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79-407: Goris is considered one of the most important historical and cultural sites of Armenia. It is often regarded as the cultural center of Syunik. Because of this, it is a favored tourist destination for both local and foreign travelers and has a large number of hotels and inns. Throughout its history, Goris has been known as Kores and Gorayk . However, there are several explanations for the origin of

158-802: A part of the Shusha district of the Baku province and the Ordubad district of the Erivan province . After the October Revolution of 1917 and the creation and disintegration of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federal Republic , disputes arose between the newly created republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan over the ownership of a number of territories with a mixed population, including Zangezur, which also became

237-656: A population of 2,201, including 1,724 Armenians (78.3%), 202 Shia Muslims (9.2%), and 196 Russians (8.9%). The Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator in Goris is the seat of the Diocese of Syunik of the Armenian Apostolic Church . It was constructed between 1897 and 1904. After being consecrated by Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian in 1903, the church was officially opened in 1904. In February 1921,

316-679: A possible connection between the name Zangezur and another toponym—the name of the Tsakedzor gorge ( Armenian : Ծակեձոր , from the Armenian tsak - "hole", dzor - "gorge, ravine") located to the northwest of Goris in the valley of the Goris River. There are also various explanations of the name stemming from folk tradition and legends. For example, the name is interpreted as a combination of Armenian zang ("bell") and dzor ("gorge") or alternatively as zang and zor ("power"), that is,

395-485: A powerful bell. There was a monastery about 2 kilometers away from Goris which had a loud bell. Another tradition connects the name with the time of the conquests of Timur . According to this tradition, an Armenian prince named Mher offered his help to Timur, saying that he will not be able to conquer Syunik as long as there is the great bell in the village of Khot which will notify the principality in case of danger. Timur promised gold and power to Mher if he would silence

474-421: A result of the shelling; people were displaced from their homes. From 24 September to 2 October 2023, over 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh fled into Armenia, with Goris being the primary destination for refugees. The local theatre was converted into a Red Cross base in order to provide aid to the incoming refugees. Goris is situated in the valley of Goris River, also known as Vararak River. The valley

553-571: A rich carpet weaving culture. Goris and its surrounding villages are regarded as the centre of the Zangezur sub-group of the Armenian carpet . Goris is home to an annual mulberry festival which during the month of August. The M-2 Highway that connects the capital Yerevan with southern Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh passes through Goris. Since November 2021, the Goris-Kapan road that connects

632-583: Is held on the 21 March, and spend their summer and winter vacations in a country free of religious restrictions and greater freedoms. The number of tourists visiting Artsakh has seen increases as well. Since 2012, new hotels were built in Armenia, and the old ones were reconstructed. ″Tufenkian″ hotels (in Yerevan, Tsapatagh , Dzoraget and Dilijan ), ″National″, ″Paris″ hotels were built in Yerevan, ″Nairi″ and ″Silachi″ hotels were reopened, Marriott opened

711-768: Is home to the Vorotan Hydropower Plant (opened in 1989), one of the main providers of electrical power in Armenia. Other large industrial firms in Goris include the road construction company Vosmar LLC (founded in 2002), the electronic device producer Goris Gamma (founded in 2003), and the Goris Group bottled spring water company (founded in 2005). Goris is an important educational centre in Syunik . It has 7 secondary schools, 2 intermediate colleges, 7 kindergartens, 2 sports schools, 2 music schools and 1 art school. Goris State University has been operating in

790-532: Is regulated by the Civil Aviation Committee . An agreement on "Comprehensive Air Transportation" was initiated with the EU, the ratification of which will liberalize Armenian market for all EU member states and introduce EU criteria ensuring predictable business for airlines. The number of tourists arriving in the country by air transportation has been increasing yearly. In 2018, passenger flow at

869-665: Is regulated by the Tourism Committee, a department of the Ministry of Economy . Armenia has made tourism a state level priority. Tourism is one of the principles of state policy as defined in the Tourism and Tourist Activities Law. The general purpose of state tourism policy is to expand tourism's contribution to the national economy's sustainable development and equal territorial economic growth, while also reducing poverty through maintaining high rates of growth in

