current details]
Is the square worth visiting on its own?
Yes. The two squares and the park are where Yerevan gathers, and that is most of the appeal.
Nearby
- Yerevan CascadeGiant limestone stairway with modern sculpture and city views
- MatenadaranRepository of ancient Armenian manuscripts
- Republic SquareYerevan's central square with musical fountains
- Erebuni FortressUrartian citadel from 782 BC, the birthplace of Yerevan
- Armenian Genocide MemorialHilltop memorial and museum to the victims of 1915
- History Museum of ArmeniaNational collection from prehistory to the modern era
More of the same kind
- Vernissage MarketOpen-air weekend market of crafts, carpets and art
- Northern AvenuePedestrian boulevard through the heart of the city
- Yerevan Brandy CompanyHistoric Ararat brandy cellars with tastings
- GorisStone town ringed by cave-riddled hoodoos