Armavir (, ), is a

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

(''marz'') in the western part of

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. Located in the Ararat plain dominated by

Mount Ararat Mount Ararat, also known as Masis or Mount Ağrı, is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in Eastern Turkey, easternmost Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest p ...

from the south and

Mount Aragats Mount Aragats (, ) 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 Highlands. The Ar ...

from the north, the province's capital is the town of Armavir while the largest city is

Vagharshapat Vagharshapat ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Armenia, 5th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border ...

(Etchmiadzin). The province shares a -long border with

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

to the south and west. The province is home to the spiritual centre of the Armenian nation; the

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (), known in Armenian as simply the Mother See (Մայր Աթոռ, ''Mayr At’oř''), is the governing body of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is headquartered around Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Vagharshapat (Etc ...

of the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

. It is the seat of the

Catholicos of All Armenians The Catholicos of All Armenians () is the chief bishop and spiritual leader of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the worldwide Armenian diaspora. The Armenian Catholicos (plural Catholicoi) is also known as the Armenian ...

. The province is named after the ancient city of Armavir founded in 331 BC. The province is also the site of the decisive

Battle of Sardarabad The Battle of Sardarabad (; ) was a battle of the Caucasus campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarapat, Armenia, Sardarabad, Armenia, from 21 to 29 May 1918, between the regular Armenian military units and militia on one side and the ...

in 1918 that resulted in the foundation of the

Republic of Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to the east, and Ir ...

. The battle is seen as a crucial historical event not only in stopping the Turkish advance into the rest of Armenia but also preventing the complete

destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kin ...

of the Armenian nation. The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is also located in Armavir Province near the town of Metsamor. The Yerevan

Zvartnots International Airport Zvartnots International Airport () is located near Zvartnots, west of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. It acts as the main international airport of Armenia and is Yerevan's main international transport hub. It is the busiest airport in ...

is located near the village of Parakar in Armavir Province ( west of Yerevan).

Etymology

The province is named after the ancient city of Armavir, one of the 13 historic capitals of Armenia. According to

Movses Khorenatsi Movses Khorenatsi ( 410–490s AD; , ) was a prominent Armenians, Armenian historian from late antiquity and the author of the ''History of Armenia (book), History of the Armenians''. Movses's ''History of the Armenians'' was the first attempt at ...

, ancient Armavir was built by Aramayis; the grandson of

Hayk Hayk (, ), also known as Hayk Nahapet (, , ), is the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation. His story is told in the ''History of Armenia'' attributed to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi and in the ''Primary History'' ...

, who moved from Taron to the Ararat plain.

Geography

Armavir has an area of 1,242 km² (4.2% of total area of Armenia) making it the smallest province of the country in terms of the total area. It is bordered by the Turkish provinces of

Kars Kars ( or ; ; ) is a city in northeast Turkey. It is the seat of Kars Province and Kars District.� ...

from the west and

Iğdır Iğdır (; or ; ; or ) is a city in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Iğdır Province and Iğdır District.

from the south, with a length of 130.5 km borderline, where

Aras River The Aras is a transboundary river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan, between Iran and both Azerbaijan and Armenia, and, fin ...

separates Armenia from Turkey. Domestically, it is bordered by

Aragatsotn Province Aragatsotn (, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''Marz (country subdivision), 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 Sta ...

from the north,

Ararat Province Ararat (, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''marz (territorial entity), marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is the town of Artashat, Armenia, Artashat. The province is named after the biblical Mount Ararat. It i ...

from the east and the capital

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

from the northeast. Arevashat and Hayanist from the air

Historically, the current territory of the province mainly occupies the canton of ''Aragatsotn'', along with small parts of ''Arsharunik'' and ''Masyatsotn'' cantons of the

Ayrarat Ayrarat () was the central province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, located in the plain of the upper Aras River. Most of the historical capitals of Armenia were located in this province, including Armavir, Yervandashat, Artashat, Vagharsha ...

province of Ancient Armenia. The province is entirely located at the heart of the Ararat plain, mainly consisted of agricultural lands, with an average height of 850 meters above sea level, with some plains reaching up to 1,200 meters. Metsamor river (also known as Sevjur river) is the only river that originates from the province. The small lake of Ayger located near the Aknalich village, is among the few water surfaces of the province. Armavir Province is characterized with dry

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...

