Noy Erivan Fortress and Ancient Citadel Hill

Why is it significant?

Begin your exploration of Yerevan's dramatic natural and industrial heritage at the Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory, known worldwide as Noy. This historic factory perches atop the rocky bluffs that once formed the citadel of the sixteenth-century Erivan Fortress.

Key Facts

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Begin your exploration of Yerevan's dramatic natural and industrial heritage at the Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory, known worldwide as Noy. This historic factory perches atop the rocky bluffs that once formed the citadel of the sixteenth-century Erivan Fortress. Founded during the Persian Safavid era in the 1580s by Farhad Pasha, this formidable stronghold withstood numerous sieges until October 1827, when Russian imperial forces under General Ivan Paskevich stormed the ramparts, bringing Eastern Armenia into the Russian Empire.

Commercial Armenian brandy production was born on this very hill in 1887, when the pioneering merchant Nerses Tairyan installed traditional copper distillation alembics imported from the Charente region of France. Tairyan recognized that the high sugar content and rich aromatic profile of grapes grown in the sun-drenched volcanic soil of the Ararat valley produced spirits of extraordinary finesse. In 1899, spirits magnate Nikolai Shustov acquired the factory, modernizing distillation and launching Armenian brandy onto the global luxury market.

Beneath the factory buildings winds a labyrinth of five-hundred-year-old subterranean defensive tunnels carved through solid volcanic basalt. These secret escape passages enabled medieval Persian garrison commanders to slip secretly down to the Hrazdan River to fetch water during prolonged sieges. Today, the factory's private museum displays historic copper stills, imperial Russian medals, and the luxurious reception rooms where Persian khans and Russian tsars were entertained.

From the factory ramparts, gaze north across the yawning basalt chasm of the Hrazdan Gorge toward the soaring arches of Victory Bridge. The heady aroma of aged spirits and oak barrels drifts through the air, welcoming you to the historic cradle of Caucasian distillation. Standing on this historic bastion above the deep canyon, you feel the centuries of military strife and artisanal triumph that shaped modern Armenia. The fragrant breeze from the river canyon mingles with the rich aroma of aging spirits.

Descend into the cool subterranean cellars to discover the ancient oak aging vaults of the Shustov dynasty.