Ijevan ( hy, Իջևան) is a town and urban municipal community in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

serving as the administrative centre of the

Tavush Province Tavush ( hy, Տավուշ, ) is a province of Armenia located at the northeast of Armenia, bordered by Georgia from the north and Azerbaijan from the east. Internally, Tavush borders the Gegharkunik Province from the south, Kotayk Province from ...

. It is located at the center of the region, at the foot of Ijevan ridge of Gugark Mountains, on the shores of

Aghstev River The Aghstafa (also, ''Aghstafachay'' ( az, Ağstafaçay)) or Aghstev ( hy, Աղստև, Aghstev) is a river in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and is a right tributary of the Kura. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Diocese of Tavush Diocese of Tavush ( hy, Տավուշի թեմ ''T'avushi t'em''), is one of the newest dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the Tavush Province of Armenia. The diocesan headquarters are located in the town of Ijevan. The seat of th ...

of the

Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...

. Ijevan is located at a road distance of 137 km northeast of

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) 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 i ...

. The

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...

highway passes through Ijevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 21,081, making it the most populated town in the province.

Etymology

The town's current name ''Ijevan'', and its former name ''Karavansara'' (until 1919), both mean "inn" ( caravanserai), in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

and

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

, respectively. The area of modern-day Ijevan used to have many roadside inns known as caravanserais that served travelers between historic Syria and

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...

. The name ''Ijevan'' became official in 1961 when the settlement became a town.

History

Chamber tombs found at the centre of present-day Ijevan, as well as late

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

cemetery on the left bank of Aghstev river, attest to the early occupation of the site. Ijevan

Historically, the area of modern-day Ijevan was part of ancient

Utik Utik ( hy, Ուտիք, also known as Uti, Utiq, or Outi) was a historic province of the Kingdom of Armenia. It was ceded to Caucasian Albania following the partition of Armenia between Sassanid Persia and the Eastern Roman Empire in 387 AD. Most ...

and

Gugark Gugark ( hy, Գուգարք, lat, Gogarene, Greek: ''Γογαρινή'') was the 13th province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia. It now comprises parts of northern Armenia, northeast Turkey, and southwest Georgia. Etymology Etymologically ...

; the 12th and 13th provinces of

Greater Armenia Greater Armenia ( hy, Մեծ Հայք, translit=Mets Hayk) is the name given to the Armenian state that emerged on the Armenian Highlands during the reign of King Artaxias I at the turn of the 2nd century BC. The term was used to refer princ ...

respectively. Separated by the Aghstev river, the eastern half of Ijevan was part of the ''Tuchkatak'' canton of the historic Utik, while the western half belonged to the ''Dzorapor'' canton of the historic Gugark. Being located on a vital rout of trade between the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

and Northern Caucasus, the region of present-day Ijevan was home to many rest-houses and caravanserais during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, serving as rest-houses for the passing merchants and their caravans, mainly on the road from

to Dvin. The remains of a medieval caravanserai stands on the banks of Aghstev river on a site called Hamam-Jala. Under the Persian rule who had gained control over the Eastern Armenian territories since 1501–02, the village of Karavansara was founded during the 1780s. The territories of present-day Lori and

Tavush Tavush ( hy, wikt:Տավուշ, Տավուշ, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province of Armenia located at the northeast of Armenia, bordered by Georgia (country), Georgia from the north and Azerbaijan from the east. Internally, Tav ...

along with the neighboring

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, became part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

in 1800–01. The territories became an official region of Russia as per the

Treaty of Gulistan The Treaty of Gulistan (russian: Гюлистанский договор; fa, عهدنامه گلستان) was a peace treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and Iran on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan (now in the Goranboy Distr ...

signed between Imperial Russia and

Qajar Persia Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

in October 1813, following the Russo-Persian War of 1804–13. In 1840, the Elizavetpol uezd was formed and most of the territories of Tavush became part of the newly founded administrative division of the Russian Empire. Later in 1868, the

Elizavetpol Governorate The Elizavetpol Governorate, also known after 1918 as the Ganja Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Yelisavetpol (present-day Ganja). The area of the governorate st ...

was established and Tavush became part of the newly formed Kazakh uezd. Under the Russian rule, approximately 6,000 Armenian families from

Karabakh Karabakh ( az, Qarabağ ; hy, Ղարաբաղ, Ġarabaġ ) is a geographic region in present-day southwestern Azerbaijan and eastern Armenia, extending from the highlands of the Lesser Caucasus down to the lowlands between the rivers Kura and ...

were allowed to move to the valley of Aghstev river to be resettled in the region of Tavush including the territory of the village of Karavansara. The village witnessed a notable revival during the 1860s and 1870s, as a result of the new road opened between Kazakh (

Qazax Qazax (; ) is a city in and the capital of the Gazakh District of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 20,900. Gazakh is a city and administrative district in the west of Azerbaijan, the "western gate" of Azerbaijan. History Early history In ...