, with hot summers and mildly cold winters.

History

The territory of ancient Armavir was inhabited since the 5th millennium BC. Many sites including the Metsamor Castle, Shresh hill and Mokhrablur hill date back to the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

period. The ancient Urartian settlement of Argishtikhinili was founded in 776 BC by king

Argishti I Argishti I, was the sixth known king of Urartu, reigning from 786 BC to 764 BC. He founded the citadel of Erebuni in 782 BC, which is the present capital of Armenia, Yerevan. Alternate transliterations of the name include ''Argishtis'', ''Argisti' ...

. One of the oldest written records about the region was found in the inscriptions left by the Urartian king

Rusa II Rusa II was king of Urartu between around 680 BC and 639 BC. It was during his reign that the massive fortress complex, Karmir-Blur, was constructed.Ian Lindsay and Adam T. Smith, ''A History of Archaeology in the Republic of Armenia'', Journal ...

(685–645 BC). It is believed that the town of

was founded by king

in 685 BC as ''Kuarlini'' (Կուարլինի). ArgishtihiniliWalls02

According to

, the territories of modern-day Armavir Province mainly occupy the central part of the historic

province at the centre of the

Armenian Highland The Armenian highlands (; also known as the Armenian upland, Armenian plateau, or Armenian tableland) Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquit ...

. It contains parts of the ''Aragatsotn'' canton along with small parts of the ''Arsharunik'' and ''Masyatsotn''. The territory was among the most important regions of ancient Armenia since the Urartu period. Its strategic importance had significantly grown with the establishment of the Kingdom of Armenia in 331 BC by the

Orontid dynasty The Orontid dynasty, also known as the Eruandids or Eruandunis, ruled the Satrapy of Armenia until 330 BC and the Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Kingdom of Armenia from 321 BC to 200 BC. The Orontids ruled first as client kings or satraps of t ...

. 3 of the historic capital of Armenia are located in modern-day Armavir. The ancient city of Armavir became the capital in 331 BC until 210 BC. It was replaced by the nearby city of Yervandashat which remained the capital of the kingdom until 176 BC, under the reign of the

Artaxiad dynasty The Artaxiad dynasty (also Artashesian) ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until their overthrow by the Romans in 12 AD. It was founded by Artaxias I, who claimed kinship with the previous ruling dynasty of Armenia, the Orontids. Their ...

. Between 120 and 330 AD, the capital of the kingdom was the city of

under the

Arsacid dynasty The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe ...

. After the Christianization of Armenia in 301, Vagharshapat became the spiritual centre of the Armenians worldwide. In 405,

Mesrop Mashtots Mesrop Mashtots (; , ' 362February 17, 440 AD) was an Armenians, Armenian Linguistics, linguist, composer, Christian theology, theologian, Politician, statesman, and Hymnology, hymnologist. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic C ...

introduced the newly created

Armenian alphabet The Armenian alphabet (, or , ) or, more broadly, the Armenian script, is an alphabetic writing system developed for Armenian and occasionally used to write other languages. It is one of the three historical alphabets of the South Caucasu ...

to the Armenians in Vagharshapat. After the fall of the Armenian Kingdom in 428, the region became part of the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

of Persia until the

Arab conquest of Armenia The Muslim conquest of Armenia occurred in the mid-7th century, with the first Arab raids into the country occurring in 639/640. At that time, the Byzantine and Sasanian sections of Armenia had just been united under the Byzantine-aligned Armen ...

in the mid-7th century. Targmanchats Vank Aigeshat

By the end of the 9th century, the region became part of the newly established Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia. Between the 11th and 15th centuries, the region suffered from the Seljuk, Mongol, Ag Qoyunlu and

