The Tartar ( az, Tərtərçay, hy, Թարթառ) is one of the
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...
of the
Kura located in
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
. It passes through the districts of
Kalbajar
Kalbajar ( az, Kəlbəcər , ) is a city and the capital of the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan. Located on the Tartar river valley, it is away from the capital Baku.
The city had a population of 7,246 before its capture by Armenian forces on ...
,
Barda and
Tartar. Parts of the river flows through the self-proclaimed
Republic of Artsakh
Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...
's
Martakert Province
Martakert Province ( hy, Մարտակերտ) is a province of the Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The population is mainly Armenian. The province has 43 communities of which one is considered urban and 42 a ...
.
Overview
Tartar is the left tributary of Kura, the largest river in the Caucasus. The river originates in the area where Qonqur, Alaköz and Mıxtökən mountain ranges meet on
Karabakh Plateau
The Karabakh Plateau or Syunik Plateau ( hy, Սյունիքի բարձրավանդակ, translit=Syuniki bardzravandak, az, Qarabağ yaylası) is a volcanic plateau of the Lesser Caucasus, in Armenia and Azerbaijan, in the most eastern point of ...
in the vicinity of hot springs village of
Istisu located de jure in
Kalbajar Rayon of Azerbaijan and de facto in the
Martakert Province
Martakert Province ( hy, Մարտակերտ) is a province of the Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The population is mainly Armenian. The province has 43 communities of which one is considered urban and 42 a ...
of the
Republic of Artsakh
Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...
.
The altitude where the river originates from mountain springs is above sea level. The river flows eastward through the whole Kalbajar rayon (de facto
Martakert Province
Martakert Province ( hy, Մարտակերտ) is a province of the Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The population is mainly Armenian. The province has 43 communities of which one is considered urban and 42 a ...
) passing through
Kalbajar
Kalbajar ( az, Kəlbəcər , ) is a city and the capital of the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan. Located on the Tartar river valley, it is away from the capital Baku.
The city had a population of 7,246 before its capture by Armenian forces on ...
city,
Tartar and
Barda raion
A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...
s passing
through
Tartar and
Barda cities before discharging into Kura. The river has two left tributaries:
Levçay
The Levçay is one of the tributaries of the Tartarchay in western Azerbaijan.
Overview
Levçay is a left tributary of Tartarchay, a long river flowing from mountains in central Kalbajar District into Tartarchay. The latter proceeds west through ...
() and
Ağdabançay
Ağdabançay is one of the tributaries of the Tartarchay located in Karabakh region of Republic of Azerbaijan.
Overview
Ağdabançay is the left tributary of Tartarchay, a long river flowing from an altitude of in central Kalbajar District into ...
(), and one right tributary
Turağayçay
The Turağayçay is one of the tributaries of Tartarchay located ''de jure'' in Tartar District of Azerbaijan.
Overview
The Turağayçay is a left tributary of Tartarchay, a long river flowing from an altitude of in eastern Tartar Rayon into Tar ...
().
Sarsang reservoir was built on Tartar river in 1976 for electricity and irrigation purposes.
Statistical information
The river is long, and has a drainage basin of .
[Тертер]
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
The ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (GSE; ) is one of the largest Russian-language encyclopedias, published in the Soviet Union from 1926 to 1990. After 2002, the encyclopedia's data was partially included into the later ''Bolshaya rossiyskaya e ...
Tartarchay is considered one of the water-rich tributaries of Kura within Azerbaijani territory. The water volumes are sourced from rainfall (14%), snow (28%) and underground waters (58%). During spring and summer months, the snow melting in the mountains causes floods making up 65–70% of the annual water flow. In August and September, the water levels decrease. From October until November, the rainfall increases the water levels again. The average annual discharge of the river is . Average annual flow is 693.8 million m
3. The average mineralization of the river is 300–500 mg/L with hydrocarbons and calcium.
Water uses
What was once the famous resort village of
Istisu ( in
Azerbaijani), which was occupied and ruined following the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...
, is located on the lower part of the river. The resort contains both natural drinking mineral water and hot water spring for bathing. Sarsang Hydro Power Plant with capacity of 50 megawatt is operated at the
Sarsang reservoir of the river and is the main source of electric energy for the
Republic of Artsakh
Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...
(40–60%).
See also
*
Rivers and lakes in Azerbaijan
The water bodies of Azerbaijan were formed over a long geological timeframe and changed significantly throughout that period. This is particularly evidenced by remnants of ancient rivers found throughout the country. The country's water systems ar ...
*
Qarqar River
References
{{Rivers and lakes in Azerbaijan
Rivers of Azerbaijan
Tartar District
Kalbajar District
Barda District
Rivers of the Republic of Artsakh
Martakert Province