Dilijan National Park
Encyclopedia
Dilijan National Park, occupying 24,000 ha, is located in the North-Eastern part of the Republic of Armenia
, in Tavush
province (marz
). Dilijan National Park is well known for its forest landscapes, rich biodiversity, medicinal mineral water springs, natural and cultural monuments. It is one of the two existing national parks in the Republic of Armenia (see Sevan National Park
).
The change of the status of Dilijan Reserve to Dilijan National Park was conditioned by several objective reasons, such as inevitability of commercial activity in the area, presence of numerous settlements, including Dilijan
town with its mineral water resorts, Yerevan-Ijevan railway line passing through its whole territory and others. Currently, the general plan of the national park is under development, including the clarification of the borders and mapping of economic, recreational and buffer zones of the national park.
The flora of Dilijan National Park includes 902 species of vascular plant
s, namely Lycopodium
(1 species), Horse-tails (1), Fern
s (12), Gymnosperms (7) and Angiosperms (881). About 40 rare species of plants occur in this territory. 29 species of the flora are registered in the Red Book of Endangered Species of Armenia and 4 in the Red Data Book of the USSR.
The vegetation of the national park is of mesophilous Caucasian type mainly represented by forest associations. It mainly consists of deciduous
species such as oak
(Quercus iberica, Q. macranthera), oriental beech
(Fagus orientalis), common and oriental hornbeam
(Carpinus betulus, C. orientalis), which form homogeneous oak, beech and hornbeam forests as well as mixed forests with different combinations of the species mentioned. Georgian oak (Q. iberica) forests occur on the southern slopes of the middle forest zone and oriental beech forests on the northern slopes. In the upper zone forest consists of Q. macranthera.
Hornbeam occurs mainly in mixed forests. Oriental hornbeam reaches up to 1500 m above sea level, while common hornbeam spreading all over the forest zone up to 2000 m. Different species of lime (Tilia
), maple
(Acer) and ash (Fraxinus) grow in the middle forest zone and especially the upper limit of higher forest zone. Coniferous forests (pine
- Pinus, juniper
- Juniperus and yew - Taxus
) occupy a limited territory in the national park and occur in patches. Pine
often makes dense forests in the basin of the River Hovajur on the slopes of the Areguni and Pambak ranges in the vicinity of serpentine Dilijan highway. There are lots of pine trees in Dilijan and on nearby slopes.
Juniper
sparse forests spread in the valley of the River Getik especially near the river mouth as well as on the dry slopes of the Ijevan Mountains. Juniperus foetidissima Willd. is the most predominant species among four juniper species occurring in the national park. There are well conserved juniper stands on the rocky slopes of Mount Abeghakhar in the basin of the River Aghstev.
The forests in the national park are rich in fruit trees and bushes such as oriental apple
– Malus orientalis, walnut
- Juglans regia, cornel - Cornus mas, plum
- Prunus spp., blackthorn
- Prunus spinosa, pear
- Pyrus communis subsp. caucasica, gooseberry - Grossularia reclinata (Ribes reclinatum), medlar - Mespilus germanica, common hazelnut
- Corylus avellana (see also Hazelnut Reservation), various species of Blackcurrant
- Ribes spp., and hawthorn - Crataegus
spp. Many species occurring in the national park are well known as medicinal plants (Saint John's wort – Hypericum spp., mint
- Mentha, thyme
- Thymus, ziziphora - Ziziphora, etc.), edible plants (sorrel
- Rumex, falcaria - Falcaria, cow parsnip - Heracleum, etc.), forage (clover
- Trifolium, sainfoin
- Onobrichis, sea-holly - Eryngium, etc.) or decorative plants (iris
, orchids, etc.)..
The western rocky slopes of the Ijevan mountain range and Mount Abeghasar are rich in petrophytes and rare plants. Rocks and cliffs serves as a favorable habitat for numerous rare species such as Armenian Saint John's wort (Hypericum armenum, saxifrage
(Saxifraga juniperifolia, S. tridactylites
), scorzonera
(Scorzonera rigida), cephalaria
(Cephalaria media), small scabious (Scabiosa columbaria), jasmine
(Jasminum fruticans) and others. Mount Abeghasar is especially rich in rare species.
