Culture Ministry calls for suspending Yerevan market reconstruction

Armenia’s Ministry of Culture has asked the Yerevan City Hall to suspend the development activities at the Covered Market, arguing that the reconstruction does not fall within its previously proposed scheme. 

It says in a statement that the reconstruction plan was aimed at restoring and reinforcing the backward walls and recovering the arcs of the building (which is considered a architectural monument).

The Ministry claims that the activities carried out so far do not correspond to the requirements laid out in design documents (which envisaged the partial dismantlement of reinforced concrete segment(. The Ministry says that in a May 13 statement to the City Hall, it called for taking appropriate measures for preventing, suspending and establishing control over the illegal development activities on the territory.

President of the Union of Architects Mkrtich Minasyan said at a press conference earlier today that he is very disappointed over the fruitless efforts to protect the Covered Market.