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60-542: The IBA sits at the slopes of the Vayots Dzor mountains, and includes riparian shrubland, semi-desert, juniper woodland, arid mountain steppe and mesophilic meadow habitats. 100 breeding species and 46 migratory or wintering species of birds have been recorded. A caretaker employed at the IBA has worked with the eponymous monastery, Noravank , to set up a feeding station for cinereous vultures . Other species recorded at

120-702: A 5th-generation descendant of the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation Hayk . Gegham was the father of Sisak (founder of the Siunia dynasty ) and Harma (grandfather of Ara the Beautiful ). The Gegham Mountains and the Lake of Gegham (currently known as Lake Sevan ) were also named after Gegham. The region of Gegharkunik has been connected to Uelikuni/Uelikuhi, attested in Urartian sources as one of

180-620: A dousing of hot honey. The summer presidential residence of Armenia is located at the Sevan Peninsula. Gegharkunik has four regional TV stations: The province is connected with other parts of Armenia through the M-4, M-10 and M-14 Motorways. The M-11 Motorway that passes through Martuni and Vardenis connects the province with the town of Karvachar of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic . The Vardenis- Martakert highway,

240-740: A major summer destination for locals and foreigners with many hotels and resorts. The cultural heritage and the natural monuments of the region attract the tourists too. During the last decade, many new hotels and spa resorts were opened along the coast of Lake Sevan , including the Harsnaqar Hotel and Water Park, the Best Western Bohemian Resort Sevan, the Akhtamar Sevan Hotel, the Tufenkian Avan Marag Hotel of Tsapatagh ,

300-816: A number of tourists. Jermuk and the surrounding forests are a tourist attraction with many sanatoriums, spa resorts and its ropeway. It is considered one of the centres of medical tourism in Armenia. Some areas of the province are listed as protected wildlife sanctuaries, including the Herher Open Woodland Sanctuary, the Jermuk Forest Sanctuary, the Jermuk Hydrological Sanctuary, and the Yeghegnadzor Sanctuary. The Mozrov Cave

360-482: A population of 60,357. 10,234 or 16.96% of which was urban, distributed in the city of Jermuk, and 50,123 or 83.04% were rural, distributed in the districts of Vayk (13,680) and Yeghegnadzor (36,443). The population and density in Vayots Dzor is the least among the provinces of Armenia. According to the 2011 official census, Vayots Dzor has a population of 52,324 (25,740 men and 26,584 women), forming around 1.7% of

420-587: A wildlife sanctuary. Most of the rivers in Vayots Dzor are characterized by swift flow, deep fall and inclination. A large project was completed during the Soviet period to transfer the water of Arpa river to Lake Sevan . Thus, an underground water tunnel was opened in 1981 that starts from the basin of the Kechut reservoir to transfer the flow of the Arpa river into Kake Sevan. A number of small lakes are also found in

480-452: Is 65,667 (31.3%) and the rural is 144,002 (68.7%). The province has 5 urban and 87 rural communities. The largest urban community is the provincial centre of Sevan, with a population of 18,705. The other urban centres of are Gavar, Martuni, Vardenis and Chambarak. With a population of 9,880, the village of Vardenik is the largest rural municipality of Gegharkunik. Vardenik is also the largest rural community in Armenia. Gegharkunik Province

540-544: Is a province ( marz ) of Armenia . Its capital and largest city is Gavar . Gegharkunik is inhabited by approximately 209,669 people and the majority are ethnic Armenians . Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia , bordering Azerbaijan . It includes the exclave of Artsvashen , which has been under Azerbaijani occupation since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War . With an area of 5,348 km (2,065 sq mi), Gegharkunik

600-527: Is a province ( marz ) of Armenia . It lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan to the east. It covers an area of 2,308 km (891 sq mi). With a population of only 52,324 (2011 census), it is the most sparsely populated province in the country. The capital and largest city of

