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71-482: The Mausoleum is listed as a protected site for the cultural heritage of the ethnic minorities of Armenia by the government under the “Non-Armenian historical and cultural Monuments in Syunik” category and is maintained as state property. The mausoleum sits on the crest of a hill, encircled by the arm of an oak tree. It is conical with a diameter of roughly six metres and a height in the inner chamber of just under four. It

142-499: A crew of four workers can excavate a horizontal length of 40 m (130 ft) per day. When the vertical shaft reaches 40 m (130 ft), they can excavate only 20 meters horizontally per day and at 60 m (200 ft) in depth this drops below 5 horizontal meters per day. In Algeria, a common speed is just 2 m (6.6 ft) per day at a depth of 15 m (49 ft). Deep, long qanats (which many are) require years and even decades to construct. The excavated material

213-400: A flow with only gradual variations from wet to dry years. Karez are constructed as a series of well-like vertical shafts, connected by a gently sloping tunnel. This taps into underground water and delivers it to the surface by gravity, without need for pumping. The vertical shafts along the underground channel are for maintenance purposes, and water is typically used only once it emerges from

284-452: A qanat is stored in a reservoir, typically with night flow stored for daytime use. An ab anbar is an example of a traditional Persian qanat-fed reservoir for drinking water. The qanat system has the advantage of being resistant to natural disasters such as floods, and to deliberate destruction in war. Furthermore, it is almost insensitive to the levels of precipitation, delivering a flow with only gradual variations from wet to dry years. From

355-416: A qanat system had to be carefully situated, to make best use of the slow flow of water. In Iran, there were subterranean mills at Yazd and Boshruyeh ; at Taft and Ardestan mills were placed at the outflow from the qanat, before irrigation of the fields. Qanats used in conjunction with a wind tower can provide cooling as well as a water supply. A wind tower is a chimney-like structure positioned above

426-433: A side shaft through the easily penetrated sandstone (presumably in the direction of greatest water seepage) into the hill of Ayn-Manâwîr (also written Ayn-Manawir  [ fr ] to allow collection of additional water. After this side shaft had been extended, another vertical shaft was driven to intersect the side shaft. Side chambers were built, and holes bored into the rock—presumably at points where water seeped from

497-523: A small dam at the end. The width is approximately 60 cm (24 in), but the height ranges from 5 to 9 meters; it is likely that the qanat was deepened to enhance seepage when the water table dropped (as is also seen in Iran). From there the water was used to irrigate fields. There is another instructive structure located at the Kharga Oasis. A well that apparently dried up was improved by driving

568-400: A sufficient flow is available to justify construction. If these prerequisites are met, the route is laid out aboveground. Equipment must be assembled. The equipment is straightforward: containers (usually leather bags), ropes, reels to raise the container to the surface at the shaft head, hatchets and shovels for excavation, lights, and spirit levels or plumb bobs and string. Depending upon

639-518: A sustainability perspective, qanats are powered only by gravity and thus have low operation and maintenance costs. Qanats transfer fresh water from the mountain plateau to the lower-lying plains with saltier soil. This helps to control soil salinity and prevent desertification . The qanat should not be confused with the spring-flow tunnel typical to the mountainous area around Jerusalem . Although both are excavated tunnels designed to extract water by gravity flow, there are crucial differences. Firstly,

710-515: A ten-meter width, with length reckoned by the size of plot that the available water will irrigate. The qanats are called kariz in Dari (Persian) and Pashto and have been in use since the pre-Islamic period. It is estimated that more than 9,370 karizes were in use in the 20th century. The oldest functional kariz which is more than 300 years old and 8 kilometers long is located in Wardak province and

781-517: Is also seen as the most credible by the mayor of the town, states that the Armenian inhabitants of the village of Shvanidzor and the Azerbaijani inhabitants of the village of Nyuvadi were in constant conflict with each other until two elders from both villages, “Baba” and “Hadji”, resolved the conflict by becoming blood brothers and built a shrine in between the villages as a representation of