Kara Koyunlu The Qara Qoyunlu or Kara Koyunlu (, ; ), also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, were a culturally Persianate, Muslim Turkoman "Kara Koyunlu, also spelled Qara Qoyunlu, Turkish Karakoyunlular, English Black Sheep, Turkmen tribal federation th ...

invasions, respectively. However, the town of Vagharshapat restored its importance in 1441 when the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate was transferred from the

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

n city of

Sis Sis or SIS may refer to: People *Michael Sis (born 1960), American Catholic bishop Places * Sis (ancient city), historical town in modern-day Turkey, served as the capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. * Kozan, Adana, the current name ...

back to Etchmiadzin. At the beginning of the 16th century, the territory of modern-day Armavir became part of the ''Erivan Beglarbegi'' within the

Safavid Persia The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the beg ...

except brief Ottoman rules during Ottoman-Persian Wars between 1514 and 1736. During the first half of the 18th century, the territory became part of the

Erivan Khanate The Erivan Khanate (), also known as , was a Khanates of the Caucasus, khanate (i.e., province) that was established in Afsharid dynasty, Afsharid Iran in the 18th century. It covered an area of roughly 19,500 km2, and corresponded to most o ...

under the rule of the

Afsharid dynasty The Afsharid dynasty () was an Iran, Iranian dynasty founded by Nader Shah () of the Qirqlu clan of the Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman Afshar people, Afshar tribe, ruling over the Afsharid Empire. List of Afsharid monarchs Family tree ...

and later under the

Qajar dynasty The Qajar family (; 1789–1925) was an Iranian royal family founded by Mohammad Khan (), a member of the Qoyunlu clan of the Turkoman-descended Qajar tribe. The dynasty's effective rule in Iran ended in 1925 when Iran's '' Majlis'', conven ...

of Persia. It remained under the Persian rule until 1827–1828, when Eastern Armenia was ceded by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

as a result of the Russo-Persian War of 1826–28 and the signing of the

Treaty of Turkmenchay The Treaty of Turkmenchay (; ) was an agreement between Qajar Iran and the Russian Empire, which concluded the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828). It was second of the series of treaties (the first was the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan and the last, the ...

After the fall of the

in 1917, the

Ottoman Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...

intended to crush Armenia and seize the Russian Transcaucasia and the oil wells of

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

. In May 1918, the Ottoman forces attacked Eastern Armenia in 3 fronts. At the northern front, the Ottomans reached Karakilisa (nowadays

Vanadzor Vanadzor (, ) is an urban municipal community and the third largest city in Armenia, serving as the capital of Lori Province in the northern part of the country. It is located about north of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the city h ...

) on May 20 almost without resistance. The 2nd front was through the town of

Aparan Aparan ( , colloquially ) is a town in the Aparan Municipality of the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, about 50 kilometers northwest of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 6,451. As per the 2016 official esti ...

while the 3rd and largest front was through the town of Sardarabad (nowadays

Araks The Aras is a transboundary river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan, between Iran and both Azerbaijan and Armenia, and, fin ...

) in the Armavir region. On May 21, the detachment of ''Zihni Bey'' defeated an Armenian unit composed of 600 infantry and 250 cavalry, and then took over Sardarabad. Afterwards, the Ottoman forces advanced towards the village of Yeghegnut. The Armenian offensive led by

Daniel Bek-Pirumian Daniel-Bek Abisoghomi Pirumyan (; 22 November 1861 – 1922) was an Armenians, Armenian military commander who served in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I and in the army of the First Republic of Armenia. He was one of the commanders ...

and

Movses Silikyan Movses Silikyan or Silikov (, ; 14 September 1862 – 22 November 1937) was an Armenian general who served in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I and later in the army of the First Republic of Armenia. He is regarded as a national hero i ...

was launched in 22 May. As a result of the decisive Armenian victories over the Turks on the 3 fronts of Sardarabad, Abaran, and Gharakilisa, the Armavir region became part of the independent Armenia by the end of May 1918. After 2 years of brief independence, Armenia became part of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in December 1920. From 1930 until 1995, modern-day Armavir was divided into 3

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 c ...

s within the

Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia bordered the Soviet republics ...