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948-636: Is served by the Goris Children's and Youth Sports School (opened in 1951), the Goris Regional Children's and Youth Sports School (opened in 2006), and the Albert Ordyan Chess School. Zangezour Football Club represented the town in professional competitions from 1982 to 1997, when they were forced to quit due to financial difficulties. They played their home games at Goris City Stadium, winning first place in

1027-553: Is surrounded with the Zangezur Mountains . The town has an average elevation of 1,385 metres above sea level. The surrounding mountains are famous for their medieval cave-dwellings carved out of the soft rock in the southern and eastern parts of the town. The Goris Wildlife Sanctuary is situated at the southeast of the town at a height ranging between 1400 and 2800 meters above sea level, covering an area of 18.5 km. Caucasian grouse , roe deer and brown bear are among

1106-613: The Armenian First League (2nd division) on 2 occasions. Tourism in Armenia Tourism in Armenia has been a key sector to the Armenian economy since the 1990s when tourist numbers exceeded half a million people visiting the country every year (mostly ethnic Armenians from the Diaspora ). The Armenian Ministry of Economy reports that most international tourists come from Russia , EU states ,

1185-641: The Armenian SSR were located within Zangezur, which in 1995 became part of the Syunik Province of Armenia. There are several theories about of the origin of the name Zangezur. According to Armenian scholar Ghevont Alishan , Zangezur is derived from the name of Dzagadzor fortress (now a village near Goris ), which was named after a patriarch of the Sisak clan , Dzagik. Over time the name Dzagadzor changed and became Zangezur. Some sources also mention

1264-619: The Philippines and India . In addition, due to ongoing cultural and education system reforms, thousands of students from India, Iran and Arabic countries started to visit Armenia in order to study in the main universities of Yerevan, especially at the Yerevan State Medical University , promoting further tourism. Armenia also has the capability to hold both regional political and large-scale international conferences and events. For example, Armenia hosted

1343-572: The Stone Age . Goris is likely first mentioned by name in the Urartian period. King Rusa I of Urartu , who reigned between 735 and 713 BC, left a cuneiform inscription where Guria or Goriaya is mentioned as one of the 23 countries conquered by him, which some scholars connect with Goris. During the Middle Ages , the settlement was situated in the eastern part of the present Goris, on

1422-561: The Summit of Minds international conference, making Armenia the first country to host the event outside of France. In August 2020, the President of Armenia, Armen Sarksyan , announced that Armenia will host the sixth Starmus Festival from September 6 to 11, 2021. The event was sponsored by the President himself, as well as, the Ministry of Education and Science . The event brought together world-class scientists, artists, astronauts, and

1501-822: The UN 's World Tourism Organization reported that Armenia is one of the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations according to the latest statistics. Armenia ranked 12th with 14.4% growth in the list of 20 fastest growing countries for tourism, according to data gathered. French magazine Le Quotidien du tourisme mentioned Armenia as the most trending destination of 2020. Yerevan was included in Booking.com 's top 10 trending destinations for 2020. In October 2019, chief executive of Ryanair stated that Armenia has become one of Europe's fastest growing tourist destinations, during an announcement of launching new Ryanair flight routes between several European cities and Armenia. As per

1580-605: The United States and Iran . Though relatively small in size, Armenia has four UNESCO world heritage sites. Despite internal and external problems, the number of incoming tourists has been continually increasing since 2007. 2019 saw a record high of over 1.9 million inbound tourists. Most tourists focus their trip in Yerevan , the capital, where the majority of travel agencies, attractions and hotels are located. Outdoor activities, sightseeing and nature tourism seem to be