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852-588: Is an alternative route to Iran) is 700 m (2,300 ft). Community lands stretch from 450 to 2,864 m (1,476 to 9,396 ft), on the southern slopes of the Meghri mountain range (the Tsav-Shvanidzor pass), whereas the settlement itself is located in the forested area at the bottom, at 630 to 760 m (2,070 to 2,490 ft) above sea level, in the Astghadzor (Astazor) gorge. Shvanidzor

923-1043: Is essentially the same across the Middle East and North Africa , but the system operates under a variety of regional names: qanat or kārīz in Iran, karez in Afghanistan and Pakistan , foggara in Algeria , qanat in Malta , khettara in Morocco , falaj in Oman and the United Arab Emirates , and uyūn in Saudi Arabia , etc. The largest extant and functional qanat systems are located in Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Oman , Pakistan, and

994-564: Is located 10 km away from Shikahogh State Preserve . Vicinity of the village have been designated as Prime Butterfly Area. Shvanidzor is located in dry tropics. The indicators of tropics are wild pomegranate , wild fig and numerous other plants. The majority of the plants are xerophile, represented by xeromorphous shrubs. Green leafy plants are represented by araxian ( Quercus araxina ) and oriental oak ( Q. macranthera ), Georgian maple ( Acer ibericum ), as well as plane-tree , ash-tree , beech etc. Shvanidzor and its vicinities are

1065-520: Is made of stone and contains a small square enclosure within covered in black cloth, surrounding two standing stones. There are two inscriptions on the stones, one Armenian inscription that says “Baba” along with the Arevakhach , Armenian infinity symbol, as well as, one inscription in the Arabic script that says “Hadji” along with a star and crescent. The exact history and nationality of this monument

1136-596: Is still largely intact. Village elders are described as still “swearing on Baba-Hadji rather than their own mother and father.” However, the existence of said mausoleum is largely unknown to the younger generation. Shvanidzor Shvanidzor ( Armenian : Շվանիձոր , pronounced [ˈʃvɑnidzɔɾ] ) is a village in the Meghri Municipality of the Syunik Province in southeastern Armenia , near Armenia's border with Iran . The village

1207-508: Is still providing water to nearly 3,000 people. Many of these ancient structures were destroyed during the Soviet–Aghan War and the War in Afghanistan . Maintenance has not always been possible. The cost of labour has become very high, and maintaining the kariz structures is no longer possible. Lack of skilled artisans who have the traditional knowledge also poses difficulties. A number of

1278-466: Is supported by the historian Albert T. Olmstead . There are four main oases in the Egyptian desert. The Kharga Oasis is one that has been extensively studied. There is evidence that as early as the second half of the 5th century BCE water brought in qanats was being used. The qanats were excavated through water-bearing sandstone rock, which seeps into the channel, with water collected in a basin behind

1349-427: Is unknown. The only comprehensive study of the monument by researcher and journalist Gohar Isakhanyan acknowledges the complications in researching it: “To this day’ she concludes ‘the inhabitants of Shvanidzor do not know whether Baba-Hadji is of Azerbaijani, Persian, or Turkish origin, as all local Muslims used to be called “Turks.” Regardless 2 legends prevail on the origin of this site. The most popular legend, which

1420-403: Is used, has more than one qanat. Fields and gardens are located both over the qanats a short distance before they emerge from the ground and below the surface outlet. Water from the qanats define both the social regions in the city and the layout of the city. The water is freshest, cleanest, and coolest in the upper reaches, and more prosperous people live at the outlet or immediately upstream of

1491-453: Is usually transported by means of leather bags up the vertical shafts. It is mounded around the vertical shaft exit, providing a barrier that prevents windblown or rain driven debris from entering the shafts. These mounds may be covered to provide further protection to the qanat. From the air, these shafts look like a string of bomb craters. The qanat's water-carrying channel must have a sufficient downward slope that water flows easily. However

