Gavar ( ) is a town in

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 ...

serving as the administrative centre of the Gavar Municipality and the

Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik is inhabited by approximately 209,669 people and the majority are ethnic Armenian ...

. It is situated among the high mountains of Gegham range to the west of

Lake Sevan Lake Sevan () is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater Alpine lake, high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, at an altitude of abov ...

, with an average height of 1982 meters above sea level. Located 98 kilometers east of 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 ...

, the town had a population of 20,765 as per the 2011 census. As per the 2022 census, the population of Gavar is 17,741. Gavar is the seat of the Diocese of Gegharkounik 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 ...

Etymology

The town was known as ''Nor Bayаzet'' (Նոր Բայազետ) or ''Novo-Bayazet'' () until 1959, named after the

Western Armenia Western Armenia (Western Armenian: Արեւմտեան Հայաստան, ''Arevmdian Hayasdan'') is a term to refer to the western parts of the Armenian highlands located within Turkey (formerly the Ottoman Empire) that comprise the historic ...

n town of Bayazet (historically known as ''Daroynk'' and ''Arshakavan''). Between 1959 and 1995, the town was known as ''Kamo'', named after the Bolshevik revolutionary Kamo (Simon Ter-Petrosian). On December 4, 1995, the town was renamed back to its ancient name of ''Gavar'', meaning ''county'' in the

Armenian language Armenian (endonym: , , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language and the sole member of the independent branch of the Armenian language family. It is the native language of the Armenians, Armenian people and the official language of ...

. However, Gavar is colloquially known as ''Kyavar'' (Քյավառ) since the 19th century.

History

The modern town of Gavar was founded as ''Novo-Bayazet'' (''New Bayazit'') in 1830 around west of the Lake Sevan, on the site of the ancient city of Gavar or Gyavar, following the immigration of 8,557 Armenians from the town of Bayazit (historically known as ''Daroynk'' and ''Arshakavan'') of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

due to the

Russo-Turkish war The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...

of 1828-1829. The settlement achieved the status of a town in 1850. However, the area of modern-day Gavar has been inhabited since the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

. Many historical tombstones, dating back to the 2nd millennium BC are founded in Gavar. The remains of a cyclopean fort dating back to the early

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

, are found on a hill at the centre of the town. It is believed that the fortress was the royal capital of the Uelikuhi region within the

Urartu Urartu was an Iron Age kingdom centered around the Armenian highlands between Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and Lake Sevan. The territory of the ancient kingdom of Urartu extended over the modern frontiers of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Armenia.Kleiss, Wo ...

kingdom. It was surrounded with more than 22 minor fortifications. The region of Uelikuhi was conquered by the Urartian king Sarduri II. His son,

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 ...

renamed the fortress in honour of Khaldi; one of the three chief deities of Ararat. Gavar was known as the “City of Khaldi” while the nearby village of Tsovinar was known as the “City of Teisheba.” Urartian cuneiform inscriptions of Rusa II commemorating his victory over the kings of Uelikuhi and establishing the fortress of Khaldi in 732 BC were discovered in 1927, and are now held in the city’s history museum. The Artsvakar neighbourhood of Gavar is also home to another Iron Age fortress, dating back to the

2nd millennium BC File:2nd millennium BC montage.jpg, 400x400px, From top left clockwise: Hammurabi, Babylonian king, best known for his Code of Hammurabi, code of laws; The gold Mask of Tutankhamun, funerary mask of Tutankhamun has become a symbol of ancient Egypt ...

After the establishment of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia, the territory of modern-day Gavar was included within the Gegharkunik canton at the north of the historic Syunik province of Armenia Major. Many other ancient and medieval monuments, including monasteries,

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

s (cross-stones), cuneiform inscriptions, gravestones and a chapel are also found in the town. The Hatsarat neighbourhood (a separate village until the 1960s) is home to the Hatsarat Monastery with 2 churches dating back to the 7th and 19th centuries. Over the centuries, the area of modern-day Gavar had been severely destroyed, with the latest taking place during the 17th century, when it was ruined by Shah

Abbas I of Persia Abbas I (; 27 January 1571 – 19 January 1629), commonly known as Abbas the Great (), was the fifth Safavid shah of Iran from 1588 to 1629. The third son of Shah Mohammad Khodabanda, he is generally considered one of the most important rulers i ...

. In 1828, after the Russo-Persian War, the region of Gegharkunik—as a part of the Erivan Khanate—was handed over to 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

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 ...

signed on 21 February 1828. In 1830, the Armenian migrants from Bayazit founded the village of Novo-Bayazet. With the establishment of the

Erivan Governorate The Erivan Governorate was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its centеr in Erivan (present-day Yerevan). Its area was 27,830 sq. kilometеrs, roughly corresponding to what is now most of central ...

in 1850, Novo-Bayazet became the centre of the newly formed Nor Bayazet uezd. Prince Mkrtich Artsruni with his wife Srbuhi

Novo-Bayazet, along with many other regions of Eastern Armenia became part of the USSR in December 1920. After achieving the status of an urban-type settlement in 1950, the town has gradually grown over the years. In 1959, the town was known as Kamo, named after the Bolshevik revolutionary Kamo. It was once home to 36,400 people at the beginning of the 1980s. After the independence of Armenia in, the town was renamed Gavar in 1995 and became the provincial centre of the newly established

. However, much of the Soviet-era infrastructure of the town has failed and the industrial capacity has floundered. As a result, the population of Gavar has drastically declined to 23,302 as reported in the 2001 census, 20,765 in the 2011 census and later to 17,741 as reported in the 2022 census.