1659-429: The United States started viewing Armenia as a tourist destination. In addition, the increasing of visitors of Persians , Kurds and Iranian Azerbaijanis was a new concept for tourism in Armenia. Middle Eastern tourists started visiting Armenia since the 1990s, but in the 2000s visiting Armenia became more popular, especially for Iranians. Many Iranians enjoy celebrating Nowruz (Iranian New Year) in Armenia, which

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1738-601: The 16th century. However, it was closed during the Soviet period. It underwent major renovation in 2010 and was reopened to the public in October 2013. Goris is a prominent cultural centre in Syunik. It has a cultural palace, a public library and a dramatic theatre. The archaeological museum of Goris opened in 1948 is dedicated to the rich history of the Syunik region. The house-museum of writer Axel Bakunts has been operating in

1817-1046: The 2019 Travel and Tourism competitiveness report, Armenia scored 7th-best in the world on the Hotel Price Index . It also scored 3rd-best in Europe on tourist-friendly visa requirements. Overall, Armenia scored 79th of 140 countries. Calculation of overall scores includes some controversial subcategories related to country size (e.g. number of large sports stadiums), estimates based on old data (like 2014 data for aircraft departures) and non-applicable data (in case of landlocked Armenia - quality of ports infrastructure). Out of 140 countries Armenia ranked: 50 on Enabling Environment Subindex, 74 on Travel & Tourism Policy and Enabling Conditions Subindex, 81 on Infrastructure Subindex, 103 on Natural and Cultural Resources and Business Travel Subindex. Forbes Magazine listed Armenia among top budget travel destinations for 2019. Meanwhile, CNN has ranked Armenia's capital Yerevan as one of

1896-646: The Armenian SSR. After the defeat of the February Uprising in central Armenia, parts of the rebels moved to Zangezur and joined the Nzhdeh's forces. On April 27, 1921, the Republic of Mountainous Armenia was proclaimed in the territory controlled by the rebels, in which Nzhdeh took the posts of Prime Minister, Minister of War and Minister of Foreign Affairs. In connection with the transition of

1975-640: The First World War but that figure took in several lowland districts and even so had always shown a clear Armenian majority. Another aggravation of interethnic relations in this region took place in the late 1980s, against the backdrop of the Karabakh conflict , during which all of the Azerbaijanis living in Zangezur and other parts of Armenia fled to Azerbaijan concurrently with the flight of Armenians from Azerbaijan to Armenia. In Soviet times,

2054-821: The Plenary meeting of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in 2015 as well as ongoing Eastern Partnership and CIS conferences. In October 2018, Armenia hosted the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie Summit for the first time, where representatives of 54 countries participated. In November 2018, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation

2133-639: The Red Army units to the offensive, on July 9, 1921, Nzhdeh, having secured guarantees from the leadership of Soviet Armenia regarding the preservation of Zangezur as a part of Armenia, went to Iran with the remaining rebels. According to the agricultural census of 1922, the population of the part of the Zangezur district that seceded from the Armenian SSR numbered 63,533 thousand people, including 56,886 thousand (89.5%) Armenians, 6,464 thousand (10.2%) Turko-Tatars (Azerbaijanis) and 182 (0.3%) Russians. The Armenian percentage has been cited as somewhat smaller before

2212-767: The Saint Gregory Cathedral of Goris was the location where Garegin Nzhdeh was announced as the Sparapet (commander) of the Armenian forces of the forthcoming Republic of Mountainous Armenia in a solemn ceremony. The church building served as a regional history museum during Soviet times. Goris is the centre of the Goris Municipality , which includes the villages of Akner , Bardzravan , Hartashen , Karahunj , Khndzoresk , Nerkin Khndzoresk , Shurnukh , Verishen , and Vorotan , as well as

2291-771: The Turkoman tribes of Kara-Koyunlu , and the Timurid Shah Rukh . In the 15th century, Zangezur fell under the rule of the Kara-Koyunlu confederation of Turkic nomadic tribes, and later under the rule of the Ak-Koyunlu . The domination of the Mongol Ilkhans and especially the Turkmen conquerors Kara-Koyunlu and Ak-Koyunlu had extremely grave consequences: the productive forces were destroyed, part of