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1562-644: Is very common for a qanat to start below the foothills of mountains, where the water table is closest to the surface. From this source, the qanat tunnel slopes gently downward, slowly converging with the steeper slope of the land surface above, and the water finally flows out above ground where the two levels meet. To connect a populated or agricultural area with an aquifer, qanats must often extend for long distances. Qanats are sometimes split into an underground distribution network of smaller canals called kariz. Like qanats, these smaller canals are below ground to avoid contamination and evaporation. In some cases water from

1633-876: The Indian subcontinent for a long time. Cotton appears in the Inquiry into Plants by Theophrastus and is mentioned in the Laws of Manu . As transregional trade networks expanded and intensified, cotton spread from its homeland to India and into the Middle East. One theory is that the qanat was developed to irrigate cotton fields, first in what is now Iran, where it doubled the amount of available water for irrigation and urban use. Because of this, Persia enjoyed larger surpluses of agricultural products, thus increasing urbanization and social stratification. The qanat technology subsequently spread from Persia westward and eastward. In

1704-545: The oases of the Turfan region in Xinjiang , Northwestern China . This is a system of water supply that allows water to be transported over long distances in hot dry climates without losing much of the water to evaporation . The system has the advantage of being resistant to natural disasters such as floods and to deliberate destruction in war. Furthermore, it is almost insensitive to the levels of precipitation, delivering

1775-445: The province of Khorasan have been recorded with vertical shafts of up to 275 m (902 ft). The vertical shafts support construction and maintenance of the underground channel as well as air interchange. Deep shafts require intermediate platforms to facilitate the process of removing soil. The construction speed depends on the depth and nature of the ground. If the earth is soft and easy to work, at 20 m (66 ft) depth

1846-644: The 11 in the Red Book can be met in Shvanidzor: Testudo graeca , Eumeces schneiderii , Mabuya aurata , Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus , Telescopus fallax ibericus , Elaphe (Zamenis) hohenackeri , Montivipera raddei . Qanat A qanat or kārīz is a system for transporting water from an aquifer or well to the surface through an underground aqueduct ; the system originated approximately 3,000 years ago in Iran . The function

1917-483: The 12th-14th centuries, even before the village was founded. The fifth kahrez was constructed in 2005. Potable water runs through the first, the second and the fifth kahrezes. Kahrez III and IV are in a quite poor condition. In the summer, especially in July and August, the amount of water reaches its minimum, creating a critical situation in the water supply system. Shvanidzor is famous for its historical monuments. Close to

1988-580: The Iranian qanat. The foggara is dug into the foothills of a fairly steep mountain range such as the eastern ranges of the Atlas Mountains . Rainfall in the mountains enters the aquifer and moves toward the Saharan region to the south. The foggara, 1 to 3 km (0.62 to 1.9 mi) in length, penetrates the aquifer and collects water. Families maintain the foggara and own the land it irrigates over

2059-523: The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Any remaining Azerbaijanis have changed their names and do not publicly state their ethnicity. Despite this, the Mausoleum is still listed as state property who is charged with maintaining it. The mayor of Shvanidzor, Oganyan, says that despite state maintenance, parts of the mausoleum have collapsed and the interior is in a ruined condition although the mausoleum

2130-837: The Red Book. Apart from that there are also long-eared hedgehog and 3 types of bats that are listed as endangered. Hunting and poaching still causes harm to these species, though from mammals, it is only allowed to hunt fox and hare . Out of 66 species of birds listed in the Red Book , 15 can be met in Shvanidzor, which are Acciper Brevipes, Circaetus gallicus gallicus, Aquila rapax orientalis, Aquila chrysaetos fulva, Gypaetus barbatus aereus, Gyps fulvus fulvus, Merops superciliosus persicus, Sylvia hortensis crassirostris, Oenanthe xanthoprimna chrysopygia, Monticola saxalitis saxalitis, Luscinia svecica occidentalis, Remiz pendulinus menzbieri, Parus lugubris. 7 types of reptiles from