Geography and climate

At an average height of 1982 meters above sea level, Gavar is situated on the shores of Gavaraget river. The town is dominated by the Gegham mountains from the west and the

from the east. At a height of 3,597 meters, mount Azhdahak is located around 15 km southwest of Gavar. The town is surrounded by a number of villages including Noratus from the east, Karmirgyugh and Gandzak from the south.

Climate

Gavar features a

humid continental Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

Dfb) climate, which is characterized by cold winters and warm summers. The annual precipitation level is 450 mm.

Demographics

Religion

The people of Gavar are mainly Christians and belong to the

. The town has many medieval chapels and churches. The Surp Karapet Church of 1848 is among the well-preserved churches in Gavar. The Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God in Gavar is the seat of the Diocese of Gegharkunik of the Armenian Church. It was built in 1905 at the central square of the town, with the efforts of then-bishop Khoren Muradbegian with help of the local citizens. Until the late 1990s, it was the highest church in Armenia in terms of altitudes. The town is also home to many other churches including: *Hatsarat Monastery with the churches of the Holy Mother of God (7th century) and Saint Gregory the Illuminator (19th century). * Hayravank Monastery of the 9th century: located 7 kilometers north of Gavar on the shores of

. *Surp Khach (Holly Cross) chapel of the 17th century, renovated in 1969. *Surp Karapet Church built by Barsegh Artsruni in 1848 and entirely renovated in 2012. The Noratus cemetery archaeological site is located in the Noratus village just 4 kilometers east of Gavar. It is home to a large number of impressive medieval

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

s (cross-stones).

Culture

Gavar has a history museum, a cultural palace, a drama theatre, many public libraries and monument dedicated to the victims of the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The town has an educational teaching centre (1923), school of music (1945), palace of culture (1970), school of art (1982), public library (2002), and a special school of

duduk The duduk ( ; ) or tsiranapogh (, meaning "apricot-made wind instrument"), is a double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood originating from Armenia. Variations of the Armenian duduk appear throughout the Caucasus, the Balkans, and the ...

named after Gevorg Dabaghyan (2010). The municipality runs a youth creativity centre as well. Gavar has a portal which is used by many citizens abroad. The name of the portal is ''Kyavar'', as the locals pronounce the name of the city with a "ky" sound instead of a "g" sound at the beginning of the name.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Gavar is closely related with the oriental cuisine elements, characterized with various spices, vegetables, fish, and fruits combination. Kyavari Kyufta (

kofta Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in South Asian, Central Asian, Balkan, Middle Eastern, North African, and South Caucasian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced meat—usually beef, chicken, ...

of Gavar), the town's most favourite dish, is made from minced meat spiced with onions and rolled into balls before boiling in water. Served in slices, it is garnished with butter. People of Gavar like to eat bread with almost everything, and the two traditional types of bread in Gavar are

lavash Lavash (; ) is a thin flatbread usually leavened, traditionally baked in a tandoor (''tonir'' or ''tanoor'') or on a '' sajj'', and common to the cuisines of South Caucasus, West Asia, and the areas surrounding the Caspian Sea. Lavash is one ...

and

matnakash Matnakash () is a leavened traditional Armenian bread. The word ''matnakash'' means "finger draw" or "finger pull", referring to the way the bread is prepared. It is made of wheat flour with yeast or sourdough starter. It is shaped into oval or ro ...

. The ''Kyavar baklava'' is a many-layered pastry with tissue-thin sheets of

phyllo Filo or phyllo is a very thin Leavening agent, unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and ''börek'' in Middle Eastern cuisine, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Filo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of filo ...

dough, filled with nuts and sugar and finished with a dousing of hot honey.

Transportation

Gavar is located on the M-10 Motorway that connects the town with northeastern Armenia. The H-39 Road connects Gavar with the surrounding town and villages. Gavar has an airstrip since the Soviet years, located to the north of the town.

Economy

After being granted the status of an urban-type settlement in 1950, the town became one of the major industrial centres of 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 ...

. It was home to a large electrical cable factory known as ''Kamokabel'' as well as a machines manufacturing plant. However, after the independence of Armenia in 1991, most of the Soviet-era industry has dreadfully declined. However, the local economy is improving within slow rates as many native businessmen are returning to Gavar from Russia in the hope of finding new chances of investments. Currently, Gavar is home to the "Gavar Furniture Factory" since 1948, the "Sevan Mineral Water Plant" founded in 1953 (reopened in 2015), the "Aquatic LLC" for processed

crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some spe ...

founded in 2002, the "Kirakosyan" furniture factory founded in 2006, and the "Shushan Production Cooperative" for soft drinks.

