People come to the city of Ijevan to admire the mountains, forests and alpine meadows, and leave with wine, cognac and carpets. We will tell you about interesting sights, places for walking and much more.
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History of the city of Ijevan: past and present
The history of Ijevan begins from the Bronze Age, as evidenced by archaeological finds: tombs and cemeteries within the city and on the left bank of the Aghstev River. According to legend, King Artavazd I, who ruled in the II century. BC, founded a city here. From all over Armenia, he brought here beautiful boys and girls. Their descendants became the most beautiful in the whole kingdom.
The settlement among the mountains, near the reservoir was a tasty morsel for warlike neighbors, therefore, in the XIV, and then in the XVII centuries. residents were forced to move, they were driven away or massacred.
At the end of the XVIII century. under Persian rule, the settlement Caravanserai was founded here, which meant an inn. The name was chosen for a reason: a trade route passed through the village, and people stopped to spend the night in Caravanserai. After joining the Russian Empire, settlers from the Erivan Khanate and Artsakh began to flock to the village.
When Armenia gained independence in 1918, the Turkic name was abandoned, renaming the village to Ijevan, but the meaning of "inn" remained the same. Under Soviet rule, the settlement received the status of a city.
Now Ijevan is the center and the largest city of the Tavush region. The Ijevan wine and cognac factory has been preserved since Soviet times, and there are also wood and stone processing plants.
Ijevan has long been famous for its carpets. One of them is even presented in the State Historical Museum of Armenia. Despite the fact that the largest carpet-weaving plant in Transcaucasia has closed in the city, local craftsmen do not forget the traditions. Carpets are made, for example, in Chibukhchyan's art studio. Here you can not only buy a skillfully woven carpet, but also take part in the process yourself.
Ijevan has a humid subtropical climate. The best time to come here is in the summer. It is not as hot here as in Yerevan - the average temperature in July is 21 °C. Snow falls in winter, but melts quickly.
How to get to the city?
From Yerevan to Ijevan – 130 km. The most convenient way to travel is by personal transport, taxi or rented car. It is convenient to rent it in Move2Car. If this is not possible, then a minibus runs from the Northern Bus Station (Verin Pthni, M4 highway) to the city of Dilijan. The remaining 36 km can also be covered by public transport.
Places of interest
Church of St. Hovhannes
10 km from the city, in the south-west, there is the Church of St. Hovhannes (St. Hovhannes). This small bright basilica of the XIII century. stands on a hill. From afar, only its dome is visible because of the trees. Those who decide to climb here will be rewarded with a beautiful view.
Church of St. Nerses Shnorhali
The main Armenian Apostolic Church not only in the city, but throughout the entire Tavush region is the Church of St. Nerses Shnorhali. This is the cathedral church of the Tavush diocese. Under him, the Arevik social and educational center was opened. Children from low-income families come here and master various crafts, including carpet weaving, and prepare national dishes. Find activities for parents. If you are in Ijevan and want to take away a souvenir, go to this center: you will receive a handmade product and at the same time help craftsmen in need.
Monastery Makaravank
Half an hour drive from Ijevan is the Makaravank monastery complex (X-XIII centuries). It includes three churches, a narthex and a chapel. The main temple is decorated with bizarre reliefs of animals and mythical creatures. According to legend, the church was built by a master named Makar and his son. When the boy died, the father did not survive the grief and threw himself from the height of the church. Makar was buried near the church wall, and the church was named Makaravank.
Ijevan Museum of Local History
This small museum is located in an old house with a carved wooden gallery at the entrance. It consists of only four sections, but there are also unusual exhibits here. For example, finds related to the Urartian era are exhibited. In the courtyard of the museum there are cannons from the First and Second World Wars. The Soviet period is well represented, because it was from Ijevan that Lenin was telegraphed about the establishment of Soviet power in Armenia.
Ijevan wine and cognac factory
The plant was opened back in Soviet times - in 1951. They produce fruit wine (grapes, pomegranate, quince, cherry, etc.) and vodka (cornel, mulberry, apricot, etc.), champagne, cognac, juices and canned food. There are guided tours that include tastings. In the shop at the factory, you can buy products cheaper than in stores.
City Park
Not every city park can be called an open-air museum. And in the Ijevan park there are more than 100 sculptures created by authors from different countries. The fact is that from 1985 to 1990. architectural symposia were held in this park, and the works created during this time were donated to the city.
Mother Armenia
Did you know that there are actually three monuments to Mother Armenia? The most famous are in Yerevan and Gyumri, the two largest cities in the country. And the third one is installed in the north of Ijevan. This is a 17-meter sculpture of a woman with outstretched arms. It symbolizes both strength and hospitality of the Armenian people.
Arboretum
On a vast territory of 9 hectares, there is the Ijevan Dendropark, where more than 650 plant species from all continents, with the exception of Australia, are collected. The director of the arboretum is proud of the fact that the only bear hazel alley in the world is located here. Amateur gardeners can purchase seeds of plants planted in the arboretum.
Yell Extreme Park
If you want to not only walk in nature, but also get an adrenaline rush, go to Yell Extreme Park. There you will be offered to walk through the rope park, ride a zipline, a jeep, go mountain climbing or horseback riding.
Not far from the extreme park is Lastiver Cave. Read about this place at article about the city of Dilijan.
Having been in Ijevan, look into the neighboring bird. We talked about it and other places in our cycle about the cities of Armenia. And if you have any questions about the trip, write to our support service @move2armenia_official. There are answers to everything.
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