Ijevan
Encyclopedia
Ijevan now is a city in Armenia
and the capital of Tavush
region. It is located in the northern part of the region, on the foot of Ijevan ridge and Nal'teket ridge on both banks of Aghstev River. The city's current name, Ijevan, and its former name Karavansara (until 1919) both mean "inn" (caravanserai
), in Armenian
and Persian
, respectively. The city's population as of 2009 is 20,500 making it the most populated city in the province. It is 137 km to the north-east of Yerevan
. Currently, the mayor of the city is Varuzhan Nersisyan who runs Ijevan alongside a fifteen-member counsil. The Yerevan
-Tbilisi
highway passes through the city. Ijevan has a railway station since 1870.
built a city on the place of modern-day Ijevan. He gathered only the beautiful girls and the handsome boys from all over Armenia, so that the latter get married and settled in the newly establish town. Thus, the successors of that handsome generation live today in Ijevan.
Being located on a very important trade rout between the Levant
and Northern Caucasus, the region was home to many rest-houses and caravanserais for the merchants and their caravans. In 1780s during the Persian rule, the village of Karavansara was founded. In 1801, the area of Ijevan along with Lori Province and the Georgian
territories became part of the Russian Empire
. During the rule of Pavel I
, approximately 6000 Armenian families from Karabakh
were allowed to move to the valley of Aghstev river and occupy the region around Karavansara village.
In 1919, after the independence of Armenia, the name of the settlement of Karavansara was changed into Ijevan.
On 29 November 1920, Ijevan was the venue of the first Soviet rule in Armenia after being invaded by the Red Army
from the north.
Chamber tombs near the city hospital and a late Bronze Age cemetery on the left bank of Aghstev attest to the early occupation of the site. The remains of a medieval caravanserai
could be found on the banks of Aghstev river on a site called Hamam-Jala.
Ijevan was granted the status of urban community in 1970.
and the 3rd largest in the whole Soviet Union
. Unfortunately, after the collapse of the Soviet rule and the resulting economic crisis in Armenia, most of those enterprises were destined to shut their doors.
Nowadays, there are small food processing manufactories and machinery plants in the town. But the most important firm is the "Ijevan Wine Factory" which is located at the entrance of the town with its massive tower marked with the word "IJEVAN" on top. The wine factory is processing since 1976, and is famous for its pomegranate wine. The city has a local television station and its own newspapers.
However, unemployment rates still remain on high levels in Ijevan.
is located in the city with approximately 700 students studying in applied mathematics
, physics
, Armenian language
and literature
, history
, pedagogy
and psychology
. There are 6 schools for public education and 3 kindergartens in the town.
Ijevan used to host an annual symposium of sculpture between 1985 and 1990 with the presence of many experts from all over the world. Therefore, the residents of Ijevan started to call their town "The city of 100 sculptures". In fact, there are 116 sculptures enhancing the centre of Ijevan nowadays.
The small ethnographic museum of Ijevan was reopened in 1999 while the art gallery was renovated in 2003. The church of Surb Hovhannes is located in the southern part of the town. Another church in Ijevan has been built and financed by an Armenian benefactor from Boston
.
:
, built in 2007 and hosted the Armenian Independence Cup final match in 2008 for the first and the only time being played outside the capital Yerevan
. FC Bentonit Ijevan
was the only professional football club in the town, dissolved in 2007 due to financial difficulties.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and the capital of 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...
region. It is located in the northern part of the region, on the foot of Ijevan ridge and Nal'teket ridge on both banks of Aghstev River. The city's current name, Ijevan, and its former name Karavansara (until 1919) both mean "inn" (caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
), in Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
and Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, respectively. The city's population as of 2009 is 20,500 making it the most populated city in the province. It is 137 km to the north-east of Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
. Currently, the mayor of the city is Varuzhan Nersisyan who runs Ijevan alongside a fifteen-member counsil. The Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
-Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
highway passes through the city. Ijevan has a railway station since 1870.
History
It is said by tradition that about 2000 years ago, King Artavazd IArtavasdes I of Armenia
Artavasdes I of Armenia was the son of Artaxias I and Queen Satenik....
built a city on the place of modern-day Ijevan. He gathered only the beautiful girls and the handsome boys from all over Armenia, so that the latter get married and settled in the newly establish town. Thus, the successors of that handsome generation live today in Ijevan.
Being located on a very important trade rout between the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
and Northern Caucasus, the region was home to many rest-houses and caravanserais for the merchants and their caravans. In 1780s during the Persian rule, the village of Karavansara was founded. In 1801, the area of Ijevan along with Lori Province and the Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
territories became part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. During the rule of Pavel I
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
, approximately 6000 Armenian families from Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
were allowed to move to the valley of Aghstev river and occupy the region around Karavansara village.
In 1919, after the independence of Armenia, the name of the settlement of Karavansara was changed into Ijevan.
On 29 November 1920, Ijevan was the venue of the first Soviet rule in Armenia after being invaded by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
from the north.
Chamber tombs near the city hospital and a late Bronze Age cemetery on the left bank of Aghstev attest to the early occupation of the site. The remains of a medieval caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
could be found on the banks of Aghstev river on a site called Hamam-Jala.
Ijevan was granted the status of urban community in 1970.