Tertiary relict
yew
and Caucasian rhododendron
(Rhododendron caucasicum Pall.) are the gems of the national park. The small well conserved yew forest located in the basin of the River Polad was designated as a reservation in 1958 (see Akhnabat Yew Grove Reservation). The second smaller yew forest has been located on the upper stream of the River Aghstev in the gorge Frolova Balka of the Pambak Mountains. Botanists N. Troitski in 1939 and A. Takhtajan in 1954 reported that this younger forest consisting of 100-180, sometimes 220 year-old trees stretched for 4–5 km from the 7th kilometer of Dilijan highway towards Fioletovo village . N. Troitski mentioned also that in the past yew was more abundant. At present, only the remnants of previous dense forest have survived in the form of individual trees in an inaccessible terrain. Groups of yew trees and individual trees occur also over the whole territory of the national park.
Relict species Caucasian rhododendron is also noteworthy, growing on the northern slopes of the Pambak mountains. Rhododendron occurs in the moist meadow vegetation of subalpine zone and stretches westward to Mount Ampasar (the Pambak mountain range) where the largest rhododendron area of Armenia is situated (see Rhododendron Reservation).
- Vipera lebetina, Armenian and Dahl lizards - Darevskia armeniaca, D. dahli etc.), amphibians (lake frog
- Rana ridibunda, green toad
- Bufo viridis etc.), fish (trout
– Salmo fario, barbel or Kura beghlou- Barbus lacertacyri etc.). Birds are also abundant represented by 150 species including black grouse
(Tetrao mlokosievicsi), golden eagle
(Aquila chrysaetos), bearded eagle (Gypaetus barbatus aureus), Caspian snowcock
(Tetraogallus caspius) and others. Over 40 species of mammals are registered in the national park such as red deer
(Cervus elaphus), brown bear
(Ursus arctos), fox
(Vulpes vulpes), lynx
(Lynx), wolf (Canis lupus), wild boar
(Sus scrofa), wild cat
(Felis silvestris), roe
(Capreolus capreolus), badger
(Meles meles), squirrel
(Sciurus anomalus) and others. Dilijan National Park is important for the conservation of forest landscapes, recreation and health protection purposes, as well as economic activities due to the presence of favorable conditions.
Monastery (12-13th centuries), Jukhtak Vank
(11-13th centuries), Matosavank Monastery (10-13th centuries), Akhnabat church (11th century).
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, in Tavush
Tavush
Tavush is a province of Armenia. The marz of Tavush is located in the north of Armenia and borders on Georgia and Azerbaijan.It is well known for its mountains. The most part of its territory is situated 800-1,000 m above sea level...
province (marz
Administrative divisions of Armenia
Armenia is subdivided into eleven administrative divisions. Of these, ten are provinces, known as marzer or in the singular form marz in Armenian....
). Dilijan National Park is well known for its forest landscapes, rich biodiversity, medicinal mineral water springs, natural and cultural monuments. It is one of the two existing national parks in the Republic of Armenia (see Sevan National Park
Sevan National Park
Sevan National Park in Armenia was established in 1978 to protect Lake Sevan and the surrounding areas. Sevan National Park falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Nature Protection, and is managed as a research center, which monitors the ecosystems, and undertakes various conservation...
).
History
Dilijan National Park was established in 2002 on the basis of the state nature reserve, which in its turn was established in 1958 on the basis of the former Dilijan and Kuybishev forest enterprises. The territory of the newly established national park has stayed unchanged.The change of the status of Dilijan Reserve to Dilijan National Park was conditioned by several objective reasons, such as inevitability of commercial activity in the area, presence of numerous settlements, including Dilijan
Dilijan
Dilijan is a spa town in Armenia, located in the northern Armenian province of Tavush. It is one of the most important resorts of Armenia, situated in Dilijan National Park. The forested and reclusive city is home to numerous Armenian artists, composers, and filmmakers and features some...
town with its mineral water resorts, Yerevan-Ijevan railway line passing through its whole territory and others. Currently, the general plan of the national park is under development, including the clarification of the borders and mapping of economic, recreational and buffer zones of the national park.
Geography
The national park stretches over the slopes of the Pambak, Areguni, Miapor, Ijevan (Kaeni) and Halab mountain ranges at the altitude of 1070-2300 m above sea level. The mountain meadows above this altitudes do not belong to the national park. The River Aghstev and its main tributaries – the Rivers Hovajur, Shtoghanajur, Bldan, Haghartsin and Getik run through the national park. There are Parz Lich (Clear Lake) and Tzrkalich (Leech Lake)as well as other minor lakes.Flora
Vascular plant
Vascular plants are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, Equisetum, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms...
s, namely Lycopodium
Lycopodium
Lycopodium is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedar, in the family Lycopodiaceae, a family of fern-allies...
