Ashtarak city in Armenia: what to see, what is famous for and how to get there

Many people know Ashtarak from ancient churches, some consider Ashtarak wine to be the most delicious, and others will speak about the contribution of local institutions to the development of science. The city of 20,000 at the foot of Mount Aragats combines all this and more.

Contents

1. History of Ashtarak city: past and present
2. How to get to the city?
3. Things to do in Ashtarak and surroundings

History of Ashtarak city: past and present

The village of Ashtarak was first mentioned in written sources in the 9th century. AD However, as the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi wrote, Armanak, the son of Hayk Nahapet, the progenitor of all Armenians, lived on the territory of modern Ashtarak about three millennia ago.

Ashtarak, being a merchant settlement, suffered from the attacks of the Seljuk Turks, Mongols, was under the rule of the Persians and Russians. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the name Ashtarak is translated from Armenian as a fortress. Once upon a time, the oldest church of Ashtarak, Tsiranavor (5th century), visited the role of a fortress. The remains of fortifications can also be found on the right bank of the Kasakh River.

Since 1963 Ashtarak has been a city. Now it is the administrative center of the Aragatsotn region. The population is employed in several work areas, one of them is industry. It produces components for various equipment from industrial sapphire crystals. Produce plastic containers, dairy products. Together with British colleagues, they opened a plant for the production of hygiene products. An asphalt concrete plant and a knitwear factory are operating.

Ashtarak's Gitavan quarter is called a science city, because the Institute of Physical Research of the Scientific Research Institute of the Republic of Armenia and the Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia are located here.

Located in the city and a wonderful place. In addition to libraries, museums, houses of culture, Ashtarak has a space for creative people - Hrach's Art Space. They are engaged in music, singing, dancing, drawing, and all this is combined with Armenian traditions.

Another important area is agriculture. In the hot, dry climate of Ashtarak, grapes grow well, and local residents open their own wineries. For example, the Yeganyants family invites tourists to their guest House, where you can not only stop for the duration of the trip, but also taste wine. Ashtarak is also proud of its walnuts. They are so good here that the cafe owners Arze by Pascal Diodato The walnut festival is held annually in October. In addition, dried fruits are made in Ashtarak and a poultry farm operates.

Ashtarak is trying to develop in the tourism direction. For example, you can see the sights near the city and the three main Ashtarak churches with a travel agency Yerevan Online.

How to get to the city?

The city is located at the crossroads from the capital to the largest Armenian cities - Vanadzor and Gyumri. 20 km from Yerevan You can get to Ashtarak by personal transport, taxi or rented car. Our partner company provides rental services Move2Car. Also from the central bus station of Yerevan “Cilicia” there are minibuses to Ashtarak and nearby villages.

You can ask our support team questions about your trip to Ashtarak @move2armenia_official. They know not only how to get to the city, but also where to stay, where to shop, etc.

Things to do in Ashtarak and surroundings

City of churches

Once there were 11 churches in Ashtarak. Now there are five of them left, and all together they are the center of attraction for tourists. You can start bypassing temples, for example, from the church St. Marina. It was built in the 13th century, and in the 19th century. a bell tower was attached to it. The church is small, it can be called elegant. Nearby is a quiet square, where it is good to rest before going to the next sights.

And they will be the main churches of Ashtarak: Karmravor is red, Tsiranavor is apricot and Spitakavor is white. According to legend, three sisters fell in love with one young man named Sarkis. The older ones did not want to get in the way of the younger one, but they also could not overcome their feelings, so they rushed into the gorge. Not having survived this grief, the younger sister also jumped after them. On that day, the girls were in red, apricot (orange) and white robes. Churches were built to commemorate this.

Karmravor or Church of St. Our Lady was built in the 7th century. This is one of the smallest churches in Armenia, but this is its attraction. It is also the only early medieval temple that has preserved old tiles.

After Karmravor the way goes to Tsiranavora, the oldest church in Ashtarak. It was erected in the 5th-6th centuries. on the site of a pagan sanctuary. Also, as we wrote above, she visited the fortress and was called Pokraberd - a small fortress. The church was badly damaged during the earthquake: there is no dome and one wall, but believers continue to come here.

At the very edge is Spitakavor church XIII-XIV centuries She also suffered from an earthquake - she has no roof. But she is still neat and beautiful. And most importantly, from Spitakavor you can see the three-arched bridge of 1664. Next to it you can see the ruins of its predecessor - the bridge of the 13th century. Also on the other side of the river is the water mill "Mukhsonts" - the oldest (about 400 years old) and the largest in the region. It is planned to restore work on it.

Also from Spitakavor you can see the last church - St. Sargis. It was built on the site of the former one in the 19th century. The church is located on a hill, and from the observation deck you can see the Kasakh gorge and the left-bank part of Ashtarak.

House Museum of Perch Proshyan

Perch Proshyan is a famous Armenian writer, author of "village prose" and a native of Ashtarak. The museum is located in a house with a beautiful carved wooden balcony and is located on the way between the churches of Karmravor and Tsiranavor. Here they talk about how the writer lived, show the life of the 19th century, and also arrange literary evenings.

Gourmet Dourme Chocolate Mini Museum

A mini-museum of chocolate was opened near the Karmravor church. They tell about the history of sweets, show the process of its manufacture, offer to manually pack chocolate and taste it. Both children and adults will like it.

Yak-40

Tourists do not often reach the Yak-40 aircraft. But this is not just a monument, but a used air transport. It was released in 1977 and served 20 years. Unfortunately, the plane is already very dilapidated, but against its background and against the backdrop of the picturesque Kasakh gorge, excellent pictures are obtained.

Equestrian club "Ayrudzi"

If active rest is close to you, then it will be organized at the Ayrudzi hippodrome. Here they teach how to ride horses, properly care for them, organize horse rides, and hippotherapy is arranged for people with health problems. Every summer, children are invited to a summer camp where they learn to communicate with horses and share interesting facts about them.

Gorge of the river Kasakh

You can not only look at the gorge from a height, but also go down to the river itself. Of course, for this you need to be prepared, trained. Along the gorge are the monastery of Hovhannavank, the church of Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God), carved into the rock, and the monastery of Saghmosavank. Mamajan Trip organizes hiking in the gorge with visits to nearby churches and Ashtarak.

Saghmosavank Monastery

In the village of Saghmosavan, 14 km from Ashtarak, there is a monastery of Saghmosavank of the 13th century. At one time, it was one of the largest spiritual centers in Armenia, where there were ancient manuscripts, now transferred to the Matenadaran Museum of Manuscripts. The monastery consists of the churches of St. Zion, St. Virgin Mary, vestibule and book depository. Of course, in addition to the complex itself, the view of the Kasakh canyon is also striking.

Historical complex Amberd

The Amberd complex is the eponymous castle of the 7th century. and the Vagramashen Church of the 11th century. Amberd Castle was three-storey, richly decorated for its time. It had water supply, and also operated a large system of underground passages. Now the castle is dilapidated, and the old church is well preserved. The complex is located 30 km from Ashtarak.

Alley of letters

14 km from Ashtarak, on the western slope of Mount Aragats, the highest on the territory of modern Armenia, a monument to the Armenian alphabet was erected. Its second name is the alley of letters. We advise you to find out in advance what the first letter of your name looks like in order to take a memorable photo.

As we have seen, the cities closest to Yerevan can be interesting and worth visiting. In addition to Ashtarak, not far from the capital is Masis. We invite you to learn about it.