2201-1029: The areas where qanats are possible. Common variants of qanat in English include kanat , khanat , kunut , kona , konait , ghanat , ghundat . Qanāh ( قناة ) is an Arabic word that means "channel". In Persian , the words for "qanat" are kārīz (or kārēz ; كاريز ) and is derived from earlier word kāhrēz ( كاهریز ). The word qanāt ( قنات ) is also used in Persian. Other names for qanat include kahan ( Persian : کهن ); Kahn ( Balochi ); kahriz/kəhriz ( Azerbaijan ); khettara ( Morocco ); Galerías , minas or viajes de agua (Spain); falaj ( Arabic : فلج ) ( United Arab Emirates and Oman ); foggara/fughara ( North Africa ). Alternative terms for qanats in Asia and North Africa are kakuriz , chin-avulz , and mayun . According to most sources, qanat technology

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2272-574: The arid coastal desert of Peru, a technology of water supply similar to that of the qanats, called puquios , was developed. Most archaeologists believe that the puquios are indigenous and date to about 500 CE, but a few believe they are of Spanish origin, brought to the Americas in the 16th century. Puquios were still in use in the Nazca region in the 21st century. In arid and semi-arid regions, owing to high evaporation, transportation routes were in

2343-690: The community there is an old bridge (17th century), as well as Gyumerants , St. Stepanos (17th-19th centuries), Berdikar (12th-13th century) churches and the Baba-Hadji Mausoleum (17th century). There is also an aqueduct of 16th century. This currently functioning aqueduct is the most important historical monument of such type remaining from the medieval times in Armenia. Having a long history, Shvanidzor has preserved several specific traditions and rituals. The most celebrated holidays were Easter , Palm Sunday , Wine Blessing etc. Pilgrimage

2414-474: The cool tunnel walls/water and by the transfer of latent heat of evaporation as water evaporates into the air stream. In dry desert climates this can result in a greater than 15 °C reduction in the air temperature coming from the qanat; the mixed air still feels dry, so the basement is cool and only comfortably moist (not damp). Wind tower and qanat cooling have been used in desert climates for over 1,000 years. By 400 BCE, Persian engineers had mastered

2485-494: The daylight point. The qanats still create a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid , and semi-arid climates, but the value of this system is directly related to the quality, volume, and regularity of the groundwater . Much of the population of Iran and other arid countries in North Africa and West Asia historically depended upon the water from qanats; many populated areas are close to

2556-437: The destination to which the water will be delivered into the soil and works toward the source (the test well). Vertical shafts are excavated along the route, separated at a distance of 20–35 m (66–115 ft). The separation of the shafts is a balance between the amount of work required to excavate them and the amount of effort required to excavate the space between them, as well as the ultimate maintenance effort. In general,

2627-414: The downward gradient must not be so great as to create conditions under which the water transitions between supercritical and subcritical flow . If this occurs, the waves that result can result in severe erosion that can damage or destroy the qanat. The choice of the slope is a trade off between erosion and sedimentation. Highly sloped tunnels are subject to more erosion as water flows at a higher speed. On

2698-469: The effort. There were still functional qanat systems in 2009. American forces were reported to have unintentionally destroyed some of the channels during expansion of a military base, creating tensions between them and the local community. Some of these tunnels were used to store supplies, and to move men and equipment underground. Qanats have been preserved in Armenia in the community of Shvanidzor , in

2769-459: The foggara. The moist air of the agricultural area is drawn into the foggara in the opposite direction to the water run-off. In the foggara it condenses on the tunnel walls and the air passes out of the vertical shafts. This condensed moisture is available for reuse. Qanat irrigation technology was introduced to Egypt by the Achaemenid king Darius I during his reign of 522 BCE-486 BCE, which

2840-447: The form of qanats, which led groundwater to consumption areas along underground tunnels. In the long run, the qanat system is not only economical but also sustainable for irrigation and agricultural purposes.… The ground water flow was known to depend on grain size of sediments, and, therefore, the tunnels in qanats are filled in with coarser material than the surrounding host geological formations. The qanats are constructed mainly along