2370-415: The abandoned villages of Aghbulagh , Dzorak and Vanand . The municipality was formed following the administrative reform of 2016. The current mayor of the municipality is Arush Arushanyan. The stone pyramids of Old Kores located to the east of the modern town are one of the most attractive sites in Goris. The old town is home to the 4th-century basilica of Saint Hripsime. The basilica was renovated during

2449-651: The annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity award shows, the 2011 Junior Eurovision Song Contest hosted in Armenia, the Birthright Armenia Program in which thousands of schoolchildren and students worldwide visit Armenia, and every four years, the Pan-Armenian Games are hosted in Armenia, in which thousands of competitors from across the Armenian Diaspora compete in various sporting events. The tourism sector

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2528-639: The beginning of the 16th century, Syunik became part of the Erivan Province within the Safavid Persia . The current spelling of the name was first mentioned in 1624, in a manuscript by a certain Barsegh Yerets. In the 17–18th centuries the princes Melik Husenyans ruled the region around Goris. At the beginning of the 18th century, the region was the centre of the Armenian liberation campaign led by David Bek against Safavid Persia and

2607-420: The beginning of the 4th century, Syunik, along with other provinces of Armenia, was converted to Christianity. Of the twelve gavars (regions) of Syunik, seven were located within Zangezur (Chaguk, Agakhechk, Gaband, Bagk or Balk, Dzork, Arevik and Kusakan ). At the beginning of the 5th century, the Armenian scientist and educator Mesrop Mashtots conducted preaching and educational activities here. From 428 to

2686-571: The beginning of the 7th century it was a part of the Armenian province of Persia. In the middle of the 7th century, Zangezur, along with the whole of Armenia, was conquered by the Arabs. At the end of the 9th century, Zangezur, as a part of Syunik, became a part of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia . Later, it became a part of the Kingdom of Syunik (this was due to the fact that in 970–980s

2765-536: The bell, and the latter with his conspirators lit a fire under the bell at night, muffling its sound. When Timur's army crossed the Aras River and invaded Syunik, attempts to notify the people using the bell were in vain. The principality fell overnight, and people asked in amazement "why didn't they ring the bell?" Some answered "ringing in vain", in Armenian: “zangy zur e” ( Armenian : զանգը զուր է ). After that,

2844-471: The commander of the Sisian region Poghos Ter-Davtyan – refused to recognize the agreement, fearing that Zangezur would be surrendered to Soviet Azerbaijan. Dashnak detachments began a partisan war against Soviet troops and allied Turkish units. In early October 1920, a massive uprising against Soviet power broke out in the region. Ter-Davtyan soon died in battles with the Red Army, and Nzhdeh single-handedly led

2923-434: The current longest reversible aerial tramway in the world. Armenia has favorable conditions for paragliding in independent and tandem flights. Owing to the height and rugged landscape, the country has various micro climates, creating perfect circumstances for paragliding. The first paragliding flights were held by the members of "Small Aviation Club of Armenia" in 1996. Later, in 2008, Armenian Paragliding Sport Federation

3002-410: The end of the 19th century, the economic and cultural life of the town had greatly improved through the foundation of a new covered sunday market attracting merchants and artisans, private schools, factories, a printing house, and roads leading to Sisian and Shushi . With the establishment of the Republic of Armenia in 1918, Goris was included within the Zangezur gavar ("district"). However, after

3081-519: The fall of the First Republic of Armenia in 1920, the 2nd Pan-Zangezurian congress held in Tatev on 26 April 1921 declared the independence of the self-governing regions of Daralayaz (modern-day Vayots Dzor Province ), Zangezur, and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh under the name of the Republic of Mountainous Armenia ( Lernahaystani Hanrapetutyun ), with Goris as its de facto capital city. However,