(1 species), Horse-tails (1), Fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s (12), Gymnosperms (7) and Angiosperms (881). About 40 rare species of plants occur in this territory. 29 species of the flora are registered in the Red Book of Endangered Species of Armenia and 4 in the Red Data Book of the USSR.
The vegetation of the national park is of mesophilous Caucasian type mainly represented by forest associations. It mainly consists of deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
species such as oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
(Quercus iberica, Q. macranthera), oriental beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
(Fagus orientalis), common and oriental hornbeam
Hornbeam
Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...
(Carpinus betulus, C. orientalis), which form homogeneous oak, beech and hornbeam forests as well as mixed forests with different combinations of the species mentioned. Georgian oak (Q. iberica) forests occur on the southern slopes of the middle forest zone and oriental beech forests on the northern slopes. In the upper zone forest consists of Q. macranthera.
Hornbeam occurs mainly in mixed forests. Oriental hornbeam reaches up to 1500 m above sea level, while common hornbeam spreading all over the forest zone up to 2000 m. Different species of lime (Tilia
Tilia
Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The greatest species diversity is found in Asia, and the genus also occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but not western North America...
), maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
(Acer) and ash (Fraxinus) grow in the middle forest zone and especially the upper limit of higher forest zone. Coniferous forests (pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
- Pinus, juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
- Juniperus and yew - Taxus
Taxus
Taxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m...
) occupy a limited territory in the national park and occur in patches. Pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
often makes dense forests in the basin of the River Hovajur on the slopes of the Areguni and Pambak ranges in the vicinity of serpentine Dilijan highway. There are lots of pine trees in Dilijan and on nearby slopes.
Juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
sparse forests spread in the valley of the River Getik especially near the river mouth as well as on the dry slopes of the Ijevan Mountains. Juniperus foetidissima Willd. is the most predominant species among four juniper species occurring in the national park. There are well conserved juniper stands on the rocky slopes of Mount Abeghakhar in the basin of the River Aghstev.
The forests in the national park are rich in fruit trees and bushes such as oriental apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
– Malus orientalis, walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
- Juglans regia, cornel - Cornus mas, plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
- Prunus spp., blackthorn
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
- Prunus spinosa, pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
- Pyrus communis subsp. caucasica, gooseberry - Grossularia reclinata (Ribes reclinatum), medlar - Mespilus germanica, common hazelnut
Hazelnut
A hazelnut is the nut of the hazel and is also known as a cob nut or filbert nut according to species. A cob is roughly spherical to oval, about 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm in diameter, with an outer fibrous husk surrounding a smooth shell. A filbert is more elongated, being about twice...
- Corylus avellana (see also Hazelnut Reservation), various species of Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
- Ribes spp., and hawthorn - Crataegus
Crataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
spp. Many species occurring in the national park are well known as medicinal plants (Saint John's wort – Hypericum spp., mint
Mentha
Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...
- Mentha, thyme
Thyme
Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...
- Thymus, ziziphora - Ziziphora, etc.), edible plants (sorrel
Sorrel
Common sorrel or garden sorrel , often simply called sorrel, is a perennial herb that is cultivated as a garden herb or leaf vegetable...
- Rumex, falcaria - Falcaria, cow parsnip - Heracleum, etc.), forage (clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
- Trifolium, sainfoin
Sainfoin
Onobrychis, the Sainfoins, are Eurasian perennial herbs of the legume family . Including doubtfully distinct species and provisionally accepted taxa, about 150 species are presently known...
- Onobrichis, sea-holly - Eryngium, etc.) or decorative plants (iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
, orchids, etc.)..
The western rocky slopes of the Ijevan mountain range and Mount Abeghasar are rich in petrophytes and rare plants. Rocks and cliffs serves as a favorable habitat for numerous rare species such as Armenian Saint John's wort (Hypericum armenum, saxifrage
Saxifrage
Saxifraga is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 440 species of Holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages. The Latin word saxifraga means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin + ...
(Saxifraga juniperifolia, S. tridactylites
Saxifraga tridactylites
Saxifraga tridactylites, the Rue-leaved Saxifrage or "nailwort", is a species of plant in the family Saxifragaceae....
