Kond
title: "Kond" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-armenia", "kentron-district"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-armenia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kond" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| official_name | Kond |
| Կոնդ | |
| settlement_type | Old Quarter |
| image_skyline | {{Photomontage |
| photo1a | Harzdan stadion and kond 2.jpg |
| photo2b | Tepebashi Mosque, Kond (1).jpg |
| photo2a | Kond in Yerevan.jpg |
| photo3a | View of Yerevan, buildins on Leo stree, Kond.jpg |
| photo3b | Surb Hovanes Mkrtich Church, Kond.JPG |
| photo4a | Kond 1.JPG |
| spacing | 1 |
| position | center |
| color_border | white |
| color | white |
| size | 250 |
| foot_montage | From the top: Hrazdan Stadium and general view of Kond, Tepebashi Mosque, Skyline including the Dvin Hotel, Saint John the Baptist Church, Traditional Kond alleyway |
| pushpin_map | Armenia |
| mapsize | 150px |
| map_caption | Location of Kond in Armenia |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | |
| subdivision_type1 | Marz (Province) |
| subdivision_name1 | Yerevan |
| subdivision_type2 | District |
| subdivision_name2 | Kentron |
| established_date | 17th century |
| area_total_ha | 25.2 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| timezone | GMT+4 |
| utc_offset | +4 |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_m | 1027 |
| :: |
| official_name = Kond Կոնդ | native_name = | settlement_type = Old Quarter | image_skyline = {{Photomontage | photo1a = Harzdan stadion and kond 2.jpg | photo2b = Tepebashi Mosque, Kond (1).jpg | photo2a = Kond in Yerevan.jpg | photo3a = View of Yerevan, buildins on Leo stree, Kond.jpg | photo3b = Surb Hovanes Mkrtich Church, Kond.JPG | photo4a = Kond 1.JPG | spacing = 1 | position = center | color_border = white | color = white | size = 250 | foot_montage = From the top: Hrazdan Stadium and general view of Kond, Tepebashi Mosque, Skyline including the Dvin Hotel, Saint John the Baptist Church, Traditional Kond alleyway | image_caption = | pushpin_map = Armenia | mapsize = 150px | map_caption = Location of Kond in Armenia | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = | subdivision_type1 = Marz (Province) | subdivision_name1 = Yerevan | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Kentron | leader_title = | leader_name = | established_title = | established_date = 17th century | area_total_km2 = | area_total_ha = 25.2 | area_footnotes = | population_as_of = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone = GMT+4 | utc_offset = +4 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = | elevation_m = 1027 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = | website =
Kond (, meaning long hill in Armenian; during the Persian rule, , Tappebashi) is one of the oldest quarters of Yerevan. It is situated within the boundaries of the modern-day Kentron District of the capital of Armenia. According to Hovhannes Shahkhatunyants, an Armenian historian, Kond is located at the western and southern hillsides and foot of a rocky hill with similar name. Its western border has historically been the Hrazdan River, and its northern border the Kozern Cemetery.
Etymology
Kond, meaning "long hill" in Armenian, so named because of its higher elevation in relation to the surrounding areas. The quarter was also known as Tappebashi (Turkic: tepe - hill, baş - head, top; "top of the hill") while Yerevan was under Persian rule.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Yerevan_18_century_map.png" caption="Map showing Kond in relation to Yerevan during the 18th century"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Yerevan_City_Plan_1920.jpg" caption="Map of Yerevan in 1920, with Kond located in the northeastern part of the city south of the [[Hrazdan river"] ::
Kond was one of Yerevan's three original quarters (mahals; ) since the 17th century: Shahar (The Old City), Demir-Bulagh (Karahank), and Kond (Tepebash). Kond, similar to Shahar, was also populated by indigenous Armenians, and during Persian rule they became the majority ethnic group living in the quarter. During this time, the area was presided over by the Geghamian family of meliks. The population of Kond soon became multiethnic, when approximately one hundred Armenian Boshas (Roma) moved to the hill.
::data[format=table]
| 3,937 |
|---|
| :: |
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Kond_2.JPG" caption="Old narrow winding streets of Kond."] ::
Many of Kond's narrow winding streets and alleyways are only three to four feet wide with irrigation ditches to either side. Walls of houses were originally constructed of clay and small stones, which were often built on top of one another without utilities. Today, older homes are being replaced by modern ones, leaving one of Yerevan's only relatively intact older neighborhoods in jeopardy. During the Soviet Era, 500 residents were given new homes in multistory apartment buildings in exchange for their property to build structures like the Dvin Hotel. Plans to fully reconstruct the quarter in 1984-85 were stalled and never materialized.