660-472: Is currently divided into 5 municipalities or enlarged communities ( hamaynkner ). Rural communities and included settlements: In recent years, many rural settlements in Gegharkunik have been abandoned, such as the villages of Chapkut , Chichakli , Karakoyun , Karmirkharab , Kizilkharaba , Nshkhark and Zariver . There are cultural palaces and many public libraries in the urban settlements of

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720-462: Is home to a vishapakar (dragon stone) dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. Vardadzor monthly is the regional newspaper of Vayots Dzor. It has been published in Yeghegnadzor since 15 November 2002. It covers political, economical and regional news. It also has a literary supplement. The M-2 Motorway that connects Armenia from north to south, passes through the province. On the other hand,

780-418: Is of a major environmental importance for the entire region. Getik , Gavaraget and Masrik are the main rivers of the province. The climate of Gegharkunik is cold and snowy in winter, while the summer is characterized with warm and humid climate. The annual precipitation level ranges between 500 and 600 mm at below 2000 meters, while it may reach up to 1000 mm in the mountainous areas. Historically,

840-418: Is the harvest festival, that is celebrated every year in Yeghegnadzor on the second Sunday of October. Locals from all villages take part in the parade on cars decorated with flowers, bringing their own crops, berries typical to their territories. Theatrical shows and concerts are being held during the festival. Another popular celebration in the province is the wine festival, which is celebrated annually during

900-467: Is the largest province in Armenia. However, approximately 24% or 1,278 km (493 sq mi) of its territory is covered by Lake Sevan , the largest lake in the South Caucasus and a major tourist attraction of the region. The Yerevan-Sevan-Dilijan republican highway runs through the province. The early Armenian history Movses Khorenatsi connected the name of Gegharkunik with Gegham,

960-667: Is the largest rural municipality of Vayots Dzor. The majority of the Vayots Dzor Province population are ethnic Armenians who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church . The regulating body of the church is the Diocese of Vayots Dzor , headed by Archbishop Abraham Mkrtchyan. The Holy Mother of God Cathedral (known also as Surp Sarkis) in Yeghegnadzor is the seat of the diocese. A percentage of

1020-467: Is the most common activity in the province. Agricultural crops include apricot, cherry, pear, peach, apple, quince, plum, melon, walnut, grapes and berries. Cattle-breeding includes wool-bearing, goat farming, poultry farming and bee-keeping. Vayots Dzor is among the leading provinces of Armenia in wine production in terms of grape cultivation and wine export (along with the provinces of Ararat and Armavir). Internationally renowned winemaker Paul Hobbs and

1080-567: The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic . During the Soviet period, modern-day Vayots Dzor was divided into the raions of Yeghegnadzor and Azizbekov . After the independence of Armenia, the 2 raions were merged during the 1995 administrative reform to form the Vayots Dzor Province. According to the 1989 Soviet census , the Vayots Dzor Province (then part of the Vayk and Yeghegnadzor districts in 1930–1995) had

1140-507: The Juniper Woodlands Sanctuary of the mountains of Sevan. The Sevan Botanical Garden is also a major destination for the lovers of ecotourism . As of 2016, Gegharkunik Province has 126 public schools. Two major educational institutions currently operating in Gegharkunik are: During the brief summer of the region, Sevan and the nearby beaches tun into a popular beach resort. Many professionals and amateurs visit

1200-586: The Middle Ages , the Silk Road passed through the area of Vayots Dzor, particularly the road that currently links the town of Martuni with Yeghegnadzor . Vayots Dzor was home to one of the earliest higher educational centres of medieval Armenia, the University of Gladzor ; founded around 1280 by Nerses of Mush . The period between the 15th and 17th centuries is considered to be the darkest period in

