Kumayri is the old name for Gyumri — the name the city had before the Russians renamed it Alexandrapol in 1837 — and the name the Soviets gave to the historic quarter when they declared it a protected area. It is the most rewarding part of the city to explore on foot: a dense grid of narrow lanes lined with two-storey tufa buildings, their facades often decorated with carved stone ornament and wrought-iron balconies that speak to the craftsmanship the city was once known for.
Much of this district survived the 1988 earthquake because it was built with thick stone walls to traditional methods, while the Soviet concrete apartment blocks beyond its edges collapsed. The irony is that the most modern-looking parts of Gyumri were the most vulnerable, and the oldest were the most resilient. Walking the Kumayri streets with that knowledge gives the neighbourhood a different resonance — these buildings are not just picturesque, they are survivors.