Erebuni fortress town was built in 782 BC, by  Argishti I, the king of Urartu Kingdom. The name of Yerevan is etymologically derived from the name of Erebuni, and the date of foundation of the modern capital is considered to be the date of construction of Erebuni fortress. The ruins of the fortress with the museum are located directly in the city, in the administrative district of Erebuni. According to linguists, the word Erebuni means “victory”, “capture”. According to some experts, it means “the city of freedom”.

The citadel of Erebuni is built in the form of a triangle on top of the Arin-Berd hill. It has strategically located and protected fortifications with three rows of powerful fortress walls on the south-eastern slope. The Citadel was built with the use of basalt, tufa, wood and raw bricks. From the once powerful fortress walls which were 10-12 m high, only 5-6 m have survived to date, nevertheless they helped to accurately restore the general construction of the fortress city. The largest structure of the citadel is the palace, at the entrance of which adorns the ancient inscription: “In the greatness of the god Haldi, Argishti, the son of Menua, built this impregnable fortress and named it Erebuni.” This and other unique cuneiform inscriptions were found in 1950 during archaeological expeditions.