Geography
Occupying the valley of Aghstev river at a height of 755 meters above sea level, the city is surrounded with high mountains covered with thick forests, turning into alpine meadows in certain areas. The average temperature of the year is 10.6 C, in January 0 C, while in July 21.3 C. The maximum temperature registered ever in Ijevan is +37 C and the minimum is -23. The annual precipitation is 562 mm. At the entrance of the town there is a small lake called "Spitak".Economy
During the Soviet rule, the town had witnessed a remarkable industrial progress especially in the spheres of carpet manufacturing and wood processing. The carpet-weaving factory of Ijevan was the largest in the CaucasusCaucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and the 3rd largest in the whole Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Unfortunately, after the collapse of the Soviet rule and the resulting economic crisis in Armenia, most of those enterprises were destined to shut their doors.
Nowadays, there are small food processing manufactories and machinery plants in the town. But the most important firm is the "Ijevan Wine Factory" which is located at the entrance of the town with its massive tower marked with the word "IJEVAN" on top. The wine factory is processing since 1976, and is famous for its pomegranate wine. The city has a local television station and its own newspapers.
However, unemployment rates still remain on high levels in Ijevan.
Education and culture
Since 1994, a branch of Yerevan State UniversityYerevan State University
Yerevan State University is a university in Yerevan, Armenia. Founded on May 16 1919, it is the largest university in the country with 110 departments. Of its 3,150 employees, 1,190 comprise the teaching staff which includes 25 academicians, 130 professors, 700 docents , and 360 assistant lecturers...
is located in the city with approximately 700 students studying in applied mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, Armenian language
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
and literature
Armenian literature
-Early literature:Armenian literature begins about 406 with the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop.Isaac, the Catholicos of Armenia, formed a school of translators who were sent to Edessa, Athens, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Caesarea in Cappadocia, and elsewhere, to procure...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, pedagogy
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. There are 6 schools for public education and 3 kindergartens in the town.
Ijevan used to host an annual symposium of sculpture between 1985 and 1990 with the presence of many experts from all over the world. Therefore, the residents of Ijevan started to call their town "The city of 100 sculptures". In fact, there are 116 sculptures enhancing the centre of Ijevan nowadays.
The small ethnographic museum of Ijevan was reopened in 1999 while the art gallery was renovated in 2003. The church of Surb Hovhannes is located in the southern part of the town. Another church in Ijevan has been built and financed by an Armenian benefactor from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Tourism and attractions
Tavush is one of the most picturesque regions in Armenia. Nestled in the valley of Aghstev surrounded with forests and high mountains, Ijevan is more likely a forest-resort. The town has a 200-bed high-rise hotel built in 1969 on the northern side of the main road. The area is home to several historic monuments of Armenian ArchitectureArmenian architecture
Armenian architecture is an architectural style developed over the last 4,500 years of human habitation in the Armenian Highland and used principally by the Armenian people.- Common characteristics of Armenian architecture:...
:
- Makaravank MonasteryMakaravank MonasteryMakaravank is a 10th to 13th century church complex in Achajur Village of Tavush Marz, Armenia, on the slope of Paitatap Mountain.Though the monastery is no longer used for services, the complex is well preserved. There are 4 churches, a gavit that serves the two largest of the churches, and...
of the 10th century in Achajur village 16 km north of Ijevan. This purple and green stone complex in the forest above the village is a very popular destination. - Arakelots MonasteryArakelots MonasteryArakelots Monastery is a 13th century Armenian monastery located about 3 kilometers southwest of the village of Kirants in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The monastic complex sits upon the crest of a hill surrounded by a dense forest on the left bank of the Kunen River.Approximately 80 meters...
of the 13th century few kilometers north of Ijevan near Kirants village. - Kirants MonasteryKirants MonasteryKirants Monastery is an 8th century Armenian monastery located about 10 kilometers southwest of Kirants village in the Tavush Province of Armenia.- External links :* *...
of the 8th century 10 km north of Ijevan. - GandzakarGandzakarGandzakar is a town in the Tavush province of Armenia. The current Mayor of Gandzakar is Shahen Shahinyan. The Deputy Mayor is Zarmayil Mardanyan. The village actively works with Peace Corps Volunteers.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
village monastery few kilometers south of Ijevan. - Yenokavan Canyon, near YenokavanYenokavanYenokavan is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The village was renamed in 1935 in honor of Yenok Mkrtumian, who founded the first Communist party cell in the region....
village north of Ijevan. Characterized with beautiful cliffs, caves, forests, rivers and cascades. "Anapat cave" has a style of pre-Christian unique carvings which resemble Mayan and Aztec works. There are small rest houses and a modern resort in Yenokavan canyon.
Sports
Ijevan has the all-seater Arnar StadiumArnar Stadium
Arnar Stadium is an all-seater stadium in Ijevan, Armenia. It is the only stadium in Ijevan and is currently used for football matches and has a capacity of 3,000 seats. In this stadium the home matches plays Impuls Dilijan and Shirak F.C.....
, built in 2007 and hosted the Armenian Independence Cup final match in 2008 for the first and the only time being played outside the capital Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
. FC Bentonit Ijevan
FC Bentonit Ijevan
FC Bentonit Ijevan was an Armenian football club that is based in Ijevan. The club dissolved in 2007 and is currently inactive from professional football.-League Record :...
was the only professional football club in the town, dissolved in 2007 due to financial difficulties.