The city of Yerevan, long fought over by rival empires, survived centuries of foreign occupation and finally gained independence after the collapse of the USSR. The capital, the center of Armenian culture, celebrated liberation with a construction boom and population growth. Despite this leap into the future, it has preserved historical monuments. The Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, which preserves books dating back to the 9th century, and the ruins of the Erebuni Fortress, built in 782 BC, attract tourists.
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