3160-549: The general public to celebrate science communication and to share latest discoveries in a number of scientific fields. In 2022, Armenia hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest . Since the 2000s, a new page for Armenian tourism was opened. Diaspora Armenians from Russia , United States , Lebanon , France and other countries increasingly visited Armenia to see their independent homeland and free Artsakh . Also many foreigners from Europe and

3239-599: The invading Ottoman Turks. In 1750, the region became part of the newly formed Karabakh Khanate . At the beginning of the 19th century, many territories of Armenia, including the region of old Kores of Syunik, became part of the Russian Empire as a result of the Treaty of Gulistan signed on 24 October 1813 between Russia and Qajar Iran following the Russo-Persian War of 1804–13 . Under Russian rule,

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3318-498: The journal ″ National Geographic Traveler ″ qualified Armenia not only a historical and cultural, but also extreme touristic county. Armenia has 85.9% mountain area, more than Switzerland or Nepal , opening large possibilities for active travelers. Armenia has various offers for tourists interested in sports and extreme activities - such as skiing , mountaineering , camping , hiking , speleology tours, paragliding , zipline , balloon flights , helicopter tours and

3397-430: The largest educational institute of Syunik. As a result of community mergers in 2016, the municipality of Goris was enlarged to include 9 of its nearby villages. In September 2022, Goris as well as several other Armenian towns, including Vardenis ( Gegharkunik Province ), Jermuk ( Vayots Dzor Province ) and Sotk (Gegharkunik), came under attack by Azerbaijani Armed Forces . Many residential houses were damaged as

3476-644: The leadership of David Bek , Mkhitar Bek and Ter-Avetis, the Armenians fought against the Ottoman invaders. The Persian Shah Tahmasp II recognized the authority of David Bek over this region. According to the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813, Zangezur was ceded to the Russian Empire . On January 25, 1868, when the Elisabethpol Governorate was created, the Zangezur district was formed from

3555-512: The left bank of Goris river. It was called Kores and coincided with one of the villages of Goru and Gorayk mentioned by Stepanos Orbelian in his 13th-century work History of the Province of Syunik . Between the 12th and 15th centuries, Syunik along with the rest of the historic territories of Armenia suffered greatly from the Seljuk, Mongol , Aq Qoyunlu and Kara Koyunlu invasions. At

3634-443: The monastery of Noravank and the upper Amaghou Valley . Zangezur Zangezur ( Armenian : Զանգեզուր ) is a historical and geographical region in Eastern Armenia on the slopes of the Zangezur Mountains which largely corresponds to the Syunik Province of Armenia . It was ceded to Russia by Qajar Iran according to the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813. In Soviet times, the Goris, Kapan, Meghri and Sisian regions of

3713-418: The name. It is supposed that the name Goris is derived from the Indo-European prelanguage words "gor" (rock), "es" (to be), i.e. Goris/Kores meaning a rocky place. There was a dwelling in the ancient times in the same area of the town. The name Goris had many variants including: Goristsa, Kores, Gores, Gorayk, Goru, and Geryusy. Kyores is the variant used by locals. The area of Goris has been settled since

3792-447: The notable animals in the sanctuary. Located in a temperate and mild highland climate zone, the climate of Goris is characterized with cold snowy winters and warm summers and classified as oceanic ( Köppen Cfb). The average temperature is 0.2 °C in January and +19.7 °C in July. The annual precipitation level is around 700 mm (28 in). Goris has 58.2 days per year with snow cover and 1.2 days with hail . Currently,

3871-400: The number of inbound and domestic tourists, enhancing tourism-generated revenue by providing higher-value products and services and generating new job opportunities in the industry. Effective tourism state policy development and execution, well-established public-private partnerships, and mutually beneficial international and regional cooperation have resulted in tremendous growth in

3950-458: The outcomes of the survey aiming to identify the Countries/Areas Most Likely to Feel Safe , Armenia is ranked the 7th on the list of the 18 states appearing in the top positions. An estimated 89% of the respondents said they feel absolutely safe in Armenia. The country has thus shared the 6th-7th positions with Switzerland. In the main ranking, Armenia shares the 11th position along with countries like France, Ireland, Sweden and Japan. Air traffic

