During the first years of Armenia’s independence, in the course of the Karabakh war, the country had to endure a heavy transport blockade. In those years, the southern border with Iran became a source of life for Armenia. Trucks with Iranian products were being unloaded directly on the central square, and, by coincidence, were being sold directly on a street with a "Persian" name, Ferdowsi.

In the beginning, traders were mostly Iranians. Then, over time, when they began to bring in goods from other countries, the demand for Iranian goods fell, and they left, and there gradually began to appear Armenian merchants, " says Lilia, who has worked in the market for around 8 years.

Today, the market offers mostly goods from Turkey and China, and rarely from Iran. According to the traders, the market provides jobs of more than 600 people. Unlike other capital markets, traders are mainly buyers themselves and cannot afford to employ salespeople.