Alapars ( hy, Ալափարս) is a village in the
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 ...
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 world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...
. The village has 860 dwellings, a school, house of culture, and library. The population is entirely Armenian.
Toponymy
The village was previously known as ''Aylaberk'' and ''Aylaber''.
History
Alapars was founded in 470. Its center is dominated by the churches of Saint Vartan (''Vartanavank'') built in 901 (rebuilt 19th century) by a Prince Grigor, and the Holy Mother of God (''Surb Astvatsatsin'') of 1897. Also in the vicinity is the monastery of S. Tsiranavor. According to local folklore, Vartanavank contains a drop of blood from the Armenian national hero
Vartan Mamikonian
Vardan Mamikonian ( hy, Վարդան Մամիկոնեան; – 451) was an Armenian military leader who led a rebellion against Sasanian Iran in 450–451. He was the head of the Mamikonian noble family and holder of the hereditary title of , ...
.
Gallery
Alapars Vardanavank 901.JPG, The church of Vardanavank built in 901, reconstructed in the 19th century
Alapars S. Astvatsatsin 1897.JPG, St. Astvatsatsin Church (Holy Mother of God Church), 1897
Vardanavank Khachkar.JPG, Large khachkar
A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, i ...
adjacent to Vartanavank
Tukh Manuk, Alapars.jpg, Sculpture in Tukh Manuk, Alapars by Avetik Avetyan, words by Avetik Isahakyan
Avetik Sahak Isahakyan ( hy, Ավետիք Սահակ Իսահակյան; October 30, 1875 – October 17, 1957) was a prominent Armenian lyric poet, writer and public activist.
Biography
Isahakyan was born in Alexandropol in 1875. He was ed ...
Notable people
* Avetik Avetyan,
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
multiple medalist and director of the pump station of Alapars
* Mushegh Aliabertsi, Patriarch (490-561)
* Tatik Saryan, artist
* Melik Kocharyan, dramatist
* Shavigh Grigoryan, folk collector
* Kavalenko Shahgaldyan, Governor of the Kotayk Province
References
External links
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Populated places in Kotayk Province
{{Kotayk-geo-stub