4029-431: The political center of the Syunik region began to move to the south, to the gavar of Balk). In 1170 the Kingdom of Syunik was defeated by the Seljuks. After the expulsion of the Seljuks, an Armenian principality ruled by the Orbelians existed in this territory (in 1236 they submitted to the Mongols). The principality fell in the first half of the 15th century as a result of several invasions of Khan Tokhtamysh , Timur,

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4108-410: The population was plundered and exterminated, and many cultural monuments were destroyed. Lands were taken away from the local population and were settled by newcomer nomads, and part of the Armenian population was forced to emigrate from their historical lands. In the 16th century, Zangezur became a part of the Tabriz beglerbegdom of the Safavid state , and from the second half of the 18th century it

4187-493: The primary attractions. Tsaghkadzor , Jermuk , Dilijan are known as mountainous resorts, which are outside of the capital. Tourists stay at the hotels of those towns in order to engage in extended trips over all Armenia without returning to Yerevan every day. The classical sightseeing trips to Armenia are popular not only among tourists, but also with the local population. Mountaineering , camping , hiking and other kinds of outdoor activities are also common. In February 2020,

4266-420: The principality was also called Zangezur. Historically Zangezur was the southern part of the ancient Armenian province of Syunik . A. Redgate notes that the discovery of an Athenian coin of the 6th century BC in Zangezur indicates the presence of trade relations between Armenia and Asia Minor. Inscriptions of the king of Great Armenia Artashes I (189–160 BC) have been found on the territory of Zangezur. At

4345-448: The railways Ordubad-Agarak-Meghri-Minjivan and Kapan-Zangelan-Minjivan passed through the territory of Zangezur. The railway communication in this section was stopped with the beginning of the first Karabakh war . The land connection of Nakhichevan with Azerbaijan through Armenia was interrupted. In Zangezur, the Kajaran copper-molybdenum plant, the largest in Armenia plant for the enrichment of copper-molybdenum ores, operates, exploiting

4424-414: The rebels operating there. Meanwhile, on November 29, 1920, Soviet power was proclaimed in Armenia, after which on November 30, the AzRevCom of Soviet Azerbaijan, declaring its intention to end territorial disputes, agreed to the inclusion of Zangezur in the newly formed Soviet Armenia. In December 1920, an agreement was concluded between the RSFSR and Armenia, according to which Zangezur was assigned to

4503-446: The regional centre of the Zangezur region of Soviet Armenia . With the establishment of the Goris raion in 1930, the town became the regional centre of the newly founded district. During the 1950s, the economy of the city was boosted with the construction of many hydroelectric power plants in the area. Several new industrial firms were opened, and many modern residential districts were founded. In 1967, Goris State Institute of Pedagogy

4582-422: The residents of Goris are entirely Armenians . The population has gradually declined since the collapse of the Soviet Union . By the end of the 19th century, 74.6% of the population in Goris were ethnic Armenians as per the 1897 census . The figure grew after the Sovietization of Armenia to reach up to 98.1% in the 1926 census . According to the 1917 publication of the Caucasian Calendar , in 1916 Goris had

4661-447: The second hotel in Tsaghkadzor, and in 2013, Hyatt opened two hotels - in Jermuk and Yerevan, Golden Palace was opened in Tsaghkadzor , later two more hotels - Opera Suite Hotel and Radisson Blu were opened in Yerevan. These were the best hotels, with 4 or 5 stars. The number of visitors to Armenia increases also due to festivals and international competitions. Examples include, the annual Golden Apricot international film festival,

4740-422: The self-proclaimed republic had a short life. The Red Army conducted massive military operations in the region during June–July 1921, attacking Syunik from the north and east. As a result of fierce battles, the Republic of Mountainous Armenia capitulated on 13 July 1921, following Soviet Russia's promises to keep the mountainous region of Zangezur as part of Soviet Armenia . Under Soviet rule, Goris served as