1260-822: The Sharur-Daralagezsky Uyezd of the Erivan Governorate. Between 1918 and 1920, the region was included within the short-lived Republic of Armenia . After the Sovietization of Armenia, Vayots Dzor became one of the regions that resisted Soviet Communist rule and formed the unrecognized Republic of Mountainous Armenia under the leadership of Garegin Nzhdeh . However, after falling to the Bolsheviks in July 1921, Vayots Dzor became part of

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1320-537: The 6,100-year-old Areni-1 winery —discovered in archaeological excavations conducted between 2007 and 2011, revealed that the region was settled during the 5th millennium BC (Late Chalcolithic Age). The winery consists of fermentation vats , a wine press , storage jars, pottery sherds, and is believed to be the earliest known winery in history. A 5500-year-old leather shoe , the oldest known piece of leather footwear, has also been found in Areni-1. As early as

1380-416: The 6100 year-old Areni-1 winery has provided increased awareness of the ancient tradition of wine-making in Armenia and particularly in the region of ancient Syunik . There are many small plants for building materials production in the villages of Areni, Agarakadzor and Yeghegis, while the village of Malishka is home to a jewelry plant. The cultural heritage and the natural monuments of the region attract

1440-589: The 8th century BC, the area of modern-day Vayots Dzor was part of the Kingdom of Urartu . Later, it became part of the Kingdom of Armenia forming the Vayots Dzor canton of the Syunik Province . Many churches, monastic complexes, bridges and caravanserais were built between the 10th and 13th centuries, when Vayots Dzor was part of the Kingdom of Syunik under the rule of the Siunia dynasty . During

1500-812: The Blue Sevan Rest-house near Tsovagyugh , the Maria Resort Sevan and the Lavanda City cottages. In February 2011, the Sevan ropeway was opened at the north of the town, in the area known as "mashtotsner", on the way to Tsovagyugh village. It has a length of 1,130 meters. Many forests of the province are listed among the protected areas of Armenia, including the Sevan National Park , the Getik Sanctuary , and

1560-485: The Gegham Mountains with a height of 3597 meters in the western part of the range. Lake Sevan occupies the central part of the province, lying at a height of 1900 meters above sea level and covering an area of 1260 km (around 23.5% of the area of Gegharkunik). The lake is the largest body of fresh water in Armenia and the entire South Caucasus . With a volume of around 32.92 billion m of water, Sevan

1620-540: The IBA include short-toed eagle , golden eagle , bearded vulture , Egyptian vulture , Eurasian eagle owl , lanner falcon , semi-collared flycatcher , European roller , chukar , white stork , Levant sparrowhawk , and, on passage, pallid harrier , lesser kestrel and greater spotted eagle . The area was designated as an IBA in 2002. It is one of eighteen Important Bird Areas in Armenia . Vayots Dzor Vayots Dzor ( Armenian : Վայոց Ձոր , Armenian pronunciation: [vɑjˌɔt͡sʰ ˈd͡zɔɾ] )

1680-632: The Yacoubian family journey to the Birthplace of Wine to craft modern, world-class wines from the indigenous varieties found in the high-altitude, mineral-rich soils of Vayots Dzor. Among the Yacoubian-Hobbs portfolio are a Dry White Wine predominantly made of Voskehat, and two different Areni. Their vineyards grow a stone's throw away from the Areni-1 cave, the oldest known winery dating from over 6000 years ago. With their local team, Paul and

1740-509: The Yacoubians are growing and crafting wines that confirm Armenia's part, not only in the ancient history of winemaking, but in its very relevant present and future amongst the great wine regions of the world. The industry of Vayots Dzor contributes 1% of the annual total industrial product of Armenia. Industry is mainly based on water bottling , alcoholic drinks production (mainly wine), food-processing and dairy products. The discovery of

1800-511: The current territory of the province mainly occupies the Gegharkunik and Sotk cantons of the Syunik province of Ancient Armenia, along with parts of Mazaz and Varazhnunik cantons of Ayrarat province. From 1930 until 1995, modern-day Gegharkunik was divided into 5 raions within the Armenian SSR : Sevan raion , Kamo raion , Krasnoselsk raion , Martuni raion and Vardenis raion . With