Since the recent passage of Decision 1151-N, on "Construction programs within the borders of Yerevan's Kentron District" by the Armenian Government on August 1, 2002, there has been a renewed air of uncertainty to whether the local government intends to appropriate Kond and remove existing older structures and its residents (Kondetsis). Residents fear that they will not be compensated, as many of them lack titles to their property. Architect Arshavir Aghekyan indicated that, "The plan wasn't a complete reconstruction, but a reconstruction that would integrate the old and new environments. The plan involved the construction of residential and commercial buildings."
As of March 2024, the government is holding a second stage of quarter reconstruction competition, which was supposed to end in December, but the winner is still not announced.
Monuments
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Կոնդի_Թափաբաշի_մզկիթը_6.JPG" caption="The remains of the Tepebashi mosque of Kond"] ::
Tepebashi mosque
The Tepebashi Mosque was likely built in 1687 during the Safavid dynasty. It was restored in a second part of XIX century, commissioned by Abbasguly, member of a city committee, descendant of Erivan Khans. In 1920 the mosque became an archive, and then a home for the refugees from the Armenian genocide. Nowadays mosque serves as a museum and wine tasting facility.
Today, only the 1.5 meter-thick walls and sections of its outer perimeter roof still stand. The main dome collapsed in the 1960s (1980's according to residents and neighbors), though a smaller dome still stands.
Surp Hovhanness Church
Surp Hovhannes Church (Saint John the Baptist Church) was built in the 15th century at the northern end of Kond. After being damaged by a large earthquake in 1679, it was rebuilt in 1710 by Melik Aghamalyan to serve as his family's private chapel.
Melik Aghamalyan house
Melik Aghamalyan house or the princely palace of Melik Aghamalyan is a luxorious villa of the famous Aghamalyan dynasty, which locals described as a "fortress on Tapabash street". Melik Aghamalyan family was one of the richest in the Yerevan and was famous for their charity during the Armenian genocide. Aghamalyan family descendands were affected by Stalin repressions and the last member of the noble family, Alexander Aghamalyan, was kicked out from the house back then.
The house is built mostly out of black tuff, but nowadays it is damaged and barely stands.
Gallery
Image:Kond Persian Architecture.JPG|Old building in Kond Image:Kond in Yerevan 2.jpg |Narrow buildings and allies of Kond Image:Kond Tower.JPG|Transmission tower in old Kond Image:Kond Tepebaşı Mosque Entry Rustaveli St.JPG|Entry to Tepebashi Mosque (1687-1795) along the Rustaveli Street Image:St John The Baptist Church of Yerevan.jpg|The Church of Saint John the Baptist (670-1710) Image:Eriwan 1989 001.jpg|Another view of Saint John the Baptist's Church (prior to renovation) and Kond as seen from south to north (1989)
References
References
- Hovhannes Shahkhutyants, Ստորագրութիւն կաթուղիկէ Էջմիածնի և հինգ գաւառացն Արարատայ, volume II, p. 146
- {{in lang. hy [http://www.yerevan.am/edfiles/files/ANDZNAGIR/taxer.pdf Հին թաղերը] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-06-03)
- {{in lang. hy [http://armenianhouse.org/avetisyan/yerevan-1.html ԵՐԵՎԱՆԻ ՄԻԿՐՈՏՈՊՈՆԻՄԻԿԱՆ]
- (2005). "Rediscovering Armenia: Guide". Matit Graphic Design Studio.
- {{in lang. hy Hovhannes Shahkhutyants, ''Ստորագրութիւն կաթուղիկէ Էջմիածնի և հինգ գաւառացն Արարատայ'', volume II, p. 146
- {{in lang. hy [http://yhm.am/2011/09/09/%D5%A5%D6%80%D6%87%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D6%84%D5%A1%D5%B2%D5%A1%D6%84%D5%AB-%D5%A2%D5%B6%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%B9%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6-%D5%B7%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%AA%D5%A8%D5%B6%D5%A9%D5%A1%D6%81%D5%A8-1824/ Երևան քաղաքի բնակչության շարժընթացը 1824-1914թթ.] {{Webarchive. link. (2014-05-04 Yerevan History Museum)
- Arpi Maghakyan, [http://hetq.am/eng/news/9535/old-yerevan-should-be-rebuilt-in-kond.html "Old Yerevan Should be Rebuilt in Kond" (December 19, 2005). ]. ''[[Hetq Online]]''
- Mariam Stepanyan, [http://hetq.am/eng/news/9025/kond-is-all-thats-left-of-old-yerevan.html "Kond Is All That's Left of Old Yerevan" (April 27, 2005). ]. ''[[Hetq Online]]''
- "1923 Կոնդի (Թափաբաշի) մզկիթը. Квартальная мечеть Тапабаши в Конде, в квартале гончаров".
- Armenia, Western. (2025-02-17). "Новый шум и старые обвинения со стороны Баку - Western Armenia TV". Western Armenia TV - Official TV of the Republic of Western Armenia.
- (2019-04-26). "Конд — город в городе".
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