4819-446: The site of fierce Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes. Having entered into conflict with both the British interventionists and the Armenian government, the Armenian military commander Andranik withdrew his army from Zangezur to Echmiadzin and in April 1919 disbanded it. In September 1919, after the withdrawal of British troops, Garegin Nzhdeh was appointed head of the defense of the southern part of Zangezur (Kapan), while Poghos Ter-Davtyan

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4898-404: The top 20 most beautiful European cities. In July 2019, the chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia , Artur Javadyan, stated that the average spending of tourists had increased by more than 17 per cent from 2013 to 2018 and roughly 300 new hotels opened over the last six years. In 2018, receipts from international tourism amounted to $ 1.2 billion or $ 413 per capita. In per capita terms Armenia

4977-546: The tourist sector over the previous decade. This expansion is seen in both the quantity and geographic spread of international tourist visits, as well as investment in hospitality and related infrastructure. Armenia's tourism business has grown significantly in the last five years, with an average growth of nearly 9%  per year in international tourist arrivals. In 2019 the number of incoming tourists increased by 15% to 1.93 million visitors. Safety Index 2020 published by Numbeo ranks Armenia as 9th safest country in

5056-406: The town of Goris (then called Gerusy) was founded in 1870 to become the centre of Zangezur uezd within the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire. In 1876, by the initiative of the uezd governor Staratsky, the recommendation of Prince Manuchar-Bek Melik Huseinyan and using a city plan designed by a German architect, the construction of new Goris was completed near the old town of Kores. By

5135-402: The town since 1967. Branches of the State Engineering University of Armenia and Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography also operate in the town. Goris is also home to the Goris Kh. Yeritsyan State Agricultural College. Football , chess , boxing , artistic gymnastics , volleyball and basketball are among the most practiced sports in Goris. The sports sector in the town

5214-416: The town since 1970, while the Goris art gallery has been operating since 2001. Other museums in the town include the geological museum of Goris and the Local Lore Museum of Goris . Goris has a rich heritage in the music of Armenia and is a major centre for traditional musical instruments. It is the birthplace of the famous musician Gusan Ashot . The city of Goris is known for its carpets and has long had

5293-415: The town with Kapan and at some points crosses the de facto Armenia-Azerbaijan border has not been in use due to the establishment of Azerbaijani border controls on the road, with an alternative route going through Tatev being used instead. The Goris Airport , is located 10 kilometers south of Goris, near the village of Khot . It has been closed since 1993. In 2009, the Armenian government declared that it

5372-1294: The two main airports of Armenia reached a record high of 2,856,673 million people. At the end of 2019, this figure further increased, surpassing 3,000,000 passengers for the first time. The main airports used for commercial aviation are Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport and Gyumri's Shirak Airport . Reconstruction of the previously defunct Syunik Airport near the town of Kapan was completed in December 2020, with flights expected to begin in January 2022. One way flights between Yerevan and Kapan should take 40 minutes and cost 20,000 dram, compared to 5 hours by taxi costing 6,000 dram, allowing easy access of tourists to southern Armenia and Artsakh . In October 2019, Ryanair begun selling tickets to Yerevan and Gyumri. WizzAir announced flights from Vienna and Vilnius commencing in April 2020. AirBaltic scheduled to resume flights to Yerevan in May 2020. During June 2016 - August 2021, thirteen airlines began operating flights to Armenia and two have resumed flights: Armenia Aircompany , Brussels Airlines , Qatar Airways , Cham Wings , Air Cairo , Red Wings , Nordwind Airlines , Pobeda , Belavia (resumed flights), Czech Airlines (resumed flights), WizzAir , Ryanair , Eurowings , Condor (airline) , and Lufthansa . In 2011,

