Yerevan, also called Erivan or Erevan, is the capital and largest city of Armenia, and is located on the Hrazdan River, near Turkey. Armenian cultural interests include: Yerevan State University; the Armenian Academy of Sciences; a historical museum; an opera house; a music conservatory; The Matenadaran archives, which contain a collection of
valuable ancient Armenian manuscripts; several large public libraries; many of museums and theaters; and botanical and zoological gardens. Yerevan is also the site of the ruins of a Roman fortress, of a 16th-century Turkish fort, and of an 18th-century mosque. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an Urartu fortress and a city built on the site of Yerevan. Population (1990 estimate) 1,202,000.