NOTES: ARAGATSOTN a traveler’s reference guide ® Aragatsotn Marz : 3 of 94 - TourArmenia © 2008 Rick Ney ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - www.TACentral.com a traveler’s reference guide ® Aragatsotn Marz : 4 of 94 - TourArmenia © 2008 Rick Ney ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - www.TACentral.com a traveler’s reference guide ® soil surprisingly rich when irrigated. Unlike Talin INTRODUCTIONB Highlights the Southeast has deeper soils and is more heavily ARAGATSOTN marz Area: 2753 sq. km farmed. The mountain slopes receive more rainfall Population: 88600 ²ð²¶²ÌàîÜ Ù³ñ½ then on the plateau and has thick stands of Marz Capital: Ashtarak • Visit Ashtarak Gorge and the three mountain grass and wildflowers throughout the sister churches of Karmravor, B H Distance from Yerevan: 22 km By Rick Ney summer season. Tsiranavor and Spitakavor (p. 10)H MapsB by RafaelH Torossian Marzpetaran: Tel: (232) 32 368, 32 251 EditedB by BellaH Karapetian Largest City: Ashtarak • Follow the mountain monastery trail to Aragatsotn (also spelled “Aragadzotn”) is named Tegher (pp. 18),H Mughni (p 20),H TABLEB OF CONTENTS Hovhanavank (pp. 21)H and after the massive mountain (4095m / 13,435 ft.) that hovers over the northern reaches of Armenia. Saghmosavank (pp. 23)H INTRODUCTIONH (p. 5) The name itself means ‘at the foot of’ or ‘the legs NATUREH (p. 6) • See Amberd Castle, summer home for of’ Aragats, a fitting title if ever there was one for DOH (p. 7) Armenia’s rulers (p 25)H this rugged land that wraps around the collapsed WHEN?H (p. 8) volcano. A district carved for convenience, the • Hike up the south peak of Mt. Aragats How Long marz actually consists of three distinct for a view from the top of Armenia. (p. HISTORYH (p. 8) geographical areas that made up previous 25)H INH AND OUT (p. 14) administrative centers: Aparan, Ashtarak and • See the megalithic temple complex at OVERNIGHTH / EAT (p. 15) Talin. Agarak (p. 17)H DESTINATIONSH (p. 15) The mountain Mt. Aragats (Turkish and in some NATUREH TOURING (p. 15) • Visit the Kurdish Culture Center at maps “Alagiaz”), formed during the Miocene era, Nature-AdventureH Tour Operators Alagiaz & the Yezidi village of Ria Taza once reached 10,000m above sea level before a ArcheologicalH Tour Operators (p. 38) massive eruption 500,000 years ago (one of a ASHTARAKH (p. 18) Aragatsotn is a favorite haunt of the urban string of eruptions in during the Pliocene and • Buy some village fresh cheese and “Yerevantsi”, who escape the summer heat at one EXPLORINGH THE REGION (p. 27) quaternary ages) caused the near perfect cone to Matsun at Nigavan (p. 37) of the many dachas and pensionats (summer TRIPH 1: AROUND ASHTARAK (p. 27) collapse, leaving behind four peaks to serve as lodges) that inhabit the southern edge of the TRIPH 2: ASHTARAK TO ARAGATS (p. 45) • View the ancient observatory at sentinels over the collapsed dome. The resulting mountain. Anchored by the ancient city of H Yeghipatrush (p. 34), the Bronze Age TRIP 3: MT. ARAGATS (p. 55) lava flow spread outwards hundreds of km so that Ashtarak, a city with the most complete survey of fortress at Tsaghkahovit (p, 38) & fire TRIPH 4: APARAN REGION (p. 56) the mountain is 18% of the total land mass of the sacred architecture in the country, the area is a country, and can be viewed from every marz altar at Gegharot (p. 40) - AparanH (p. 65) combination of rustic villages, sophisticated living except two. TRIPH 5: TALIN REGION (p. 75) • Hike the nature trails over the Pambak and nouveau riche excess, set in a stunning - TalinH (p. 83) and Tsaghkuniats Mountains into the landscape. Camping, hiking, horse-back trails are The area The result is a startling land of an added treat. TRIPH 6: WESTERN ARAGATSOTN (p. 86) contrasts: to the west (old Talin province) the land forests of Kotaik and Lori (pp. 36, 36, RESOURCESH (p. 93) is upper plateau dotted with small mountains and 37, 37, 40) Aragatsotn is the location of Biurakan Observatory MAPS an almost lunar landscape. The semi-desert • Climb to the top of Kosh Castle, an with the second largest optical telescope in AragatsotnH Map (P. 2) steppe land is actually teeming with wildlife that intact 13th c fort and the amazing Eurasia. The observatory is home to some of the AshtarakH Map (P. 22) roams the deep ravines and mountain ripples that Kosh Great Khachkar (p. 41) most brilliant astronomers in the world, one of striate the sparse land. This area is actually the AparanH Map (p. 65) which first uncovered the secrets of the ancient northern end of the great Ararat Valley, once • See the Mamikonian seat of power in TalinH Map (p. 83) observatories at Metsamor and Sissian covered with forests and tall grass, now barren Aragatsotn, at Aruch (p. 42) Mt.H Aragats Maps (P. 55) (Karahundj). scrub. Don’t be deceived; the soil is still fertile and springs to life when irrigated by the melting • Stop by Talin to see one of the Note about pronunciation: we transcribe words “perfect” examples of early medieval The Northern area (“Aparan”) is usually lumped as mountain snows, infrequent rainfall and numerous one but is really two distinct regions; Mt. Aragats into English using local dialect, and substitute “i” springs that nourish each village. construction, the cathedral (p. 43) itself, a looming mass of snow and wildflowers with for “y” as in Sarigiugh instead of Sarigyugh. “p.” • Visit Mastara, with its gorgeous 6th c some moderate-to-difficult mountain climbing, and stands for poghots (street), ‘pts.’ for poghotsner In the southeast, the land alternates between open cross form church and 13th c the upper plateau around Aparan, home to the (streets), ‘pta.’ For poghota (avenue). rolling steppe lands and deep gashes in the soil— master khachkar, visit with village bulk of Armenia’s nomadic Zoroastrian Yezidis river gorges that have supported wildlife and elders, climb the nearby shepherd hills (also called Yesdis or Yezedis), who begin their Note: GPS coordinates are in decimal degrees (DD) civilization from before the Stone Age. The (p. 50) annual trek up the mountain slopes to graze their Latitude x Longitude. Elevation (elev.) is in earliest skeletal remains found are 1.7 million meters. Population counts (pop.) are estimates for flocks each spring and summer. This area is a years old with African ancestry and the area is in • Visit Arteni winery and buy a bottle or 7 km radius from place and due to ongoing source of clean air, cool climes and some incredible the midst of Armenia’s Cradle of Civilization, the two for a picnic on the road (p.49) prehistoric sites that are traced to a time when the migrations the numbers are not exact. Ararat/Akhurian River valleys. The area supported volcanoes were still active and warmed the upper a series of settlements, burial mounds and ancient elevations. One exceptional site is near sites that grew to become vital sources of bronze Tsaghkahovit. and iron for the empires of the Near East. Like Talin, the land is rocky and dry in the summer, its Aragatsotn Marz : 5 of 94 - TourArmenia © 2008 Rick Ney ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - www.TACentral.com a traveler’s reference guide ® The cold winters and meters-high snow give way current Armenian alphabet and introducing a wave Amberd River, flows from the top of Aragats to the flowers and wild irises that cover the upper to stunning “greenscapes” and blankets of of learning and native literature in Armenia. Kasakh River near Ashtarak, ambling through a meadows and hillsides from Spring to summer. wildflowers in the summer. The mountain number of topographies and climate zones, home experiences eight months of flowering, beginning Mountain climates, stunning vistas, great climbing to some of Armenia’s rarest flowers and birds. Flora in Aragats (Geghama Lehr) include in the river valleys near Ashtarak and ascending and hiking, some of the best preserved historic Merendera trigyna, M. raddeana, Colchicum the mountain in ever rising bands of color before sites in the country and the friendliness and bifolium, Puschkinia scilloides, Scilla armena, S. retreating in August towards the base. The area hospitality of locals make Aragatsotn a must-see siberica, Tulipa julia, Iris caucasia, Muscari also produces some of the best dairy products in destination. Leave the dusty streets of Yerevan caucasicum, Bellevalia pycnantha, Ornithogalum the country. behind for a quick (20 minute) trip uphill to some schelkovnikovii, O. brachystachys, O. haystanum, clean air and friendly folk. Fritillaria caucasica, Nectaroscordum tripedale, sp. of Gagea, Myosotis alpestre, Amenone caucasica, Orchis coriophora, Gladiolus tenuis. Lower Elevation sagebrush steppe flora include Gladiolus atroviolaceus, Nigella oxypetala, Actynolema macrolema, Gundelia tournefortii, Verbascum saccatum, Lallemanita iberica, Roemeria refracta, Scabiosa argentea, Scorzonera papposa, Muscari neglecta, Stachys inflata, Photograph courtesy © Tigran Nazaryan Astragalus distyophysus, A. kochianus, Achillea tenuifolia, Helichrysum rubicundum, Silene In summer’s broiling heat, the western regions can spergulifolia. seem just a series of brown hills rolling into nothingness, punctuated by an occasional oasis of River Gorge flora include Alkanna orientalis, trees surrounding villages. But on closer look, the Cerasus incana, Pyrus, salicifolia, Cerasus Photograph courtesy © Tigran Nazaryan villages, and their oasis of greenery are part of a mahaleb, Amygdalus fenzliana, Spiraea crenata, complex mountain waterway, protected by deep Saxifraga cymbalaria. Aparan locals (“Aparantsis”) also happen to be the gorges that also protect a thriving wildlife. Within NATUREB HHH butt of the Armenian version of the Polish joke, Mountain Steppe flora include Gladiolus Aragatsotn’s environment is as varied as its these gorges (some of which drop 500m) you will every country needing their country bumpkin. atroviolaceus, Nigella oxypetala, Actynolema geography. Formed during the Miocene era, a find a stunning variety of flowers and birds, as you macrolema, Gundelia tournefortii, Verbascum time of violent volcanic eruptions, the region is pass from semi-desert plateaus into semi-tropical If ever a region should not be judged by its first saccatum, Lallemanita iberica, Roemeria refracta, actually Armenia’s youngest (give or take a few wildernesses.