2911-516: The future peace between the villages. According to another legend, the Armenian villages, in order to save themselves from the Turks, would climb the nearest mountain. With the purpose of breaking through the Armenians’ defense, the Turks would cut off the water having found the pipes with the help of an old woman. They would then take horses where the pipes were supposed to be and the horses, hearing

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2982-849: The gradient is steeper, underground waterfalls may be constructed with appropriate design features (usually linings) to absorb the energy with minimal erosion. In some cases the water power has been harnessed to drive underground mills . If it is not possible to bring the outlet of the qanat out near the settlement, it is necessary to run a jub or canal overground. This is avoided when possible to limit pollution, warming and water loss due to evaporation. The vertical shafts may be covered to minimize blown-in sand. The channels of qanats must be periodically inspected for erosion or cave-ins, cleaned of sand and mud and otherwise repaired. For safety, air flow must be assured before entry. Some damaged qanats have been restored. To be sustainable, restoration needs to take into account many nontechnical factors beginning with

3053-427: The house; of its four openings, the one opposite the wind direction is opened to move air out of the house. Incoming air is pulled from a qanat below the house. The air flow across the vertical shaft opening creates a lower pressure (see Bernoulli effect ) and draws cool air up from the qanat tunnel, mixing with it. The air from the qanat is drawn into the tunnel at some distance away and is cooled both by contact with

3124-468: The ice was stored in yakhchals—specially designed, naturally cooled refrigerators. A large underground space with thick insulated walls was connected to a qanat, and a system of windcatchers or wind towers was used to draw cool subterranean air up from the qanat to maintain temperatures inside the space at low levels, even during hot summer days. As a result, the ice melted slowly and was available year-round. Qanats (designated foggaras in Algeria ) are

3195-436: The lack of irrigation and lowland fertility, the community was relocated several times. In the vicinity of the village, there are numerous remnants of 17th- and 18th-century dwellings. The community is known for its medieval kahrezes ( qanat ), a system of underground water channels and intake facilities. These deep channels are located 50-60m from each other. There are 5 kahrezes in Shvanidzor. Four of them were constructed in

3266-450: The large farmers are abandoning their kariz which has been in their families sometimes for centuries, and moving to tube and dug wells backed by diesel pumps. However, the government of Afghanistan was aware of the importance of these structures and all efforts were made to repair, reconstruct and maintain (through the community) the kariz. The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development along with national and international NGOs made

3337-423: The lower reaches are the most likely to see substantial reductions in flow. Traditionally qanats are built by a group of skilled laborers, muqannīs , with hand labor. The profession historically paid well and was typically handed down from father to son. The critical, initial step in qanat construction is identification of an appropriate water source. The search begins at the point where the alluvial fan meets

3408-586: The main course of the Ziz River and its subsequent impact on local water tables is said to be one of the many reasons for the loss of half of the khettara. The black berbers ( haratin ) of the south were the hereditary class of qanat diggers in Morocco who build and repair these systems. Their work was hazardous. The foggara water management system in Tunisia, used to create oases, is similar to that of

3479-432: The mountains or foothills; water is more abundant in the mountains because of orographic lifting , and excavation in the alluvial fan is relatively easy. The muqannīs follow the track of the main water courses coming from the mountains or foothills to identify evidence of subsurface water such as deep-rooted vegetation or seasonal seeps. A trial well is then dug to determine the depth of the water table and determine whether

3550-449: The neighborhood, gardens and fields. The streets normally parallel the jubs and their lateral branches. As a result, the cities and towns are oriented consistent with the gradient of the land; this is a practical response to efficient water distribution over varying terrain. The lower reaches of the canals are less desirable for both residences and agriculture. The water grows progressively more polluted as it passes downstream. In dry years

3621-413: The oases in the 10th century and the residents embraced Islam. The water is metered to the various users through the use of distribution weirs that meter flow to the various canals, each for a separate user. The humidity of the oases is also used to supplement the water supply to the foggara. The temperature gradient in the vertical shafts causes air to rise by natural convection, causing a draft to enter