: ''Baghramyan raion'', ''Hoktemberyan raion'', and ''Etchmiadzin raion''. With the territorial administration reform of 1995, the 3 raions were merged to form the Armavir Province.

Demographics

Population

According to the

1989 Soviet census The 1989 Soviet census (), conducted between 12 and 19 January of that year, was the final census carried out in the Soviet Union. The census found the total population to be 286,730,819 inhabitants. In 1989, the Soviet Union ranked as the third ...

, the Armavir Province (then part of the Baghramyan, Armavir, and Etchmiadzin districts in 1930–1995) had a population of 291,647. 107,397 or 36.82% of which was urban, distributed in the cities of Hoktemberyan (46,857) and Etchmiadzin (60,540), and 184,250 or 63.18% were rural, distributed in the districts of Baghramyan (20,438), Armavir (84,314), and Etchmiadzin (79,498). According to the 2022 official census, Armavir has a population of 253,493 (122,939 men and 126,043 women), forming around 8.6% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 80,779 (31.9%) and the rural is 172,714 (68.1%). The province has 3 urban and 94 rural communities. The largest urban community is the town of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), with a population of 44,837. The other urban centres are Armavir and Metsamor. With a population of 5,584, the village of Parakar is the largest rural municipality of Armavir.

Ethnic groups and religion

The majority of the Armavir Province population are ethnic Armenians who belong to the

. The regulating body of the church is the Diocese of Armavir, headed by Bishop Sion Adamyan. The Saint Gregory of Narek Cathedral in the town of Armavir is the seat of the diocese. However, there is a significant number of

Yazidis Yazidis, also spelled Yezidis (; ), are a Kurdish languages, Kurdish-speaking Endogamy, endogamous religious group indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. The major ...

in Armavir totaling around 17,000 people, mainly in the villages of Zartonk, Yeraskhahun, Nalbandyan, Yeghegnut, Artashar, Nor Artagers and the small village of Ferik where the Yazidis form the majority. The village of Aknalich is the site of the largest Yazidi temple in the world, known as Quba Mere Diwane, which was opened in the village in September 2019. The village of Nor Artagers is also home to a small Assyrian community totaling around 260 people. They belong to the

Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East (ACOE), sometimes called the Church of the East and officially known as the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, is an Eastern Christianity, Eastern Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian denomin ...

Administrative divisions

Armavir Province is currently divided into 7 communities (''hamaynkner''), formed as a result of the local elections held on December 5, 2021, in the province : *''A cross denotes a town (urban settlement), otherwise, the settlements are villages (rural settlements).'' Rural communities and included settlements: * Aghavnatun * Aknalich * Alashkert * Amasia *

Amberd Amberd () 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 clouds" in Armenian ...

* Aragats * Araks (Armavir) * Arazap * Arevadasht * Arevashat * Arevik * Argavand * Argina * Armavir * Arshaluys * Artamet * Artashar * Aygek * Aygeshat (Armavir) * Aygeshat (Vagharshapat) * Aygevan * Bagaran * Baghramyan (Armavir) * Baghramyan (Vagharshapat) * Bambakashat *

Berkashat Berkashat () is a village in the Armavir Province of Armenia. See also *Armavir Province Armavir (, ), is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''marz'') in the western part of Armenia. Located in the Ararat plain dominated by Mo ...

* Dalarik * Dasht * Doghs * Getashen * Hatsik * Haykavan * Haytagh * Hovtamej * Hushakert * Janfida * Jrashen * Karakert * Khanjyan * Koghbavan * Kyurakyan * Lenughi * Lernagog * Lernamerdz * Lukashin * Margara * Mayisyan * Merdzavan * Mrgastan * Mrgashat * Mugam * Musaler * Myasnikyan * Nalbandyan * Norakert * Nor Armavir * Nor Artagers *

Nor Kesaria Nor Kesaria () is a town in the Armavir (province), Armavir Province of Armenia. The town was founded in 1949 as a state farm for geranium oil extraction. See also *Armavir Province References * *World Gazeteer: Armenia
– World-Ga ...

