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One of Yerevan's oldest bookstores is located at 45 Mashtots Avenue, with its original Eastern style amazingly well preserved up to date. 

Initially as a tobacco shop, Luys bookstore turned into a music note store, which also sold books in 1970s. Starting from 1990s, the store started to sell only books.

Luys bookstore offers its customers high-quality literature as well as souvenirs, paintings and postcards.

For 27 years, the bookseller of the store is Karen Gasparyan, who has been accustomed to working in a ‘book land’ for more than two decades.

Speaking to Panorama.am, he said the bookstore sells fiction literature in different languages, albums of world-famous artists, Armenian literature and modern philosophy books. Also, the bookstore sells second-hand books, that’s why it is often referred to as a ‘bouquiniste’ store.

“The books are mainly brought by the authors; older books are brought by people who no longer need them or aren’t interested in the books which belonged to their parents,” he says.

According to Gasparyan, the best sellers are those books which are well advertised. He says Luys bookstore has its permanent customers.

“There are people who pay a visit to the store every time they travel to Armenia in 20 years,” the bookseller says, adding the first-time visitors of the bookstore are impressed by its interior.

“Those who are familiar with the bookstore, admire the store every time they enter it, while whose who come here for the first time, are deeply impressed. No bookstore with such a design exists in Yerevan,” he concluded.