Byurakan ( hy, Բյուրական), is a major village in the

Aragatsotn Province Aragatsotn ( hy, Արագածոտն, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported ...

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

, located on the slope of

Mount Aragats Mount Aragats ( hy, Արագած, ) is an isolated four-peaked volcano massif in Armenia. Its northern summit, at above sea level, is the highest point of the Lesser Caucasus and Armenia. It is also one of the highest points in the Armenian ...

. The village is home to several historical sites including the 7th-century

Artavazik Church Artavazik Church ( hy, Արտավազիկ եկեղեցի) of the 7th century is located in a stone field one kilometer northeast just a little outside the village of Byurakan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The name of the church goes back ...

, the 10th-century basilica of Saint Hovhannes and a huge 13th-century

khachkar A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...

monument. It is also home to the

Byurakan Observatory The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, or Byurakan Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Armenian Academy of Sciences. It is located on the slope of Mount Aragats in the village of Byurakan in Armenia. History Fou ...

Byurakan Observatory

Byurakan observatory is founded in 1946 by

Viktor Hambardzumyan Viktor Amazaspovich Ambartsumian (russian: Виктор Амазаспович Амбарцумян; hy, Վիկտոր Համազասպի Համբարձումյան, ''Viktor Hamazaspi Hambardzumyan''; 12 August 1996) was a Soviet Armenian ast ...

, Armenian scientist. There are several telescopes. The diameter of the biggest telescope is 2.6m (the biggest telescope in

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

). There is also 1m Shmidt telescope.

Gallery

Image:Map of Amberd.gif, Road map of Byurakan and surrounding region. Image:Byurakan Saint Hovhannes2.JPG, Basilica of S. Hovhannes of the 10th century Image:Artavazik Church Front2.JPG, Artavazik Church of the 7th century with huge khachkar monument behind. Image:Artavazik Khachkar2.JPG, Huge khachkar monument behind Artavazik Church of the 13th century Image:Byurakan Khachkar.JPG, Pillar style khachkar with a

Maltese Cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed f ...

located behind a house in the village.

Nearby sites

Towns

Ashtarak Ashtarak (Armenian language, Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, northwest of the capital Yerevan. It is the administrative centre of ...

Oshakan Oshakan ( hy, Օշական) is a major village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia located 8 kilometers southwest from Ashtarak. It is well known to historians and pilgrims of the Armenian Apostolic Church as the site of the grave of Mesrop Mas ...

Villages

* Tegher * Agarak *

Aghtsk Aghdzk ( hy, Աղձք, formerly, ''Akhs'', ''Akis'' and ''Dzorap'' - hy, Ձորափ) is a village on the slopes of Mount Aragats in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It is home to the Arshakid Mausoleum, a large grave monument complex and bas ...

Parpi Parpi ( hy, Փարպի) is a village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It is home to the 5th-century Tsiranavor Church, with 7th- and 10th-century modifications. There is also S. Grigor or S. Grigor Lusavorich (''Gregory the Illuminator'') Ch ...

Historical sites

Amberd Amberd ( hy, Ամբերդ) is a 10th-century fortress located above sea level, on the slopes of Mount Aragats at the confluence of the Arkashen and Amberd rivers in the province of Aragatsotn, Armenia. The name translates to "fortress in the clo ...

fortress

References

*
World Gazetteer: Armenia
– World-Gazetteer.com
Report of the results of the 2001 Armenian Census
*Kiesling, ''Rediscovering Armenia'', p. 15, available online at th
US embassy to Armenia's website
Populated places in Aragatsotn Province {{Aragatsotn