Rediscovering Armenia
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REDISCOVERING ARMENIA An Archaeological/Touristic Gazetteer and Map Set for the Historical Monuments of Armenia Brady Kiesling June 2000 Yerevan/Washington DC This document is aimed at encouraging interest in Armenia; no restriction is place on duplication of this electronic version for personal use. The author would appreciate acknowledgment of the source of any substantial quotations from this work. Please send corrections/suggestions to: [email protected] i Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................ i Index to Maps ........................................................ iii Author’s Preface ........................................................ iv Sources and Methods ..................................................... iv Timeline .............................................................. vi Archaeological Etiquette ............................................ vi Armenian Alphabet and Monument Dating ................................. vi Note on Transliteration: ........................................... vii Armenian Terms Useful for Getting Lost With ........................... ix Bibliography .......................................................... ix HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA .......................... 1 ARMENIAN MONASTERIES ..................................................... 3 YEREVAN CITY ............................................................. 5 Archaeology ............................................................ 6 The Erivan Fortress .................................................... 7 The City ............................................................... 8 Churches ............................................................... 8 The Museums ........................................................... 10 Suburbs: Avan and Kanaker ............................................ 12 The First American Tourists ........................................... 13 EXPLORING ARAGATSOTN .................................................... 14 South from Ashtarak - Oshakan (Maps A, D) ............................. 14 The South Slopes of Aragats --Amberd (Map A) .......................... 15 Climbing Mt. Aragats (Map A) .......................................... 15 West Around Aragats -- Aghdzk and Aruch (Map A) ....................... 16 North Toward Talin and Mastara (Map B) ................................ 18 Talin Fortress and Kristapori Vank (Map B) ............................ 19 North from Ashtarak -- Hovhannavank to Aparan (Map A) ................. 20 EXPLORING ARARAT ........................................................ 23 West of Yerevan (Maps C, D) ........................................... 24 South from Yerevan (Map C) ............................................ 24 To Ancient Dvin (Map C) ............................................... 25 Khor Virap and Artaxiasata (Map C) .................................... 27 Vedi and Eastward (Map C, inset) ...................................... 29 East from Yeraskh -- S. Karapet Monastery (Map C inset) ............... 30 EXPLORING ARMAVIR ....................................................... 31 Ejmiatsin and Environs (Map D) ........................................ 31 The Northeast Corner -- Aghavnatun and Targmanchats (Map D) ........... 35 Metsamor and Environs (Map D) ......................................... 36 Sardarapat and Ancient Armavir (Map D) ................................ 37 Southwestern Armavir (advance permission required) .................... 39 Southeastern Armavir (Map D) .......................................... 39 North of Armavir City ................................................. 40 West from Armavir ..................................................... 40 EXPLORING GEGHARKUNIK ................................................... 41 Approaching Sevanavank (Maps H, E) .................................... 41 Gavar and the South Sevan Basin (Maps E, F) ........................... 43 East from Martuni -- Teyseba and Vanevan (Map F, G) ................... 46 Former Vardenis Rayon -- Makenyats Vank (Map G) ....................... 47 North from Vardenis (Map G) ........................................... 48 East from Vardenis (Map G) ............................................ 48 The East Side of Sevan -- Chambarak (Map E) ........................... 48 South toward Vardenis (Map E) ......................................... 49 Down (NW) the Getik River -- Old Getik Vank (Map E) ................... 49 EXPLORING KOTAYK ........................................................ 50 Kiesling, 9 June 2000 ii The Road to Garni and Geghard (Map H) ................................. 50 North along Hrazdan Gorge -- Bjni (Map H) ............................. 54 Tsaghkadzor and the Marmarik Valley (Map H) ........................... 57 Abovian and the Foothills (Map H) ..................................... 58 To the Geghama Mountains (Map H) ...................................... 59 The East Road from Abovian (Map H) .................................... 60 Into Mt. Ara (Map H) .................................................. 60 To Yeghvard and Buzhakan (Map H) ...................................... 61 EXPLORING LORI .......................................................... 62 Spitak and Eastward (Map I) ........................................... 62 North to Stepanavan (Map I, J) ........................................ 63 Along the Gargar River -- Hnevank (Map J) ............................. 63 Along the Dzoraget -- Lori Berd (Map J) ............................... 64 North from Stepanavan (Map J) ......................................... 66 Vanadzor and Eastward (Map I) ......................................... 66 North from Vanadzor on the Debed -- Dsegh, Kober (Map I, J) ........... 67 West of the Debed Gorge -- Odzun (Map J) .............................. 68 Sanahin and Haghpat (Map J) ........................................... 69 West from Spitak (Map I) .............................................. 74 The Zakarian Lords Zakare and Ivane ................................... 74 EXPLORING SHIRAK ........................................................ 74 North to Gyumri -- Horom (Map B) ...................................... 75 East from Maralik -- Artik, Harich (Map B) ............................ 76 Up the Akhuryan -- Yereruyk (Map B) ................................... 78 Gyumri East toward Spitak (Map M) ..................................... 79 West of the Akhuryan River (Map M) .................................... 80 The Northwest Corner -- Marmashen Vank (Map M) ........................ 80 North Toward Akhalkalakh (Map M) ...................................... 81 EXPLORING SYUNIK ........................................................ 82 Entering Syunik -- Angeghakot (Map L) ................................. 84 Sisian and Tanahati Vank (Map L) ...................................... 89 To Dastakert (Map L) .................................................. 93 To Vorotnavank and Beyond (Map L) ..................................... 93 East to Goris -- Kotrats Caravansaray, Khndzoresk (Map L) ............. 95 The Road to Tatev (Map L) ............................................. 97 South to Kapan (Map L) ................................................ 99 East of Kapan (Map M) ................................................ 102 The Shikahogh Reserve (Map M) ........................................ 102 West toward K'ajaran -- Vahanavank (Map L, M) ........................ 102 South to Meghri (Map L) .............................................. 105 EXPLORING TAVUSH ....................................................... 106 Dilijan .............................................................. 107 West of Dilijan -- Jukhtak Vank (Map N) .............................. 107 East From Dilijan -- Haghartsin, Goshavank (Map N) ................... 108 The Shamsadin District -- Khoranashat, Varagavank (Map O) ............ 112 East of Ijevan (Map N) ............................................... 114 North to Noyemberian -- Makaravank, Kirants (Map N) .................. 115 EXPLORING VAYOTS DZOR .................................................. 118 East from Ararat -- Areni, Noravank (Map P) .......................... 119 Selim Caravansaray and the Yeghegis Monasteries (Map P) .............. 121 Shatin and Eastward -- Tsakhatskar, Smbataberd (Map P) ............... 123 Yeghegnadzor and Environs -- Tanahat, Boloraberd (Map P) ............. 125 Moving East to Vayk (Map P) .......................................... 127 Southern Vayots Dzor (Map P) ......................................... 127 Jermuk and Eastward -- Gndevank (Map P) .............................. 128 The Orbelian Princes ................................................. 128 Kiesling, 9 June 2000 iii Index to Maps Note on maps: This map is an index to sixteen sectional topographic maps at approximately 1:220,000 scale, prepared in Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0 and designed each to print out on a letter-sized sheet. Versions of these are available on-line at www.arminco.com/embusa. I have updated the maps by hand to show the location of the more important monuments listed in the guide. There is now available in Yerevan a useful bilingual road atlas of Armenia, showing most roads and tracks, but without topographic data and with some misleading indications on the precise location of monuments. I urge visitors to Armenia to buy it, as an encouragement to its well- intentioned publisher (Noyan Tapan, 1999,