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3692-714: The only places in the South Caucasus, where 2 types of European redbud (Judas tree)- Cercis griffithii Boiss. and С. siliquastrum L. Dry alpine meadows are covered with scarce shrubs and remind of desert. However, there are numerous wild herbs, including officinal, edible as well as wild relatives of cultivated plants. The mammals living in the area are quite known, such as Caucasian bear ( Ursus arctos syriacus ), Bezoarian goat ( Capra aegagrus aegagrus ), Armenian mouflon ( Ovis orientalis gmelinii ), Persian leopard ( Panthera pardus tullianus ), as well as badger , lynx , wild boar , roe deer , which are listed in

3763-403: The origin of the qanat was a well that was turned into an artificial spring. In contrast, the origin of the spring-flow tunnel was the development of a natural spring to renew or increase flow following a recession of the water table. Secondly, the shafts essential for the construction of qanats are not essential to spring-flow tunnels. A typical town or city in Iran, and elsewhere where the qanat

3834-418: The other hand, less sloped tunnels need frequent maintenance due to the problem of sedimentation. A lower downward gradient also contributes to reducing the solid contents and contamination in water. In shorter qanats the downward gradient varies between 1:1000 and 1:1500, while in longer qanats it may be almost horizontal. Such precision is routinely obtained with a spirit level and string. In cases where

3905-512: The outlet. When the qanat is still below ground, the water is drawn to the surface via wells or animal driven Persian wells . Private subterranean reservoirs could supply houses and buildings for domestic use and garden irrigation as well. Air flow from the qanat is used to cool an underground summer room ( shabestan ) found in many older houses and buildings. Downstream of the outlet, the water runs through surface canals called jubs ( jūbs ) which run downhill, with lateral branches to carry water to

3976-664: The process of selecting the qanat to be restored. In Syria, three sites were chosen based on a national inventory conducted in 2001. One of them, the Drasiah qanat of Dmeir , was completed in 2002. Selection criteria included the availability of a steady groundwater flow, social cohesion and willingness to contribute of the community using the qanat, and the existence of a functioning water-rights system. The primary applications of qanats are for irrigation, providing cattle with water, and drinking water supply. Other applications include watermills, cooling and ice storage. Watermills within

4047-658: The qanat (locally khettara ) is also used. On the margins of the Sahara Desert , the isolated oases of the Draa River valley and Tafilalt have relied on qanat water for irrigation since the late 14th century. In Marrakech and the Haouz plain, the qanats have been abandoned since the early 1970s, having dried up. In the Tafilaft area, half of the 400 khettaras are still in use. The 1971 Hassan Adahkil Dam 's build in

4118-419: The qanat. And misreading the soil conditions leads to collapses, which at best require extensive rework and at worst are fatal for the crew. Construction of a qanat is usually performed by a crew of 3–4 muqannīs . For a shallow qanat, one worker typically digs the horizontal shaft, one raises the excavated earth from the shaft and one distributes the excavated earth at the top. The crew typically begins from

4189-653: The rocks—are evident. David Mattingly reports foggara extending for hundreds of miles in the Garamantes area near Germa in Libya : "The channels were generally very narrow – less than 2 feet wide and 5 high – but some were several miles long, and in total some 600 foggara extended for hundreds of miles underground. The channels were dug out and maintained using a series of regularly spaced vertical shafts, one every 30 feet or so, 100,000 in total, averaging 30 feet in depth, but sometimes reaching 130." In southern Morocco,

4260-450: The shallower the qanat, the closer the vertical shafts. If the qanat is long, excavation may begin from both ends at once. Tributary channels are sometimes also constructed to supplement the water flow. Most qanats in Iran run less than 5 km (3.1 miles), while some have been measured at ≈70 km (43 miles) in length near Kerman . The vertical shafts usually range from 20 to 200 m (66 to 656 ft) in depth, although qanats in

