Yerevan Central Covered Market, Indoor market in Kentron District, Yerevan, Armenia
Yerevan Central Covered Market is a rectangular hall on Mesrop Mashtots Avenue, set slightly back from the street line so that a small square forms before the main entrance. Its single vaulted roof, 70 m long and 32 m wide, rests on 19 reinforced-concrete arches spaced 4 m apart, with no columns inside. The main arch holds a cast-iron vitrail whose motifs are taken from the carvings of Makaravank's stage; the main door sits within it.
The market opened on 29 April 1952 on what was then Stalin Avenue, on the site of an earlier trading square with 50–60 stalls and cafés. Architect Grigor Aghababyan and engineer A. Arakelyan designed it; the concrete formwork came from the Kiev Bridge. It was listed as an architectural monument in 1968, closed on 1 January 2012, and after reconstruction became part of the Prospekt Mall complex.
Yerevan residents call the market a meeting place, and sellers know their regular customers by name. It later gained a reputation as a "bohemian" and "intellectual" spot. Inside there was once a small fountain pool, and a tradition arose of tossing coins into it.
Coming in the morning gives you access to the freshest goods, as many sellers arrive early with deliveries from nearby farms and producers. The hall is in the center of Yerevan and easy to reach on foot or by public transport from most parts of the city.
One section of the hall is dedicated to Armenian brandy and local honey varieties brought by small producers from different parts of the country. Many of these sellers do not supply shops or tourist outlets, so this is often the only place where their products can be found.
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