), scorzonera
Scorzonera
Scorzonera is a genus of the sunflower family , subfamily Lactucoideae, tribe Lactuceae, subtribe Scorzonerinae.It comprises about 100 species, the best-known of which is the edible black salsify...
(Scorzonera rigida), cephalaria
Cephalaria
Cephalaria is a genus of about 65 species of flowering plants in the family Dipsacaceae, native to southern Europe, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa.They are annual or perennial herbaceous plants growing to 0.8-2 m tall....
(Cephalaria media), small scabious (Scabiosa columbaria), jasmine
Jasmine
Jasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
(Jasminum fruticans) and others. Mount Abeghasar is especially rich in rare species.
Tertiary relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
yew
Taxus
Taxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m...
and Caucasian rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
(Rhododendron caucasicum Pall.) are the gems of the national park. The small well conserved yew forest located in the basin of the River Polad was designated as a reservation in 1958 (see Akhnabat Yew Grove Reservation). The second smaller yew forest has been located on the upper stream of the River Aghstev in the gorge Frolova Balka of the Pambak Mountains. Botanists N. Troitski in 1939 and A. Takhtajan in 1954 reported that this younger forest consisting of 100-180, sometimes 220 year-old trees stretched for 4–5 km from the 7th kilometer of Dilijan highway towards Fioletovo village . N. Troitski mentioned also that in the past yew was more abundant. At present, only the remnants of previous dense forest have survived in the form of individual trees in an inaccessible terrain. Groups of yew trees and individual trees occur also over the whole territory of the national park.
Relict species Caucasian rhododendron is also noteworthy, growing on the northern slopes of the Pambak mountains. Rhododendron occurs in the moist meadow vegetation of subalpine zone and stretches westward to Mount Ampasar (the Pambak mountain range) where the largest rhododendron area of Armenia is situated (see Rhododendron Reservation).
Fauna
The fauna of the national park is also rich. There are about 800 species of beetles as well as numerous species of reptiles (ViperViperidae
The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...
- Vipera lebetina, Armenian and Dahl lizards - Darevskia armeniaca, D. dahli etc.), amphibians (lake frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
- Rana ridibunda, green toad
Toad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
- Bufo viridis etc.), fish (trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
– Salmo fario, barbel or Kura beghlou- Barbus lacertacyri etc.). Birds are also abundant represented by 150 species including black grouse
Black Grouse
The Black Grouse or Blackgame is a large bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern Eurasia in moorland and bog areas near to woodland, mostly boreal...
(Tetrao mlokosievicsi), golden eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
(Aquila chrysaetos), bearded eagle (Gypaetus barbatus aureus), Caspian snowcock
Snowcock
The snowcocks are a group of bird species in the genus Tetraogallus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are ground-nesting birds which breed in the mountain ranges of southern Eurasia from the Caucasus to the Himalayas and western China. The Himalayan Snowcock has been introduced...
(Tetraogallus caspius) and others. Over 40 species of mammals are registered in the national park such as red deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
(Cervus elaphus), brown bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
(Ursus arctos), fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
(Vulpes vulpes), lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
(Lynx), wolf (Canis lupus), wild boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
(Sus scrofa), wild cat
Wild cat
The wildcat is a small cat with several subspecies and a very broad distribution, found throughout most of Africa, Europe, and southwest and central Asia into India, China, and Mongolia. It is a hunter of small mammals, birds, and other creatures of a similar or smaller size. Sometimes included is...
(Felis silvestris), roe
Roe
Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins...
(Capreolus capreolus), badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
(Meles meles), squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
(Sciurus anomalus) and others. Dilijan National Park is important for the conservation of forest landscapes, recreation and health protection purposes, as well as economic activities due to the presence of favorable conditions.
Cultural monuments
Most important cultural monuments located in the Dilijan National Park include Haghartsin Monastery (10-13th centuries), GoshavankGoshavank
Goshavank is a 12-13th century Armenian monastery located in the village of Gosh in the Tavush Province of Armenia. Today the monastery is not a functioning religious complex, although it remains a popular tourist destination and has recently undergone some light restoration...
Monastery (12-13th centuries), Jukhtak Vank
Jukhtak Vank
Jukhtak Vank is a 11th-12th century monastery situated in the middle of the forest within the Dilijan National Park 3.2 km northwest from the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province of Armenia.- External links :* * *...
(11-13th centuries), Matosavank Monastery (10-13th centuries), Akhnabat church (11th century).