Tsapatagh ( hy, Ծափաթաղ) is a resort village in the Shoghakat Municipality of the

Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik ( hy, Գեղարքունիք, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan. It includes the exclave of Artsvashe ...

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 ...

, on the northeastern shore of

Lake Sevan Lake Sevan ( hy, Սևանա լիճ, Sevana lich) is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, ...

Geography and nature

The village is located in the vicinity of the Tandzut river delta (not to be confused with identically named

Tandzut river The Tandzut ( hy, Տանձուտ, also Գարպի ''Garpi'') is a river in Lori Province, Northern Armenia, a right tributary of the river Pambak (river), Pambak (Kura (river), Kura basin). The source of the river is located on the Northern side ...

in the Lori province). Other sources indicate different river names, the ''Tsapatagh'' river running through the village and the ''Shishkert'' river (or the ''Shampyrt'' river) to the southeast of the village. In the surroundings of the village there is a 3,312 hectare large sanctuary with unique relict juniper and open oak woodlands with typical fauna and flora. The climate is somewhat milder than on the western shores and fruit trees like apricot trees can be grown.

Economy and tourism

The Tufenkian Hotel with adjacent solar photovoltaic installations is located in the village. To the southeast, another much larger photovoltaic station is being constructed as of 2020.

Historical heritage sites

There is a 3,000-year old burial area three kilometres to the east of the village. In the southeast, about 1.5 kilometres away, there is a cemetery with

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 ...

s dating from between the 14th and 18th centuries.

Demographics

Population

In 2014 there were 379 residents according to the local administration. In 2018 there was only one child who begun attending the local school. Many of modern local residents relocated to the village from Kushchu village of

Dashkasan Dashkasan ( az, Daşkəsən, fa, داشکسن) is a three cave complex located south-east of Soltaniyeh. Outside the caves there is a temple called Dragon Stone of Dash Kasan Caves which was built by order of Mongol king Öljaitü in the early ...

, as well as from

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...

and

Ganja Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: �aːɲd� ...

around 1988–1989. Quite a few of the houses are used only in summer by

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

residents.

Gallery

Lake Sevan (5063530234).jpg, View from the shore of Lake Sevan in Tsapatagh Tsapatagh village panorama.jpg, Panoramic view of Tsapatagh Lac Sevan-Tufenkian Avan Marak Tsapatagh Hotel (1).jpg, Hotel pool with a lake view Tufenkian Avan Marak Tsapatagh hotel (front view).jpg, Hotel premises from the main road Lac Sevan-Tufenkian Avan Marak Tsapatagh Hotel (2).jpg, Hotel pool with a mountain view

References

External links

* * Populated places in Gegharkunik Province Mountain resorts in Armenia {{gegharkunik-geo-stub