1860-405: The entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 18,449 (35.26%) and the rural is 33,875 (64.74%). The province has 3 urban and 41 rural communities. The largest urban community is the provincial centre of Yeghegnadzor, with a population of 7,944. The other urban centres of Vayk and Jermuk have a population of 5,877 and 4,628 respectively. With a population of 4,460, the village of Malishka

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1920-608: The history of Vayots Dzor. The region became a frequent battlefield between the invading troops of the Turkic and Iranian tribes. As a result, many monuments and villages were destroyed and the population was displaced. It later became part of the Khanate of Nakhchivan and was known as Daralagez (also spelled Daralagyaz, Daralayaz). During the first half of the 19th century, following the Russo-Persian War of 1826-28 and

1980-486: The local "kingdoms" conquered by Urartu in the eighth century BCE. The word "Uel" is believed to be an early ( proto-Armenian ) version of "Gegh" (proto-Indo European u corresponds with g in Armenian, l corresponds with the Armenian gh ). Armenian gull is the symbol of the province. It is depicted on the Gegharkunik coat of arms adopted on 4 May 2011, flying over the Lake Sevan and its peninsula, surrounded by

2040-460: The month of October, in the village of Areni . The traditional Armenian lavash and gata are still baked in traditional tandoors at the villages of Vayots Dzor. Local dishes include sour banjar, kyalaglosh, shorva with ghavurma, rabbit kofta, portridge shorva, rosted quail and kid barbecue. Yeghegnadzor is the cultural centre of Vayots Dzor Province. It has a cultural palace, a public library and an archaeological museum. The town's public park

2100-549: The most sparsely populated province in the country. It borders the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan from the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan from the east (administered as the Shahumyan Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic between 1993 and 2020). Domestically, it is bordered by the Gegharkunik Province from the north, Ararat Province from the northwest and Syunik Province from

2160-405: The mountains of Sevan. The wheat ears on both sides of the coat of arms represent the agricultural characteristic of the province, while the opened book at the bottom represents the intellectual and cultural heritage of the region. Gegharkunik Province occupies the east of the central part of modern-day Armenia. With an area of 5,349 km (18% of total area of Armenia), it is ranked first among

2220-516: The north is the highest point in the province, while the Areni valley, at a height of 850 meters, is the lowest point. The 2586 meters-high Vayots Sar volcanic cone is located almost at the centre of the province. Vayots Dzor has many rivers, mountains springs and mineral water, with the Arpa River being the most significant of them. It flows 92 km in the territory of Vayots Dzor, through

2280-404: The north of the town. The economy of Gegharkunik Province has a predominantly agricultural orientation, including farming and cattle-breeding. It has a share of 18% in the annual total agricultural product of Armenia. Around 65% (3,487 km ) of the total area of the province are arable lands , out of which 27.3% (951.5 km ) are ploughed. Around 60,000 farms in Gegharkunik are operated by

2340-527: The population in Vayots Dzor have their ancestors migrated from the Iranian towns of Salmas and Khoy in 1829 and 1830. As a result of the administrative reforms concluded by June 17, 2016, October 8, 2016, and June 9, 2017, Vayots Dzor is currently divided into 8 municipal communities ( hamaynkner ) The people of Vayots Dzor are mainly conservative. They celebrate the religious and traditional feasts, including Trndez and Vardavar . A key celebration

2400-497: The private sector. The main crops are potato and grains. Fishing and fish farming is also dominant in the province. Recently, beekeeping has significantly developed. Generally, Gegharkunik has a poor industrial index with a small number of operating firms. Currently, the province has a contribution of only 2% in the annual total industrial product of Armenia. Tourism services in Gegharkunik are seasonal. The towns of Sevan, Chambarak and Martuni along with their surrounding beaches are

