Tavush ( hy, Տավուշ, ) is a

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

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 ' ...

located at the northeast of Armenia, bordered by

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 ...

from the north and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...

from the east. Internally, Tavush borders the

Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik ( hy, Գեղարքունիք, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan. It includes the exclave of Artsvas ...

from the south,

Kotayk Province Kotayk ( hy, Կոտայք, ), is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located at the central part of the country. Its capital is Hrazdan and the largest city is Abovyan. It is named after the Kotayk canton of the historic Ayrarat province ...

from the southwest, and the Lori Province from west. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of

Ijevan Ijevan ( hy, Իջևան) is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of the Tavush Province. It is located at the center of the region, at the foot of Ijevan ridge of Gugark Mountains, on the shores of ...

Etymology

The name of the province is derived from ''Tavush''; a variant of the original name of ''Tuchkatak'' canton of the historic

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 ...

province of

Ancient Armenia Ancient Armenia refers to the history of Armenia during Antiquity. It follows Prehistoric Armenia and covers a period of approximately one thousand years, beginning at the end of the Iron Age with the events that led to the dissolution of the King ...

. It first appeared during the 9th century as the name of the 9th-century Bagratid fortress near modern-day Berd.

Geography

Tavush has an area of 2,704 km² (9% of total area of Armenia). It occupies the northeastern part of Armenia. It is bordered by Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to the east. Domestically, it is bordered by the

from the south,

from the southwest and Lori Province from west. The territory is mainly mountainous and rocky hillsides covered with a green carpet of Alpine meadows. Tavush is sometimes referred to as a little Armenian Switzerland. The average height of the region is around 900 meters above sea level. Based on the historical divisions of

, the current territory of the province occupies parts of the ''Varazhnunik'' canton of

Ayrarat Ayrarat () was the central province of the kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), ancient kingdom Armenia, located in the plain of the upper Aras (river), Aras River. Most of the historical capitals of Armenia were located in this province, including Arm ...

province, the ''Dzorapor'' and ''Koghbapor'' cantons of

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 ...

province, and the ''Aghve'' and ''Tuchkatak'' (Tavush) cantons of

province.

The province entirely lies among the mountains of the

Lesser Caucasus The Lesser Caucasus, also called Caucasus Minor, is the second of the two main mountain ranges of Caucasus mountains, of length about . The western portion of the Lesser Caucasus overlaps and converges with east Turkey and northwest Iran. It runs ...

. It is surrounded by the Miapor mountains from the east, the Somkheti mountains from the north, the Gugark mountains from the east and the Kenats mountains from the south. The highest point of Tavush is the Miapor peak with a height of 2993 meters, while the lowest point is located at a height of 380 meters in the

Debed The Debed ( hy, Դեբեդ) or Debeda ( ka, დებედა) is a river in Armenia and Georgia. It also serves as a natural boundary between Armenia and Georgia at the village Sadakhlo, Georgia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . The ...

river valley near the village of Debedavan. The province is a major source of water in Armenia. The main source is

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 .Getik, Voskepar and Sarnajur. Minor rivers include Akhum, Tavush and Khndzorut. Tavush is also rich for its mountain springs, mineral water and small lakes such as the

Lake Parz Lake Parz ( hy, Պարզ Լիճ) is a small lake located in the Dilijan National Park east of Dilijan in Armenia. The lake was formed by natural climatic changes. "Parz" in Armenian means clear. In 2017 the TransCaucasian Trail was created to c ...

and Lake Gosh. Most of the Tavush territory is covered with thick forests, mainly around the towns of Dilijan, Ijevan and Berd. The province has a number of protected forests including the

Dilijan National Park Dilijan National Park is one of the four national parks of Armenia. Occupying an area of 240 km², it is located in the north-eastern Tavush Province of Armenia. It is known for its forest landscapes, rich biodiversity, medicinal mineral water ...