) and Erivan (

), passing through Karavansara. Ijevan Ashot Yerkat statue

Following the 1918 independence of Armenia, the name of Karavansara was changed to ''Ijevan'' in 1919. On 29 November 1920, Ijevan -along with Noyemberyan- was the first Armenian settlement where Soviet-Bolshevik rule was established, after being invaded by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

from

Soviet Azerbaijan Azerbaijan ( az, Азәрбајҹан, Azərbaycan, italics=no), officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR; az, Азәрбајҹан Совет Сосиалист Республикасы, Azərbaycan Sovet Sosialist R ...

at the north. In 1930, it became the centre of the newly formed ''Ijevan raion''. The first major plan of the town was adopted in 1948, revised later in 1967. In 1951, the Ijevan Wine-Brandy Factory was opened, followed by the rug and carpet factory in opened in 1959–65. With the gradual development of the industrial sector, Ijevan was given the status of a town in 1961. In 1970, it was turned into a city of republican sub-ordination of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, Ijevan became the provincial centre of the newly founded

as per the administrative reforms of 1995.

Geography and climate

Surrounded by the Gugark Mountains, Ijevan is situated in the valley of

Aghstev river The Aghstafa (also, ''Aghstafachay'' ( az, Ağstafaçay)) or Aghstev ( hy, Աղստև, Aghstev) is a river in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and is a right tributary of the Kura. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .alpine meadows in some areas. Ijevan is bordered by the village of

Getahovit Getahovit ( hy, Գետահովիտ) is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification o ...

from the north and the village of

Gandzakar Gandzakar ( hy, Գանձաքար) is a village in the Ijevan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia, located to the immediate south of the town of Ijevan. Toponymy The village was known as ''Aghdan'' until 1978.Kiesling, ''Rediscover ...

from the south. A small lake is found at the southern entrance of the town known as ''Spitak Jur''. This location is classified as Cfa by the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

. 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 °C. The annual precipitation is 562 mm.

Demographics

Ijevan is the largest urban community of Tavush. The majority of the town's population are ethnic Armenians who belong to the

. The regulating body of the church is the

Diocese of Tavush Diocese of Tavush ( hy, Տավուշի թեմ ''T'avushi t'em''), is one of the newest dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the Tavush Province of Armenia. The diocesan headquarters are located in the town of Ijevan. The seat of th ...

, headed by Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan. The seat of the Diocese of Tavush is the Surp Nerses Cathedral in Ijevan opened in 1997, after the reconstruction of a former cultural centre built by the Soviets in the 1950s. The project was financed by the US-based Armenian benefactors Kevork and Berjuhi Nersesian from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. The other church of the town known as the Holy Saviour's was consecrated in 2012. Financed by the Ukraine-based Ghazaryan family who are natives of Ijevan, the church was built between 2009 and 2012 on the foundations of a 19th-century church ruined during the Soviet days. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 21,081, making it the most populated town in the province. As per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Ijevan is around 20,700. Here is the population timeline of Ijevan since 1831: The healthcare in the town is served by the Ijevan Medical Center.

Culture

According to popular tradition, King Artavasdes I built a city on the territory of present-day Ijevan during his reign in the 2nd century BC. He gathered only attractive girls and boys from all over Armenian regions, so that later they would get married and settle in the newly established town. Thus, the citizens of modern-day Ijevan are the successors of the handsome generations formed 2000 years ago. Ijevan and its countryside are home to several cultural heritage monuments of the

Armenian Architecture Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many of its monume ...

, including: *Surp Hovhannes Church of the 13th century, located at the west of the town. * Makaravank monastery of the 10th century located around 15 km north of Ijevan near the Achajur village. This purple and green stone complex in the forest above the village is a tourist destination. * Arakelots Monastery of Kirants, dating back to the 13th century, located few kilometers north of Ijevan. * Kirants Monastery of the 8th century, 10 km north of Ijevan. *The monastery of

village, located few kilometers south of Ijevan. *The remains of King Ashot Yerkat fortress of the 10th century, 7 km southwest of Ijevan. *The remains of Aghjkaberd fortress of the 13th century, 10 km southwest of Ijevan. Ijevan was 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". Currently, there are 116 sculptures erected at Ijevan sculptures garden at the centre of the town. The ethnographic museum of Ijevan was reopened in 1999 while the art gallery was renovated in 2003. The town is also served by a house of culture, a school of music, a school of arts, and an art gallery. Ijevan is a major centre for traditional Armenian handmade rugs and carpets. The town has its local "Ijevan TV" station.