* Norapat * Noravan * Parakar ** Tairov * Pshatavan * Ptghunk * Sardarapat * Shahumyan * Shahumyani trchnafabrika * Shenavan * Shenik * Talvorik * Tandzut * Taronik * Tsaghkalanj * Tsaghkunk * Tsiatsan * Vanand * Vardanashen * Yeghegnut * Yeraskhahun * Yervandashat * Zartonk

Culture

Armavir is among the richest cultural centres of the Republic of Armenia. The urban settlements of the province are home to cultural palaces as well as many public libraries. However, during the Soviet period, there were 98 public libraries in Armavir with only 21 of them are still functioning. The town of Vagharshapat is home to a large number of museums including the Vagharshapat ethnographic museum, Khoren Ter-Harutyunyan museum and art gallery, Mher Abeghian museum and art gallery, and Hovhannes Hovhannisyan house-museum. Many museums and libraries are housed in the complex of the

, including: *Etchmiadzin Cathedral Museum, *Catholicosal Museum, *Khrimian Museum, *Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury House, *Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Manuscript Depository, *Printing house and Bookstore of the Mother See. *Rouben Sevak Museum The village of Musaler is home to the annual celebration of the

Musa Dagh Musa Dagh (; ; ; meaning "Moses Mountain") is a mountain in the Hatay Province of Turkey. In 1915, it was the location of a successful Armenian resistance to the Armenian genocide, an event that inspired Franz Werfel to write the novel '' The ...

resistance, when thousands of Armenians from all over the world arrive in the village each year during the month of September, to celebrate the event around the Musa Dagh memorial. The famous Sardarapat Memorial complex, including the Armenia Ethnography Museum is located in the village of

, around 10 km southwest of the provincial centre Armavir.

Fortresses and archaeological sites

* Metsamor archaeological site of Taronik, 5th millennium BC, *Mokhrablur settlement in Griboyedov, 2nd millennium BC, * Argishtikhinili ancient city, 8th century BC, * Shenik, 5th to rd centuries BC. * Armavir ancient city, founded in 331 BC.

Churches and monasteries

and

Etchmiadzin Cathedral Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the Mother church#Church as a building, mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located in the city Dual naming, dually known as Etchmiadzin (Ejmiatsin) and Vagharshapat, Armenia. It is #Oldest cathedral, usuall ...

, founded in 303, *

Saint Hripsime Church Saint Hripsime Church is a seventh-century Armenian Apostolic church in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), Armenia. It was built in 618 by Catholicos Komitas over the tomb of Hripsime, a Roman virgin murdered by Tiridates III and a key ...

, opened in 618, * Saint Gayane Church, opened in 630, *

Zvartnots Cathedral Zvartnots Cathedral ( (Classical Armenian orthography, classical); (Armenian orthography reform, reformed), sometimes rendered in scholarly works as Zuart'nots' or Zuart'noc' ; 'place of reserection/lifefulness/joyfulness') is a medieval Arme ...

, opened in 652, * Targmanchats monastery of Aygeshat, 6th-7th centuries, * Shoghakat Church, opened in 1694, * Holy Mother of God Cathedral, opened in 1767. *Surp Harutyun Church of Parakar, opened in 1855. *Holy Mother of God Church in Sardarapat, opened in 1882. *Holy Mother of God Church in Bambakashat, opened in 1901

Transportation

The

of Yerevan is located within the territorial boundaries of Armavir Province. The province is connected with Yerevan and southern Armenia through the M-5 Motorway, while the M-3 Motorway connects Armavir with northern Armenia. The town of Armavir was founded as a railway station connecting Yerevan with Gyumri and northern Armenia. The station was renovated during the 1st decade of the 21st century. In November 2009, the station was provided with an

electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a Battery (electricity), battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime mover (locomotive), ...

that connects Armavir with the Aragatsavan station and the northwestern Armenia.

