Davtashen and Ajapnyak: Yerevan's North-West
Davtashen and Ajapnyak lie across the Hrazdan gorge from the centre. One is compact and calm, the other large and varied, and both still lack a metro station.
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Two districts across the gorge
The gorge of the Hrazdan River separates central Yerevan from the north-west. Davtashen is linked to the rest of the city by the Davtashen Bridge, opened in 2000, and Ajapnyak by the Kievyan Bridge (the Great Hrazdan Bridge). So here it matters more than anywhere to work out in advance how you will get to the centre.
| Davtashen | Ajapnyak | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 6.47 km² | 25.82 km² |
| Population (2022 census) | 43,704 | 111,508 |
| Flat sales, Q2 2026 | 231 | 447 |
| Metro | none | none; Ajapnyak station planned |
| Neighbourhoods | four blocks, Northern Davtashen, Huysi Avan | Norashen, Nazarbekyan, Silikyan, Lukashin, Vahagni, Anastasavan, blocks 15 and 16 |
Davtashen: compact and calm
Davtashen is Yerevan's second-smallest district by area. It was once a village called Arajin Gyugh (First Village), renamed in 1939 to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the epic David of Sasun.
The main streets are Sasna Tsrer, Tigran Petrosyan, Pirumyanner, Aghababyan and Mikoyan. The district park has a memorial to those who died in the Second World War and the Karabakh wars, and nearby are the Holy Martyrs church, consecrated in 2003, and a statue of chess champion Tigran Petrosian.
The main drawback is reliance on the bridge: nearly all traffic to the centre goes across it, so check rush-hour journey times yourself. A Davtashen metro station was designed back in Soviet times, but the project was frozen after the 1988 earthquake and the collapse of the USSR.
Ajapnyak: large and varied
Ajapnyak is one of the city's largest districts by area. It borders Arabkir, Davtashen, Kentron and Malatia-Sebastia, and on its outer edge three provinces at once: Aragatsotn, Armavir and Kotayk.
Its neighbourhoods are very different, from Soviet high-rises in Nazarbekyan and Silikyan to detached houses in Vahagni, home to a golf club. The heart of the district is Kevork Chavush Square, and the main streets are Shiraz, Bashinjaghyan, Silikyan, Leningradyan and the Ashtarak Highway.
For walks there are Tumanyan Park and Buenos Aires Park. Being close to the Ashtarak Highway is handy if you often travel towards Ashtarak and Aragatsotn.
The future metro: hope, but do not count on it
Yerevan city hall has long planned an 11th metro station, Ajapnyak. At the end of October 2025 the mayor said construction would begin in 2026, and the government set aside 2 billion drams for the new station in the 2026 budget. The station needs a tunnel from Barekamutyun and a metro bridge across the gorge.
Projects like this often slip. Buy a flat that suits you today, and treat the metro as a pleasant bonus.
Key points
- Davtashen is compact and calm; Ajapnyak is large and varied, from panel blocks to detached houses.
- Both districts are linked to the centre by bridges over the Hrazdan, so test the commute at rush hour.
- In Q2 2026 Ajapnyak had 447 flat sales and Davtashen 231 (Cadastre data).
- Ajapnyak metro station is still only a plan: do not overpay for a future metro.
