Erivan Fortress, Ottoman fortress in Yerevan, Armenia
Erivan Fortress was a rectangular fortification in Yerevan, Armenia, with three main gateways named Tabriz, Shirvan, and Korpu. Each gateway was protected by double-line battlements and iron gates that controlled access to the interior.
The fortress was built in 1582 by Ottoman commander Ferhat Pasha and changed hands many times between Ottoman and Persian forces over the following centuries. Russian troops under Ivan Paskevich took it in 1827, ending Persian control over the territory.
The Sardar Palace inside the fortress was built in a Persian style, with glass ornaments that caught and scattered the light across its rooms. Its Hall of Mirrors, with painted ceilings, was considered one of the finest interiors in the region at the time.
The fortress once stood near what is now Republic Square, but very little remains visible on the ground today. Nearby museums and guided city tours are the best way to get a clear picture of what the site once looked like.
Two mosques stood inside the fortress walls: the Rajab-Pasha Mosque, built in 1725, and the Abbas Mirza Mosque. After the Russian takeover, the Rajab-Pasha Mosque was converted into a Russian Orthodox church, showing how quickly the site changed after 1827.
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