Ashtarak (
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: , meaning
tower in Armenian; also Romanized as
Achtarak and
Ashtarakats’ Gyugh) is an industrial city in
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, on the Kasagh River gorge approx. 20 km northwest from
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, and is the capital of
AragatsotnAragatsotn is a province of Armenia. It is in the west of the country, and its capital is Ashtarak. The name means "a foot of Aragats" . During the Arsacid Dynasty of the Kingdom of Armenia, the region was part of the Ayrarat province...
province. This city, with 30,000 inhabitants, is an important crossroad of routes to the three of the most important Armenian cities:
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
,
GyumriGyumri is the capital and largest city of the Shirak Province in northwest Armenia...
and
VanadzorVanadzor is the third-largest city in Armenia with a population of 107,394 and the capital of the Lori Province...
.
According to a legend, three sisters lived in Ashtarak, all of whom fell in love with the same man, prince Sargis.
Ashtarak (
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: , meaning
tower in Armenian; also Romanized as
Achtarak and
Ashtarakats’ Gyugh) is an industrial city in
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, on the Kasagh River gorge approx. 20 km northwest from
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, and is the capital of
AragatsotnAragatsotn is a province of Armenia. It is in the west of the country, and its capital is Ashtarak. The name means "a foot of Aragats" . During the Arsacid Dynasty of the Kingdom of Armenia, the region was part of the Ayrarat province...
province. This city, with 30,000 inhabitants, is an important crossroad of routes to the three of the most important Armenian cities:
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
,
GyumriGyumri is the capital and largest city of the Shirak Province in northwest Armenia...
and
VanadzorVanadzor is the third-largest city in Armenia with a population of 107,394 and the capital of the Lori Province...
.
History
According to a legend, three sisters lived in Ashtarak, all of whom fell in love with the same man, prince Sargis. The elder two sisters decided to commit suicide in favor of the youngest one. One wearing an
apricotThe Apricot is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus...
-orange dress and the other wearing a red dress, they threw themselves into the gorge. When the youngest sister found out, she put on a white dress and also threw herself into the gorge. Sargis then became a
hermitA hermit is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion from society....
and three small churches appeared at the edge of the gorge, named after sisters' dress colors.
Best preserved of them is
KarmravorKarmravor or Surb Astvatsatsin is a 7th century Armenian church built by priests Gregory and Manas...
(meaning
reddish because of the color of its dome) church which dates back to the 7th century, and is dedicated to the Mother of God (Surb Astvatsatsin). It has a small cruciform central-plan, with a reddish/apricot colored dome, and an octagonal drum. Other churches include,
SpitakavorThe church of Spitakavor is located at the edge of a gorge in the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia. It may be seen across the gorge from the church of Surb Sarkis, but is easiest reached via the streets of the neighborhood that it sits within...
(meaning
whitish because of its color) was built between the 5th-6th centuries, and
TsiranavorThe church of Tsiranavor is located at the edge of a gorge in the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia. It may be seen across the gorge from the church of Surb Sarkis, but is easiest reached via the streets of the neighborhood that it sits within...
(meaning
apricotish because of its color) built between the 13th-14th centuries may both be found along the edge of the gorge. (Note: Some confusion has seemed to have occurred due to the misplacement of the Russian markers located inside the two churches. Anyone that lives in the city around the area will tell you that Spitakavor is the white church, and Tsiranavor is the apricot colored church.)
The city boasts two more churches, including the church of
Surb Sarkis (Saint Sargis)The church of Saint Sargis is located at the edge of a gorge opposite the town of Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia. It is situated at an attractive point at a promontory overlooking the gorge and offers a fine view to the three churches of Tsiranavor, Spitakavor, and Karmravor...
, supposedly built in the 19th century on an old foundation. It is situated at an attractive point at a promontory overlooking the gorge and offers a fine view to the previously mentioned three churches. The outer walls of the structure were almost completely restored recently and the interior walls remain the same. Some pieces of the outer walls remain sitting next to the church with carvings on them. The town's largest church
Surb MarianeThe church of Saint Mariane is centrally located in the town of Ashtarak in theAragatsotn province of Armenia. Nearby are the churches of Karmravor , Spitakavor, Tsiranavor, and Surb Sarkis. There is also a unique bridge of 1664 in the gorge nearby.- Architecture :S...
is located in the center of town. It was constructed in the year 1271 and has a rectangular plan from the outside and a cruciform type plan from the inside with an octagonal drum above.
Another interesting sight is an unusual bridge that crosses the Kasagh River, located in the gorge just below the church of Surb Sarkis. It was built in 1664, and features three arches that are unequal in size.
Famous people
- Smbat Shahaziz
Smbat Shahaziz was an Armenian educator, poet and publicist.-Biography:Born in a family of a priest, he was the youngest of six brothers. He was home schooled until the age 10, and then sent to Lazarian College in Moscow...
, poet
- Norair Sisakian
Norair Martirosovich Sisakian was a Soviet Armenian biochemist, academic, one of the founders of space biology, an outstanding organizer of science, a member of the Pugwash movement of scientists for peace...
, academic
- Gevorg Emin
Gevorg Emin was an Armenian poet, essayist, and translator,Emin was born Gevorg Muradian, the son of a school teacher, in the town of Ashtarak....
, poet
External links