, Akhnabad Taxus Grove Sanctuary, Arjatkhelni Hazel Sanctuary, Gandzakar Sanctuary, Ijevan Sanctuary and Zikatar Sanctuary. Khachardzan, Armenia (panorama)

History

The territories of present-day Lori and Tavush along with the neighboring

, 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 The Elizavetpol uezd, also known as the Ganja uezd after 1918, was a county (''uezd'') of the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire, and later of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Azerbaijan SSR until its formal abolition in 1929. Th ...

was formed and most of the territories of Tavush were included in this new administrative division of the Russian Empire. Later in 1868, the

Elisabethpol 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 The Kazakh uezd was a county (''uezd'') of the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire and later of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic with its center in Kazakh (present-day Qazax) from 1868 until its formal abolition in 1929 by the Soviet a ...

of the governorate. From 1930 until 1995, modern-day Tavush was divided into 3

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

s within the Armenian SSR: Ijevan raion, Noyemberyan raion, and Shamshadin raion. With the territorial administration reform of 1995, the 3 raions were merged to form the Tavush Province. In July 2020, Tavush became the main site for the clashes with Azerbaijan.

Demographics

Population

According to the 1989 Soviet census, the Tavush Province (then part of the Shamshadin,

Noyemberyan Noyemberyan ( hy, Նոյեմբերյան) is a town and urban municipal community in the northeast of Armenia, within the Tavush Province. It is located 2 km west of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and 9 km south of the Armenia-Georgia bo ...

, and

districts in 1930–1995) had a population of 144,583. 49,114 or 33.97% of which was urban, distributed into the cities of Dilijan (30,433) and Ijevan (18,681), and 95,469 or 66.03% were rural, distributed into the districts of Shamshadin (34,559), Noyemberyan (33,973), and Ijevan (26,937). Koghb armenia

Tavush is the second least populated province in Armenia. According to the 2011 official census, Tavush has a population of 128,609 (62,083 men and 66,526 women), forming around 4.3% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 54,186 (42.1%) and the rural is 74,423 (57.9%). The province has 5 urban and 55 rural communities. The largest urban community is the provincial center of Ijevan, with a population of 21,081. The other urban centres Dilijan, Berd, Noyemberyan and Ayrum. With a population of 4,420, the village of Koghb is the largest rural municipality of Tavush.

Ethnic groups and religion

The majority of the Tavush Province population are ethnic Armenians who belong to 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 ...

. 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 Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan. The Surp Nerses Cathedral in

is the seat of the diocese. The town of Berd is home to around 200 Udis who also belong to the Armenian Church. A tiny community of

Yazidis Yazidis or Yezidis (; ku, ئێزیدی, translit=Êzidî) are a Kurmanji-speaking endogamous minority group who are indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The ma ...

is found in

Dilijan Dilijan ( hy, Դիլիջան) is a spa town and urban municipal community in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The town is one of the most important resorts in Armenia, situated within the Dilijan National Park. The forested town is home to num ...

Administrative divisions

As a result of the administrative reforms that took place on 15 December 2015, 17 June 2016, 16 July 2016 and 9 June 2017, Tavush is currently divided into 24 municipal communities (''hamaynkner''), of which 5 are urban, and 19 are rural: During recent years, many rural settlements in Tavush have been abandoned, including the village of Chermakavan, Chirchiri, Geghatap,

Gomer Gomer ( he, ''Gōmer'', ; el, Γαμὲρ, translit=Gamér) was the eldest son of Japheth (and of the Japhetic line), and father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah, according to the "Table of Nations" in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 10). The epo ...

Shamakhyan Shamakhyan is a former village in Armenia, currently absorbed by the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province. It was not listed in the 2011 official Armenian Census, and is likely included in the census count of the town of Dilijan Dilijan ( ...

and Tarsachay.

Culture

Fortresses and archaeological sites

* Tavush Fortress of the 10th century, *

Berdavan Fortress Berdavan Fortress ( hy, Բերդավանի ամրոց; ; also Ghalinjakar Fortress) is a fortress in Armenia, located on a hilltop near the village of Berdavan in the Tavush Province, near the border with Azerbaijan. It is above sea level. His ...

of the 10th century, * Tevrakar castle, 5th-7th centuries BC * Aghjkaberd Fortress, * Sranots Bridge, 13th-14th centuries.

