Ashtarak
40°17′51″N 44°21′42″E / 40.29750°N 44.36167°E
Ashtarak Աշտարակ | |
|---|---|
 From top left: Ashtarak town • Ashtarak bridge of 1664 Karmravor Church • Saint Mariane Church • Surp Sarkis Church House-meuseum of Pertch Proshian • the statue of Nerses Ashtaraketsi | |
| Country |  Armenia |
| Marz | Aragatsotn |
| First mentioned | 9th century |
| City status | 1963 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Armen Antonyan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.5 km2 (2.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,110 m (3,640 ft) |
| Population (2011 census) | |
| • Total | 19,615 |
| • Density | 2,600/km2 (6,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (GMT +4) |
| Postal code | 0201-0205 |
| Area code | (+374) 232 |
| Website | Official website |
| Sources: Population[1] | |
Ashtarak (Armenian: Աշտարակ), is a town in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, northwest of the capital Yerevan. It is the administrative centre of the Aragatsotn province. With a population of 19,615 (2011 census), Ashtarak is an important crossroad of routes for the Yerevan–Gyumri–Vanadzor rectangle.
The town plays a great role in the national economy as well as the cultural life of Armenia through several industrial enterprises and cultural institutions. It has developed as a satellite town of Yerevan. The nearby village of Mughni is part of the Ashtarak municipality.
Etymology
The name of "Ashtarak" is the Armenian word for tower or fortress. However, according to linguist Grigor Ghapantsyan, the name of Ashtarak is derived from Ishtar (Ashtar); the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility. Contrary, the latest historical researches proved that the name of Ishtar was never used in the Armenian mythology during the ancient times. Instead, the goddess of fertility was known as Shardi or Sardi in the ancient kingdom of Urartu, and later became to be known as Astghik among the Armenian monks.
Other linguists suggest that the name of Ashtarak is related either with the legendary figure in the Armenian history Shidar; the son of king Artavasdes I of Armenia, or with Sarduri II; the king of Urartu.[2]
History and monuments
Historically, the area of modern-day Ashtark was part of the Aragatsotn canton of Ayrarat province of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia,. the town is one of the oldest settlements in Armenia with many historical and cultural monuments that demonstrate the valuable patterns of Armenian architecture.
Ashtarak was mentioned as a rural settlement for the first time in history during the 9th century.[3] However, the importance of Ahtarak has declined during the following centuries under the foreign powers. In the 17th century, the town was entirely rebuilt under the Persian rule.
Present-day Ashtarak is located on the left bank of Kasagh River, 13 km to the northwest of the capital Yerevan, at a height of 1100 meters above sea level. It almost occupies a central point between the Ararat plain from the south and the mountains of Aragats from the north.
According to a legend, three sisters lived in Ashtarak, all of whom fell in love with the same man, prince Sargis. The elder two sisters decided to commit suicide in favour of the youngest one. One wearing an apricot-orange dress and the other wearing a red dress, they threw themselves into the gorge. When the youngest sister found out, she put on a white dress and also threw herself into the gorge. Sargis then became a hermit and three small churches appeared at the edge of the gorge, named after the sisters' dress colours.
Best preserved among them is the Karmravor Church (meaning reddish for its dome colour), dating back to the 7th century, dedicated to the Holy Mother of God (Surp Astvatsatsin). It has a small cruciform central-plan, with a reddish/apricot coloured dome, and an octagonal drum. Other churches include, Spitakavor (meaning whitish because of its colour) was built between the 5th and 6th centuries, and Tsiranavor (meaning apricot-coulored) built between the 13th and 14th centuries, both are located along the edge of the gorge.
The largest church in the town is the Surp Mariné church located at the center of Ashtarak. It was constructed in 1271 and has a rectangular plan from outside and a cruciform type plan from inside with an octagonal drum above.
The 19th-century church of Surp Sarkis built on an old foundation, is situated on an attractive point at a promontory overlooking the gorge and offers a fine view to the above-mentioned three churches. The external walls of the structure were almost completely restored recently while the interior walls remain the same. Some pieces of the outer walls remain sitting next to the church with carvings on them.
One of the interesting sites in the town is the 17th century bridge of Ashtarak on Kasagh River, located in the gorge just below the church of Surp Sarkis. It was built in 1664 by the efforts of Mahdesi Khoja Grigor; a wealthy merchant from Kanaker. The bridge features 3 arches that are unequal in size.
Economy, Education and sports
- Ashtarak is one of the important industrial centres in the Republic of Armenia. The main economic sectors of the town are based on food and beverage products. The activities are focused on processing of agricultural raw materials and grapes. The Ashtarak-Kat company of dairy and ice cream products is one of the leading producers in Armenia.
- Ashtarak is home to 7 public education schools, 6 kindergartens and 4 art schools. Many museums and public libraries are operating in the city. The house-museum of novelist Pertch Proshian was founded in 1948 in Ashtarak, on the base of his father's house. It was restored in 2008.[4]
- FC Mika was founded in 1999 on the basis of the merger of 2 football clubs: Mika Ashtarak and Kasakh Ashtarak[5] Under the merger, the name of the new club became Mika-Kasakh Ashtarak. However, the merger only lasted for 1 year; until 2000. Kasakh Ashtarak restored its original name, keeping their logo, history and statistics, while FC Mika settled for being a new club. In 2007, Mika was relocated from Ashtarak to Yerevan. The only stadium of the city is Kasakhi Marzik Stadium with a capacity of 3,500 spectators.
Notable people
- Nerses V Ashtaraketsi (1770–1857), Catholicos of all Armenians
- Pertch Proshian (1837–1907), novelist
- Smbat Shahaziz (1840–1908), poet
- Norair Sisakian (1907–1966) Soviet Armenian biochemist and one of the founders of space biology
- Gevorg Emin (1918–1998), poet
- Vardges Petrosyan (1932–1994), playwright and novelist
- The Doghramadjyan family (or Togramajian)
Sister cities
Alfortville, France (since 1993)
References
- ^ Aragatsotn
- ^ Ashtarak
- ^ Armstats:Aragatsotn Marz
- ^ Charents Museum of Literature and Arts
- ^ History - Mika Football Club, from fcmika.am, retrieved 1 May 2009