4331-420: The soil type, qanat liners (usually fired clay hoops) may also be required. Although the construction methods are simple, the construction of a qanat requires a detailed understanding of subterranean geology and a degree of engineering sophistication. The gradient of the qanat must be carefully controlled: too shallow a gradient yields no flow and too steep a gradient will result in excessive erosion, collapsing

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4402-458: The source of water for irrigation in large oases like Gourara . The foggaras are also found at Touat (an area of Adrar 200 km from Gourara). The length of the foggaras in this region is estimated to be thousands of kilometers. Although sources suggest that the foggaras may have been in use as early as 200 CE, they were clearly in use by the 11th century after the Arabs took possession of

4473-405: The southern province of Syunik , bordering with Iran. Qanats are named kahrezes in Armenian. There are 5 kahrezes in Shvanidzor. Four of them were constructed before the village was founded. The fifth kahrez was constructed in 2005. Potable water runs through three of them, and two are in poor condition. In the summer, especially in July and August, the amount of water reaches its minimum, creating

4544-431: The technique of storing ice in the middle of summer in the desert. The ice could be brought in during the winters from nearby mountains, but in a more usual and sophisticated method they built a wall in the east–west direction near a yakhchal (ice pit). In winter, the qanat water would be channeled to the north side of the wall, whose shade made the water freeze more quickly, increasing the ice formed per winter day. Then

4615-533: The valleys where Quaternary sediments are deposited. Qanats are constructed as a series of well -like vertical shafts , connected by a gently sloping tunnel which carries a water canal . Qanats efficiently deliver large amounts of subterranean water to the surface without need for pumping. The water drains by gravity, typically from an upland aquifer , with the destination lower than the source. Qanats allow water to be transported over long distances in hot dry climates without much water loss to evaporation . It

4686-608: The water sound, would start digging the soil. Left without water, the Armenians would give in. Therefore, they say, that in the sign of victory, the Turks built the Baba-Hajji holy place. The traces of the water pipe are still visible. Prior to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a mullah occasionally came over from Azerbaijan to lead prayers. Additionally, an Azerbaijani lived permanently near the shrine and collected donations for its upkeep. Food and water were offered to visitors, as

4757-406: Was 306 in 2010, down from 330 at the 2001 census. The population is mainly engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and beekeeping. The distance from Shvanidzor to Yerevan is 410 km (250 mi), the distance to Kapan , the regional center is 102 km (63 mi), the distance to the main highway is 17 km (11 mi) and the distance to the newly built Tsav-Shikahogh highway (which

4828-417: Was also known as Shirvanadzor ( Շիրվանաձոր ) and Astazor ( Աստազոր ). According to local historical sources, Shvanidzor was founded in the 13th century, and at the time counted more than 700 households, and was located in the place of the historic settlement of Areviq . The lands of the community were cultivated for more than 700 years, which resulted in the formation of agricultural landscapes. Due to

4899-447: Was also quite spread among the inhabitants. For many centuries Shvanidzor has been a residence of meliks , which is reflected in many legends and traditions. The community members were traditionally engaged in hunting, fishing, animal husbandry, gardening, winery. Part of the community were skillful craftsmen, especially smiths, tailors, carpenters, masons, mat weavers etc. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population

4970-597: Was developed in ancient Iran by the Persians sometime in the early 1st millennium BCE and slowly spread westward and eastward from there. Other sources suggest a Southeast Arabian origin. Analogous systems appear to have been developed independently in China and in South America (specifically, southern Peru ). A cotton species, Gossypium arboreum , is indigenous to South Asia and has been cultivated on

5041-590: Was tea from ‘good quality samovars.’ Both Armenians and Azerbaijanis climbed up to Baba-Hadji to pay their respects and do matakh (religious sacrifice of animals). For this reason, the site has been described as a rare symbol of ethnic harmony between the two groups. The Azerbaijani population of the Meghri region of the Armenian SSR that made up 15.3% of the overall population per the 1989 soviet census and maintained this shrine have been largely forced out following

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