2460-551: The province is the town of Yeghegnadzor . The province is home to many ancient landmarks and tourist attractions in Armenia including the Areni-1 cave complex and Areni-1 winery of the Chalcolithic period, the 8th-century Tanahat Monastery , the 10th-century fortress of Smbataberd , and the 13th-century monastery of Noravank . Vayots Dzor is also home to the spa-town of Jermuk . The village of Gladzor in Vayots Dzor

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2520-761: The province shared a border with the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh , when the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan was administered as the Shahumyan Province of Artsakh. The Armenian exclave of Artsvashen in Gegharkunik Province is currently occupied and controlled by Azerbaijan. Gegharkunik has a mountainous landscape. Its territory is dominated by the Gegham Mountains in the west, the Vardenis Mountains in

2580-559: The province since 2008. As of the 2015–16 academic year, Vayots Dzor was home to 50 public schools as well as 17 pre-school kindergartens: The number of the students was around 6,300, while the academic staff included around 1,100 teachers. Around 1,000 children attended the kindergartens. Arpa FC of Yeghegnadzor -founded as Momik FC in 1992- used to represent the town in the Armenian Premier League football competition. Like many other Armenian football clubs, Arpa FC

2640-618: The province. A geological museum operates in Sevan on the basis of the Sevan Botanical Garden . Gavar is home to a history museum as well as drama theatre. The cuisine of Gavar is closely related with the oriental cuisine elements, characterized with various spices, vegetables, fish, and fruits combination. One of the famous sweets of the town is the Kyavar baklava which is a many-layered pastry with tissue-thin sheets of phyllo dough, filled with nuts and sugar and finished with

2700-423: The provinces of Armenia in terms of the total area. Gegharkunik Province is situated at the east of modern-day Armenia, surrounding the Lake Sevan. Within Armenia, it borders Tavush Province to the north, Kotayk and Ararat provinces to the west and Vayots Dzor Province to the south. The Dashkasan , Gadabay and Kalbajar districts of Azerbaijan form the eastern border of the province. From 1993 to 2020,

2760-458: The region received this name after a powerful earthquake struck the area. Historian Grigor Ghapantsyan considers it more likely that the name Vayots Dzor derives from the name of an ancient tribe or ethnic group with the name Vay , perhaps connected with Biaini , the endonym of the ancient kingdom of Urartu . Situated at the southeastern end of modern-day Armenia, Vayots Dzor covers an area of 2,308 km (7.8% of total area of Armenia). It

2820-465: The region to practice their favourite types of sports including beach soccer , beach volleyball and windsurfing . The defunct football teams of FC Akhtamar Sevan and Lernagorts Vardenis FC represented the province at the domestic competitions during the 1990s. Alashkert FC represented town of Martuni between 1990 and 2000 before being relocated to Yerevan. There are football stadiums with small seating capacities in Sevan, Martuni, Vardenis and

2880-477: The resulting Treaty of Turkmenchay signed in 1828, Vayots Dzor passed from Iranian to Russian rule. In the same year that the territory came under Russian rule, it was incorporated into the newly established Armenian Oblast . In 1849, the Erivan Governorate was founded including Vayots Dzor, while in 1870, the governorate was further divided into uyezds . Consequently, Vayots Dzor became part of

2940-458: The second highway connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, was opened in September 2017. Part of the highway came under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and currently cannot be used by Armenians. Sevan has a train station that connects the town with Yerevan through railway. The provincial centre Gavar has had an airstrip since the Soviet years, located to

3000-623: The settlements of Jermuk , Vayk , Yeghegnadzor , and Areni , among others. It originates in Vayots Dzor from the northwest part of the Syunik plateau at a height of 3260 meters, and flows into the Araks river. It has a number of tributaries that form waterfalls such as the Jermuk and the Herher. Yeghegis river is the main tributary of Arpa. It flows into a valley that is protected by the government as