Transportation

Ijevan is connected with the capital Yerevan and the rest of Armenian territories through the M-4 highway. The highway extends through the Armenia-Azerbaijan border 16 km northeast of the town. Domestically, Ijevan is connected with the surrounding towns and villages of Tavush Province through a network of regional roads. In the late 1980s the town had a railway station on the line between

and

Ganja, Azerbaijan Ganja (; az, Gəncə ) is Azerbaijan's third largest city, with a population of around 335,600.Azərbaycan Respublikası. — 2. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və inzibati rayonları. — 2.4. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və ...

. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the station was closed with no rail services up to the present day, although the possibility of reopening the line is under consideration as of 2021.

Economy

Industry

Ijevan is the economic centre of Tavush. During the Soviet period, the town had witnessed a remarkable industrial progress especially in the field of carpet manufacturing and wood processing. Only one of the Soviet era manufacturing is still operating in Ijevan, this being the Ijevan Wine-Brandy Factory founded in 1951 (particularly famous for its pomegranate wine). The Ijevan carpet weaving mill was the largest in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

and the 3rd-largest in the whole

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. After the independence of Armenia, many small industrial plants were founded, including the "Karart" stone processing plant (since 2003). In 2014, the "Vector" company for software development was opened in Ijevan. However, unemployment rates remain high in Ijevan and the entire region.

Tourism

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 did have a 200-bed high-rise hotel built in 1969 on the northern side of the main road which is now in ruins due to vandalism. The Ijevan Sanctuary is a protected wildlife sanctuary at the west of the town, covering an area of 59 km². The Yenokavan canyon near the village of

Yenokavan Yenokavan ( hy, Ենոքավան) is a village and summer resort in the Ijevan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highla ...

village just to the north of Ijevan is among the most visited destinations in the region. It has a number of cliffs, caves, forests, rivers and waterfalls. "Anapat cave" has pre-Christian carvings that resemble Mayan and Aztec works. There are small rest houses and a modern resort in the Yenokavan canyon.

Education

Ijevan is home to 6 public education schools and 3 pre-school kindergartens. The Ijevan campus of the

Yerevan State University Yerevan State University (YSU; hy, Երևանի Պետական Համալսարան, ԵՊՀ, ''Yerevani Petakan Hamalsaran''), also simply University of Yerevan, is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919 ...

is operating in the town since the 1994–95 academic year. As of 2016–17, with more than 700 students, the Ijevan campus is home to 4 faculties: * Natural Sciences, *Humanities, *Economics, *Applied Arts.

Sport

Ijevan is home to the all-seater Arnar Stadium, 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

. FC Bentonit Ijevan was the only professional football club in the town, dissolved in 2007 due to financial difficulties. Currently, the town has an under-19 football club known as FC Nikarm, operating since 2000. The town has a children and youth sport school run by the municipality. Ijevan is the venue of the annual ''MultiForce''

off-road racing Off-road racing is a form of motorsports consisting of specially-modified vehicles including cars, SUVs, trucks, motorbikes, quadbikes and buggies racing in off-road environments (e.g. snow, dirt, mud, etc.). North America Desert racing Desert ...

international competition, that attracts participants from Armenia and the neighboring countries.

Twin towns – sister cities

Ijevan is twinned with: *

Kostroma Kostroma ( rus, Кострома́, p=kəstrɐˈma) is a historic types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kostroma Oblast, Russia. A part of the Golden Ring of Russia, Golden Ring of Russian cities, it is lo ...

, Russia (2014) * Valence, France (1996)

Notable people

* Grigor Jaghetyan, politician served as Minister of Finance of the First Republic of Armenia * Garnik Avalyan, former member of the Armenia national football team *

Nikol Pashinyan Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan ( hy, Նիկոլ Վովայի Փաշինյան, ; born 1 June 1975) is an Armenian politician serving as the prime minister of Armenia since 8 May 2018. A journalist by profession, Pashinyan founded his own newspaper in ...

, politician and current

Prime Minister of Armenia The prime minister of Armenia is the head of government and most senior minister within the Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the activities of the Gov ...

References

{{portal bar, Geography Populated places in Tavush Province Elizavetpol Governorate Mountain resorts in Armenia Populated places established in the 18th century