Churches and monasteries

* Tsrviz Chapel of the 5th century, * Holy Mother of God Church of Voskepar of the 7th-century, * Kirants Monastery of the 8th century, *

Makaravank Makaravank () is a 10th-13th century church complex near the Achajur village of Tavush Province, Armenia, located on the slope of Paitatap Mountain. Though the monastery is no longer used for services, the complex is well preserved. There are 4 c ...

monastery of the 10th century, *

Jukhtak Vank Jukhtak Vank ( hy, Ջուխտակ վանք) is an 11th– or 12th-century monastery situated in a clearing within Dilijan National Park, 3.2 km northwest from the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pro ...

monastery of the 11th-12th centuries, *

Goshavank Goshavank (; meaning "Monastery of Gosh"; previously known as Nor Getik) is a 12th- or 13th-century Armenian monastery located in the village of Gosh in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The impressive monastery which has remained in relatively go ...

monastery of the 12th century, * Aghavnavank Monastery of the 12th-13th centuries, * Samsonavank Monastery of the 12th-13th centuries, * Shkhmurad Monastery of the 12th-13th centuries, *

Matosavank Matosavank ( hy, Մաթոսավանք) is 13th-century small Armenian monastery, hidden in a forested area of Dilijan National Park 3 km northwest from the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province of Armenia. It sits close to the monastery of Juk ...

monastery of 1247, * Arakelots Monastery of Kirants of the 13th century, *

Haghartsin Monastery Haghartsin () is a 13th-century monastery located near the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province of Armenia. It was built between the 10th and 13th centuries (in the 12th under Khachatur of Taron); much of it under the patronage of the Bagratu ...

of the 13th century, *

Nor Varagavank Nor Varagavank () is a 13th-century Armenian Apostolic Church monastic ensemble situated 3.5 km southwest of the village Varagavan in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The monastery is situated upon a high hill and is surrounded by forested m ...

monastery of the 13th century, * Khoranashat Monastery of the 13th century, * Srvegh Monastery of the 13th century.

Media

Tavush has 3 regional TV stations: *"Ijevan TV" based in Ijevan, *"Kamut TV" based in Noyemberyan (since 1994), *"Tavush TV" based in Noyemberyan (since 2010).

Transportation

Economy

Agriculture

Tavush has a poor agricultural index with only 4.8% of share in the total annual agricultural product of Armenia. Around 41% (1,108 km²) of the total area of the province are arable lands, out of which 23% (256 km²) are ploughed. The population in many rural communities are mainly involved in farming, cattle-breeding and pig farming. The main crops are grains and grapes. Recently, bee-keeping farms were also opened in many communities.

Industry

Tavush has the poorest industrial index among the Armenian provinces with a share of 0.8% in the annual total industrial product of Armenia. The existing industry is mainly dominated by food-processing and the production of alcoholic drinks. *Ijevan is the economic centre of Tavush. During the Soviet period, the town had witnessed a remarkable industrial progress especially in the spheres of carpet manufacturing and wood processing. Many industrial plants of the Soviet days are still operating in Ijevan, including the "Ijevan Woodworking Enterprise" founded in 1936, the "Ijevan Wine-Brandy Factory" founded in 1951 (particularly famous for its pomegranate wine), the "Ijevan Mechanical Enterprise" founded in 1954, the "Jrashogh Ijevan Carpets" weaving mill founded in 1959, and the "Ijevan Bentonit Combine" for mining founded 1967. 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, ...

. The town is also famous for its handmade rugs and carpets. 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. *Other major industrial plants in the province include the "Berdavan Wine Factory" in the village of Berdavan, the "Maga" food-processing factory in

Varagavan Varagavan ( hy, Վարագավան) is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The 13th-century Nor Varagavank Nor Varagavank () is a 13th-century Armenian Apostolic Church monastic ensemble situated 3.5 km southwest of the village Var ...

and the "Vital Echogarden" food-processing factory in

Aygedzor Aygedzor ( hy, Այգեձոր) is a village in the Berd Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. The Aghjkaberd mountain fortress is located close to Aygedzor. Toponymy The village was previously known as ''Kulali''. Gallery Այգ ...

, the "Tavush Textile" factory in

Choratan Choratan ( hy, Չորաթան) is a village in the Berd Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. History In 1854, settlers from Choratan founded the village of Artsvashen. References External links

* Populated places in T ...