5451-523: The uprising. By the end of November, two brigades of the 11th Army of the Red Army and several Turkish battalions (a total of 1200 Turks) were defeated by the rebels, and Zangezur completely came under the control of the rebels. On December 25, the congress held in the Tatev Monastery proclaimed the "Autonomous Syunik Republic", which was actually headed by Nzhdeh, who assumed the ancient title of sparapet (commander-in-chief). Subsequently, Nzhdeh also extended his power to part of Nagorno-Karabakh, joining with

5530-409: The villages of Kalavan , Urtsadzor ; eco-lodging spots like Yenokavan , Lastiver and others. There are some objects in Armenia which are in the official list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites : There are also four tentative World Heritage Sites in Armenia: The archaeological site of the city of Dvin , the basilica and archaeological site of Yererouk , the monasteries of Tatev and Tatevi, and

5609-420: The world, at par with Switzerland. Armenia ranked 94th on the Global Terrorism Index of 2019, better than nearly all Western European and Scandinavian countries (except for Portugal, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark). Armenia and Kazakhstan had the largest improvements in the Eurasia region. Armenia is among the world's safest countries according to Gallup International's 2019 Law and Order report. Based on

5688-559: Was a part of the Karabakh Khanate . During the 16th-17th centuries, Armenian feudal meliks continued to exist in Zangezur, along with Karabakh and Lori . In the 17th–18th centuries, Zangezur and some neighboring regions became the area of the liberation struggle of the Armenian people against the Ottoman Empire and Persia. In 1722, an Armenian uprising broke out in Zangezur and Karabakh. A few years later, under

5767-495: Was ahead of Turkey and Azerbaijan, but behind Georgia. In 2016, The Daily Telegraph rated Armenia as "Europe's best kept secret". Currently, the majority of tourists arriving in Armenia are from the member states of the European Union , CIS countries including Russia and Kazakhstan , and also from Georgia , Iran , the United States and increasingly from Asia, in particular China , Japan , South Korea ,

5846-618: Was charged with defending its northern part (Sisian). In November, near Geryusy (Goris), Armenian troops managed to stop an Azerbaijani offensive, after which they launched a counterattack. On April 27, 1920, the units of the 11th Army of the Red Army crossed the border of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and entered Baku on April 28. Here the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed. On August 10, 1920, an agreement

5925-509: Was concluded between the First Republic of Armenia and the RSFSR, according to which Soviet troops were sent to the disputed regions (Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhichevan) until the settlement of territorial disputes. After the signing of the agreement, General Dro , who commanded the Armenian troops in Zangezur, left Zangezur, but his assistants – the commander of the Kapan region Garegin Nzhdeh and

6004-470: Was considering the possibility of reconstructing and reopening the airport. In 2010, it was reported that the reconstruction of the airport would be completed by 2016. However, this did not occur. In September 2023, it was announced that work on the reconstruction of the airport was underway. The economy of Goris is mainly based on light industry . It is home to a number of food processing plants. The town's homemade fruit vodkas are particularly famous. Goris

6083-547: Was founded. Currently AVIS club and Sky club are most active. They organize competitions, paragliding learning courses nowadays and tandem flights with flying season lasting from May to November. Tandem and free flights are mostly launched at mountains near Hatis, Aparan and Lake Sevan . Depending on the weather conditions tandem flights last up to 20 minutes. Armenia is also a burgeoning ecotourism destination, with activities such as agrotourism, rural life experiences, rafting and biking. Popular ecotourism destinations include

6162-810: Was held in Yerevan. In September 2019, Armenia hosted the European Heritage Days , Armenia also hosted the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in July and the World Information Technology and Services Alliance Congress for the first time, in which 2000 delegates from around 83 countries participated. Also in 2019, Armenia hosted the Eurasian Economic Union Summit in Yerevan, the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, as well as

6241-609: Was opened as a branch of the Armenian State Pedagogical University based in Yerevan. In 1970, Goris was granted the status of a "city of republican subordination" of the Armenian SSR . After the independence of Armenia, Goris was included within the newly formed Syunik Province as per the 1995 administrative reform. In 2006, the Goris State Institute of Pedagogy was restructured and turned into Goris State University to become

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