Սայթեր Մայ&#1385

[Arpa]

Sayter Mayter

Սայթեր Մայթեր

This is to show that I am not an incurable romantic chauvinist. I can sing the praises of Yerevan just as I can point out its ugly warts. Hey Ara B, could you please refresh our memory and repost you all time masterpiece of some ago- The Shithouses of Yerevan!!

First a story.

Anbakum had bought a new house. He calls the movers and they give an exorbitant estimate, $1000. When Ambakum argues the mover says; Look at this. Seghan/Meghan, ator/mator/ paharan/maharn…..So Ambakum comes up with this ingenious idea. He tells the movers; “look, I will give $500, you move the seghan, I will move the meghan, you move the ator I will move the mator….”

Sayt/սայթ means stumble and mayt/մայթ means sidewalk.

Are there any architect/city planners here?

Over ten years ago my first impression of Yerevan was; Why the Armenia Hotel (Marriott now, the big sign on the roof is removed.) was built several feet above the sidewalk and the main entrance was about 5 steps above? Subsequently, on my second visit I did notice that someone had poured an ugly ramp over the steps, not only the ramp was as primitive and ugly as can be, I can do a much better job of concrete. Not only was that ramp ugly it was a poured on a 45 degree angle, impossible for a person in need for handicap access. One must remember that many of the diasporan visitors are kind of mature and in need of ambulatory help. This time, that ugly ramp had been removed and an extended ramp along the wall was built, an eyesore regardless. There seems to be a reason why most buildings, particularly public buildings, be they hotels, restaurants, shops and more importantly government buildings are invariably are built several steps above the sidewalk. Some of them are beyond salvage, I did notice thought that Ani Plaza, when it was about 15 steps above street level had somehow been brought down. So there must be a way. My thought was, and this was corroborate by others that the reason that buildings are built above street level was either because of pests or more likely water. If it is water, aren’t there ways to address it? How wet is Yerevan? Any more wet than the NE US, or LA for that matter? There seems to be some weird esthetic element. Is it because our traditional architecture, historic churches etc. are hidden behind a million steps? There may have been a reson for that. What is our excuse today? Or is it a tribute to the hilly landscape of Yerevan Province? The hotel we are at was no exception, and mind you, it is a new building built during the past 5 years. The entrance was 5 steps above the sidewalk, and we did have a person in our entourage who had difficulty climbing needing assistance. If that was not enough, the sidewalk, beautiful basalt that was built at a level, the street being on a grade, at places the sidewalk would be half a meter above street level. Not only that a few feet down the sidewalk would abruptly be cut to accommodate another building that has an entrance below street level. This is not unique to our street, even at the chaparral the sidewalk would be cut and dipped with no warning.

Are there no blind and handicapped people in Yerevan? Yes there are. I saw many wheelchairs.

Is there a code?

Who enforces them?

Bernis, karmir piper. Aramazt mi arastse that Armenia become a litigious society like the US but at times one wishes that someone with a broken nose would sue the city and the code enforcing engineers off their pants.

 

Ang speaking of sidewalks, go and see the walkway to the not even five year old St. Illuminator Church. Once again, it is build a million steps above the street level, the steps, beautifully intact and shiny basalt but the walks between, made of formed concrete, less than five years old, are totally eroded and look like the crater size potholes of Ejmiatsin( the village). Who made those concrete slabs? The same people who built those high rises in Gumry that crumbled like a house of cards during an earthquake which was at half the richter scale that of India and Pakistan?

[Arpa]

Too little, too late!!

The licenses of all those so called architects and building designers should be revoked, and designing such buildings and sidewalks should be deemed a criminal act.

To repeat myself, it is assumed that alll natives and visitors are 18 year old gymnasts, considering that most visitors are senior citizens some in wheelchairs.

---

OWNERS OF BUILDINGS THAT DO NOT NOT ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY TO DISABLED PEOPLE WILL BE FINED

2010-11-15 22:41:00

ArmInfo. The owners of buildings that do not ensure accessibility

to disabled people will be fined, Deputy Labor and Social Security

Minister Jemma Baghdasaryan said during a press-conference today.

She said that relevant changes are to be made to the law on

administrative offenses. "We have very few buildings and sidewalks

that are accessible to disabled people and even if they exist they

are far from standard. This is a very painful problem and I hope that

the changes will make designers more responsible," Baghdasaryan said.

Unison's monitoring has shown that 83% of hospitals and 75% of courts

in Yerevan are not accessible to the disabled. "Some of the wheelchair

ramps are so steep that one can get one more disability. We have

done much on a legislative level but we still have lots of unsolved

problems," Baghdasaryan said.

----

Here we are not talking about buildings that were built a 100 years ago.

Both of the below were built during this decade.

See how steep the access is, in fact it is much steeper than shown in the pictures. Was it designed so that the churchgoers pay their penitence even before entering?

Observe that there are no 80-90 year olds in this picture.

 

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Cathedrale-erevan003.jpg

 

 

This hotel, just as many was built only 5 or 6 years ago. See how steep the entrance is.

Let me ask again. Why are all buildings in Yerevan, be they private or public are build with 5 to 10 flights of stairs above the sidewalk? Some have suggested that it is a means of flood control. You wish ?? When was the last flood in Yerevan?

 

http://www.visitarm.com/Europe_hotel/images/frontview.jpg

 

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BTW. The topic of this thread is Sayter Mayter ՍԱՅԹԵՐ ՄԱՅԹԵՐ

ՍԱՅԹ- ՍԱՅԹԱՔ Ոտքը ահիլ to slide, to slid.

At times “սայթաքիլ/saytaqil” is used to mean “to stumble, to fall” as in “falling into sin“.

ՄԱՅԹ Sidewalk. The Armatakan does not give us the etymology except that, apparently it is new word..

Is it a takeoff on “sayt” as sayt/mayt, ator/mator/ seghan/meghan, yegha/megha??

Edited November 17, 2010 by Arpa

[Harut]

why do you want a disabled person in your "obyekt" anyway? <_<

[MosJan]

teleton 2011 - verpoxel Yerevan@, dartsnel el aveli Handicapped accessible

Yete Amen HAy anjaty ir Internet@ - yev poxaren@ $25 amen amis Ugharki mez, menq.......

[Arpa]

why do you want a disabled person in your "obyekt" anyway? <_<

WHY!!!

When we were at that hotel, one of my dear friends who has very sore knees needed assistance to climb up those steep steps. And that is when she swore to never again visit Yerevan.

[Arpa]

why do you want a disabled person in your "obyekt" anyway? <_<

Yes Dear Harut. Have you seen pictures like this. These are pictures of our dear mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters;

http://comps.fotosearch.com/bigcomps/BLD/BLD014/jp2006_0003360.jpg

Edited November 17, 2010 by Arpa

[MosJan]

Arpan jisht e.. naxkinum el na barstratsrel e iys harts@..

 

michev iyd iravijakum ches haytnvum, qich djvar e patkeratsnel te "invalid" madru vijak@ inch e..

[Harut]

Yes Dear Harut. Have you seen pictures like this. These are pictures of our dear mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters;

 

it was a sarcastic comment, depicting a common attitude that existing in our society...

[Arpa]

it was a sarcastic comment, depicting a common attitude that existing in our society...

Yes Harut. I knew it was in sarcasm, but I chose to expand on it anyway.