, the "Bavagarm" meet-processing plant in Teghut, and the "Filishin" concrete manufacturing plant in Haghartsin. *Dilijan is famous for its mineral water, being processed and bottled by the "Dilijan Mineral Water Plant" founded in 1947. The town is also home to the "Aramara" company for fine woodworking founded in 1993, and the "Dili" factory for dairy products founded in 2005. *The small town of

Ayrum Ayrum ( hy, Այրում), is a town and urban community in the Tavush Province of Armenia, located at a road distance of northeast of the capital Yerevan and north of the provincial capital Ijevan. It is situated on the shores of Debed river ...

is home to the "Ayrum Cannery" (since 1937), and the "Ayrum Fruits" food-processing factory (since 2014).

Tourism

Tourism and related services are still developing in Tavush. The cultural heritage and the natural monuments of the region attract a large number of tourists. The town of

is major touristic destination for locals and foreigners. It is also considered a financial centre as much of the Central Bank's operations was moved to Dilijan in 2013. The town is also famous with its sanatoriums and mineral water. Other touristic destinations include the villages of

Achajur Achajur ( hy, Աչաջուր) 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 of wor ...

, Gosh, Teghut and

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 ...

. Many forests of the province are listed among the protected areas of Armenia, including the

, the Akhnabad Taxus Grove Sanctuary, the Arjatkhelni Hazel Sanctuary, the Gandzakar Sanctuary, the Ijevan Sanctuary and the Zikatar Sanctuary. Lake Gosh,

as well as the Ijevan Dendropark are major destinations for

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

lovers.

Education

Tavush has recently become a significant educational centre within Armenia. In 2014, the United World College Dilijan, a part of the global educational movement

United World Colleges United World Colleges (UWC) is an international network of schools and educational programmes with the shared aim of "making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future." The organization was founde ...

, was opened in the Dilijan. Between 2013 and 2015, the construction of the ''Dilijan Central School'' -a branch of the

Ayb Educational Foundation Ayb Educational Foundation was founded in 2006 in Armenia. The objective of the foundation is to "shape a culture of excellence in learning" and support the development of Armenian education. Ayb is carrying out projects across Armenia, Artsakh ...

- was completed in Dilijan. In fall 2015, the newly built state-of-the-art school was officially opened. Since 1994, branches 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 ...

operate in Ijevan. As of the 2015-16 educational year, Tavush has 81 schools.

Sport

Football is popular in Tavush. The province was represented in the

Armenian Premier League The Armenian Premier League ( hy, VBET Հայաստանի Պրեմիեր Լիգա, known as the VBET Armenian Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the top football competition in Armenia. From 1936 to 1991, the competition was held as a r ...

Impulse FC Impuls Football Club ( hy, Իմպուլս Ֆուտբոլային Ակումբ), is a defunct Armenian professional football club from the town of Dilijan, Tavush Province. The club used to play in the Armenian Premier League, the top division of ...

of Dilijan and FC Bentonit Ijevan. However both clubs were forced to dissolve due to financial difficulties.

Dilijan City Stadium Dilijan City Stadium ( hy, Դիլիջանի Քաղաքային Մարզադաշտ), is an all-seater football stadium in Dilijan, Tavush Province, Armenia. It is the only stadium in the town and used to be the home ground of Impulse FC of the Arm ...

and Arnar Stadium are the 2 largest sport venues of the province. Minor stadiums are also found in Noyemberyan and the village of Achajur. Arnar Stadium hosted the Armenian Independence Cup final match in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

where

Ararat Yerevan Football Club Ararat Yerevan ( hy, Ֆուտբոլային Ակումբ Արարատ Երևան), commonly known as Ararat Yerevan, is an Armenian football club based in Yerevan that plays in the Armenian Premier League. Since 1999, the club is ...

won the title defeating Banants. 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.

Gallery

File:Haghartsin, Armenia. June 2016.jpg,

File:Goshavank3.jpg,

Monastery File:Parz lich Парз лич.jpg,

File:Noyemberyan Ноемберян 1.jpg, Noyemberyan countryside File:Մովսես, համայնապատկեր.jpg, Movses village

References

;Notes ;References

External links

*
Tavush guide with detailed descriptions, by Rick Ney

Tavush Marz Tourist Guide
{{Authority control Provinces of Armenia