Services

Gavar has a medical centre, a central hotel known as ''Khaldi'', a local TV station known as ''Kyavar TV'' and many branches of local Armenian banks.

Education

Education continues to be one of the main values in the society of Gavar. A literacy rate of 99% was reported as early as 1960. Nowadays, there are nine public education schools, six nursery schools, four specialized technical intermediate colleges, one sports school, two music and art schools, one special school for children with special educational needs and one university in the town of Gavar. The Gavar State University was opened in 1993 after the independence of Armenia. With its five faculties the Gavar University is a major educational centre for the entire province of Gegharkunik. The University provides degrees in

Philology Philology () is the study of language in Oral tradition, oral and writing, written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also de ...

Natural Sciences Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

Economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

and

Education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

. Nowadays, more than 2,400 students are attending the university. The Gavar Special School is the only school for mentally and physically handicapped children in the region. It is currently carrying out steps towards improvement and development with the assistance of its partners and sponsors on its way to become a leading institution among the special schools in Armenia.

Sport

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

and

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

are popular in the town. The sports school of Gavar was opened in 1971 and currently provides trainings in many team and individual sports, including martial arts,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

futsal Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

weightlifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

, etc.

Hovhannes Goharyan Hovhannes Goharyan (; born 18 March 1988) is a retired Armenian footballer and currently a manager. He last played for the Armenian Premier League club Ulisses FC in 2015. Career Goharyan's senior club career grew from Lokomotiv Moscow (2007� ...

from Gavar, has played as a striker for the

Armenia national football team The Armenia national football team () represents Armenia in men's international football, and is controlled by the Football Federation of Armenia, the governing body for football in Armenia. After gaining independence from the Soviet Union, ...

in 2009-10. In December 2011, the renowned Armenian player

Henrikh Mkhitaryan Henrikh Mkhitaryan ( ; born 21 January 1989) is an Armenian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Inter Milan. Mkhitaryan won four Armenian Premier League titles with Pyunik, and joined Metalurh Donetsk in 2009; he moved ...

visited the town along with the president of the FFA Ruben Hayrapetyan for charity purposes.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Gavar is twinned with: *

Novorossiysk Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was History In antiquity, the shores of the ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, since 2009

Notable people

Here are some notable people who were born or raised in the town of Gavar: * Ivan Gevorkian (1907-1989), Soviet-Armenian surgeon and scientist * Samvel Kocharyants (1909-1993), Soviet Armenian engineer and developer of the first Soviet nuclear warheads for ballistic missiles. *

Frunze Dovlatyan Frunze Vaghinaki Dovlatyan (; May 26, 1927 – August 30, 1997) was an Armenian film director, screenwriter and actor. Biography Frunze Dovlatyan was born in Gavar, Soviet Armenia, a brother to Vram Dovlatyan. He was a theater actor before bec ...

(1927–1997), film director, actor and screenwriter * Hranush Hakobyan (1954-), politician and current minister of diaspora *

, former professional football player * Heghine Rapyan, pianist

Gallery

Գավառ քաղաքի հրապարակ.jpg Gavar Holy Mother of God church (4).jpg Katedralo de Gavar, Gegharkunik.jpg Gavar Holy Mother of God church 01.jpg Holy Mother of God Church, Gavar by ArmAg (10).jpg Holy Mother of God Church, Gavar by ArmAg (17).jpg Holy Mother of God Church, Gavar by ArmAg (21).jpg Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցի (Գավառ) 2.jpg Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցի (Գավառ) 4.jpg Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցի (Գավառ) 5.jpg Arnegh Monastery (2).jpg -Առնեխի վանական համալիր 5.jpg Arnegh Monastery (22).jpg Arnegh Monastery (30).jpg -Առնեխի վանական համալիր 6.jpg Arnegh Monastery (63).jpg -Գավառ, Սուրբ Կարապետ եկեղեցի 1.jpg Gavar Saint Karapet (03).jpg Artsvatrich chapel (02).jpg Artsvatrich chapel (48).jpg Artsvatrich chapel (49).jpg Artlernejo de Gavar.jpg Iama kinejo en Gavar.jpg Malnova konstruaĵo de Gavar.jpg Registara konstruaĵo-Gavar.jpg Rusa koloniisma konstruaĵo.jpg Stalinisma konstruaĵo de Gavar.jpg Gavar Saint Stepanos chapel (49).jpg Հուշարձան Երկրորդ աշխարհամարտում զոհվածներին, Գավառ.jpg

References

;Notes ;References

External links

Gavar town council official website

Nor Bayazet Community Development Charitable Fund of Gavar

Gavar State University

Kyavari Cuisine in Yerevan

Armeniapedia.org: Gavar
{{Authority control Populated places in Gegharkunik Province Erivan Governorate Populated places established in 1830 1830 establishments in the Russian Empire