Economy

Agriculture and viticulture

Occupying a major part of the fertile Ararat plain, Armavir Province has a major contribution in the agricultural sector of the Republic of Armenia. The economy of the province is largely based on agriculture, including farming and cattle-breeding. Around 78% (970 km²) of the total area of the province are

arable land Arable land (from the , "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the purposes of a ...

s, out of which 40% (388 km²) are ploughed. The main crops are grapes, apricot, peach, plum, grains, dry seeds and vegetables. Currently, the province has a contribution of 17.8% in the annual total agricultural product of Armenia. Armavir is among the leading provinces of Armenia in

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

production in terms of grape cultivation and wine export (along with Ararat and Vayots Dzor). The Baghramyan and Arax poultry farms are located in the villages of Myasnikyan and Jrarbi respectively. Recently,

fish farming Fish farming or pisciculture involves commercial breeding of fish, most often for food, in fish tanks or artificial enclosures such as fish ponds. It is a particular type of aquaculture, which is the controlled cultivation and harvesting of ...

has significantly developed in the province. Starting 2004

Children of Armenia Fund Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) (Armenian language, Armenian: «Հայաստանի Մանուկներ» բարեգործական հիմնադրամ (ՔՈԱՖ)) is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit, Non-governmental organization, non-government ...

started to work in Armavir region, Karakert. While asking for a glass of water from an old man sitting in front of his house, Dr. Armen learned that the villagers had to buy

drinking water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

from the nearest city. This shock and the long conversation that followed determined Karakert as the location for Children of Armenia Fund to begin their work; starting by addressing the lack of water, heating, toilets and other infrastructure improvements necessary for communities and schools. In 2004, with the organization's first donations, COAF began the renovation of the Karakert village school. The drastic changes in Karakert inspired nearby villages in Armavir to join COAF programs. COAF started to work in a cluster approach, grouping nearby villages for infrastructure improvements and programs. In 2006, COAF grew to 18 villages in Armavir, implementing the organization's style of community engaged programs, growing to include healthy lifestyle curriculum in schools, after school clubs, psychological support, youth empowerment, as well as professional trainings and supervision by COAF experts.

Industry

The province has a contribution of 4% in the annual total industrial product of Armenia. The industry of the province is mainly based on food-processing and alcoholic drinks. The town of Vagharshapat was home to the 1st paper factory in the history of Armenia. In 1780, Catholicos Simeon I of Yerevan founded the Etchmiadzin Paper Factory which only served for 6 years. The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is the largest plant in Armavir and the entire republic. It was opened in 1969 near the town of Metsamor and produces around 40% of the consumed electricity in Armenia. *The ancient city of Argishtikhinili located within the territories of Armavir Province, was a major centre for wine production. Large storage areas for wine and grains were found by archaeologists within the fortifications of the ancient town dating back to the 8th century BC. The wine produced in Armavir is mainly from the vineyards of the Ararat plain. ** Echmiadzin Winery for wine, brandy and vodka, opened in 1928 in

. ** MAP Winery for brandy and wine, opened in 1942 in Lenughi. ** Yerevan Brandy Company-Armavir branch, opened in 1966 in Armavir. **Merdzavan Brandy Factory for cognac, wine and vodka, opened in 1998 in Merdzavan. **Karas Winery (Tierras de Armenia), opened in 2003 in Arevadasht. **Winar Winery (Brest Wine Factory), opened in 2004 in Norapat. **Parakar Wine-Brandy House, opened in 2005 in Parakar. **Armen Alco for brandy, opened in 2008 in Aygeshat. **Voskeni Wines, opened in 2008 in