3060-603: The south, the Sevan Mountains in the east, the Miapor Mountains in the northeast and the Kenats Mountains in the north of the province. The height of the mountains ranges between 2500 and 3500 meters. Gegharkunik is separated from Vayots Dzor by the 82 kilometer-long Vardenis Mountains, where the highest point is Mount Vardenis at 3,522 meters. The highest point of the province is Mount Azhdahak of

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3120-513: The southeast. Historically, the current territory of the province occupies most of the Vayots Dzor canton of the historic Syunik province of Ancient Armenia . Vayots Dzor is a mountainous region. It is mainly divided into 3 mountain ranges: the Vardenis mountain range at the north, the Arpa range in the middle and the Vayk range at the south. At a height of 3522 meters, the Vardenis volcano in

3180-519: The territorial administration reform of 1995, the 5 raions were merged to form the Gegharkunik Province. After the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war , the length of the province's border with Azerbaijan increased. Starting on 12 May 2021, Azerbaijani troops advanced into Gegharkunik province and established positions near the villages of Kut and Verin Shorzha , precipitating a border crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan . On 25 May 2021, an Armenian soldier

3240-600: The towns of Yeghegnadzor are domestically connected through a number of well-developed roads. The Jermuk airstrip is located near Jermuk, adjacent to the Kechut Reservoir. Vayots Dzor has the poorest agricultural index among the Armenian provinces, forming 2.2% of the annual total agricultural product of Armenia. Around 82.5% (1,903 km ) of the total area of the total area of the province arable lands , out of which only 8.5% (162 km ) are ploughed. However, agriculture -including farming and cattle-breeding-

3300-653: The valley of the Herher River. Vayots Dzor is first mentioned in the History of Armenia by Movses Khorenatsi . The region has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. Archaeological investigations have uncovered many sites and objects dating back to the Paleolithic Era and the Bronze Age , including carvings on cliffs depicting scenes of hunting and animals. The Areni-1 cave complex —including

3360-491: Was dissolved in early 2003 and is currently inactive from professional football. The towns of Vayk and Yeghegnadzor have a football stadium each with minor capacities. Every year, during the month of August, Jermuk hosts the FIDE Grand Prix Jermuk chess tournament. Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik ( Armenian : Գեղարքունիք , Armenian pronunciation: [ɡɛʁɑɾkʰuˈnikʰ] )

3420-486: Was found in 1980 near the village of Arpi . It is protected as a natural and cultural monument of Armenia. Vayots Dzor was home to the medieval Armenian University of Gladzor that was established around 1280 by Nerses of Mush and operated until 1340 and "left behind a rich intellectual heritage". Currently, the Yeghegnadzor branch of the Armenian State University of Economics is operating in

3480-426: Was home to the 13th and 14th-century University of Gladzor . The province is named after the Vayots Dzor canton of historic Syunik , the ninth province of Ancient Armenia . The exact etymology of the name Vayots Dzor is unknown, although it is popularly understood to mean valley or canyon of sorrows ( vay is an exclamation of sorrow or pain in Armenian, a cognate of the word "woe"). According to folk tradition,

3540-441: Was killed by Azerbaijani fire in Gegharkunik, and two days later on 27 May, six Armenian soldiers were captured by Azerbaijani forces in Gegharkunik while carrying out engineering work near the border with Azerbaijan. According to the 1989 Soviet census , the Gegharkunik Province (then part of the Vardenis , Kamo , Krasnoselsk , Martuni , and Sevan districts in 1930–1995) had a population of 230,548. 58,185 or 25.24% of which

3600-430: Was urban, distributed into the cities of Kamo (31,234) and Sevan (26,951), and 172,363 or 74.76% were rural, distributed into the districts of Vardenis (31,282), Kamo (30,555), Krasnoselsk (16,428), Martuni (75,866), and Sevan (18,232). According to the 2022 official census, Gegharkunik has a population of 209,669 (105,084 men and 104,585 women), forming around 7.1% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population

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