. **Arpenik Winery for wine and brandy, opened in 2009 in Arshaluys. **Alvan Alco Winery for wine and brandy, opened in 2010 in Lukashin. **Interalco Winery for brandy, opened in 2014 in Aygeshat. ** Proshyan Brandy Factory-Armavir village branch, in Armavir. *Ejmiadzin became an important industrial centre during the Soviet years. It was home to 4 major industrial firms specialized in the production of military technology. However, the productivity of the plants declined after the fall of the Soviet Union. Currently, the largest industrial firms of the town are the "Echmiadzin Instrument Making Factory" founded in 1966, the "E.P.G. Echmiadzin Cannery" founded in 1969, the "Echmiadzin Kat" dairy factory founded in 1997, the "Sonimol" plant for grains founded in 2001, and the "Ekologia V.K.H." biological waste destruction plant founded in 2009. *Being close the capital

, the villages of Parakar and Tairov are home to a large number of small and middle-size plants, including furniture manufacturing workshops and producers of polymeric materials. The village of Musaler is home to a factory for polyethylene products and a plant for heavy-duty paper products. The village of Merdzavan has a clothing and sewing factory.

Tourism

The province is home to the

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s of

, Saint Gayane Church and Shoghakat Church, grouped overall as the Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots. Although it is the spiritual and religious centre of the Armenian nation worldwide, the tourism services in the province are not developed enough. However, being home to the

, Parakar is home to many gambling houses and night clubs. The Vordan Karmir Sanctuary is the only protected natural area in the province. It is home to the

Armenian cochineal The Armenian cochineal (''Porphyrophora hamelii''), also known as the Ararat cochineal or Ararat scale, is a scale insect indigenous to the Ararat plain and Aras (Araks) River valley in the Armenian Highlands, including East of Turkey. It was ...

, an insect that formerly used to produce an eponymous crimson carmine dyestuff known in Armenia as vordan karmir. The red dye of the insect was largely used in Armenian miniatures as well as other types of artworks throughout the history of ancient and medieval Armenia. The Sardarapat Battle Memorial and the Musa Dagh Resistance memorial are among the other major attractions of the province.

Education

The

in Vagharshapat is home to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary (theological university) of the

. The town is also home to the Karekin I Centre of Theology and Armenology. The Mother See also runs the Eurnekian Public School which is one of the prominent schools of Armenia. The province has the private "Grigor Lusavorich University" in the town of Vagharshapat. As of the 2015-16 educational year, Armavir has 119 schools, as well as 2 schools for special needs. As of the end of 2015, the number of the students in the schools of the province is 31,100.

Sport

Football is the most popular sport in the province.

FC Armavir FC Armavir (), formerly FC Torpedo Armavir, is a defunct Russian association football club from Armavir, founded in 1959. History Torpedo Armavir was active (mostly in the third-highest level leagues of USSR and Russia) from 1959 to 1969 and ...

represented the town of Armavir in the domestic football competitions between 1965 and 2003 before being dissolved due to financial difficulties. Likewise, FC Vagharshapat represented Etchmiadizn between 1967 and 2005 before being dissolved. The Jubilee Stadium of Armavir is the 3rd-largest football venue in Armenia. Vagharshapat is also home to a football stadium with a minor capacity. 2 football academies are currently under construction in the towns of Vagharshapat and Armavir. The construction of the Vagharshapat Football Academy is due to be completed in October 2017, while the Armavir Football Academy will be ready in October 2009. Martial arts including

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

muay thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

, sambo and

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

are also popular in the province. A new sport school is currently under construction in Vagharshapat and is due to be completed in 2019. The village of Aknalich (10 km south of Vagharshapat) is famous for the ''Ara and Aytsemnik'' equestrian centre.

Gallery

File:Zvartnots cathedral ruins.jpg,

of the 7th century, a UNESCO World heritage site File:Shoghakat.jpg, Shoghakat Church of 1694 File:Բամբակաշատի Սուրբ Աստվածածին Եկեղեցի 05.jpg, The church of Bambakashat, 1901 File:Սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի (51).JPG, The church of Shahumyan village File:Շուշանավանքն արևելքից.jpg, Sushanavank church File:Մեծամոր լիճ, Ակնա լիճ (2).JPG, Lake of Aknalich

References

;Notes ;References

External links

Armavir Province Tourist Guide
{{Authority control Provinces of Armenia Mount Ararat