Kotayk (, ), is a

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

(''

marz Marz may refer to: People * Marz (surname), notable people surnamed either Marz or März * Marz (rapper), American rapper * Marz Lovejoy, American hip hop musician and rapper Places * Marz, Austria, a town in the district of Mattersburg, Burgenla ...

'') of

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. It is located at the central part of the country. Its capital is

Hrazdan Hrazdan ( ) is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Kotayk Province, located northeast of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town is 44,231. During the Soviet Uni ...

and the largest city is

Abovyan Abovyan or Abovian ( ) is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia within the Kotayk Province. It is located northeast of Yerevan and southeast of the province centre Hrazdan. As of the 2022 census, the population of the town was 46,434 ...

. It is named after the Kotayk canton of the historic

Ayrarat Ayrarat () was the central province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, located in the plain of the upper Aras River. Most of the historical capitals of Armenia were located in this province, including Armavir, Yervandashat, Artashat, Vagharsha ...

province of

Ancient Armenia Ancient Armenia refers to the history of Armenia during Classical antiquity, 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 dis ...

. Kotayk is bordered by

Lori Province Lori (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia (country), Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. ...

from the northwest,

Tavush Province Tavush (, ) 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, Tavush borders the Gegharkunik Province ...

from the north,

Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik is inhabited by approximately 209,669 people and the majority are ethnic Armenian ...

from the north,

Aragatsotn Province Aragatsotn (, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''Marz (country subdivision), marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Sta ...

from the southwest, and

Ararat Province Ararat (, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''marz (territorial entity), marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is the town of Artashat, Armenia, Artashat. The province is named after the biblical Mount Ararat. It i ...

from the southwest and the capital

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

from the west. Kotayk is the only province in Armenia that has no borders with foreign countries. The province is home to many ancient landmarks and tourist attractions in Armenia including the 1st-century

Garni Temple The Garni Temple is a classical colonnaded structure in the village of Garni, in central Armenia, around east of Yerevan. Built in the Ionic order, it is the best-known structure and symbol of pre-Christian Armenia. It has been described as th ...

, the medieval

Bjni Fortress Bjni Fortress () is a medieval Armenian fortress located in the village of Bjni in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It sits upon the top and along the sides of a mesa that divides the village nearly in half. The larger portion of which is lo ...

, 11th-century

Kecharis Monastery Kecharis Monastery (), is a medieval Armenian monastic complex dating back to the 11th to 13th centuries, located 60 km from Yerevan, in the ski resort town of Tsaghkadzor in Armenia. Kecharis monastery, formerly called Kecharuk, was built in ...

and the 13th-century monastery of

Geghard Geghard (, meaning "spear") is a medieval monastery in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with enhanced protection status. Wh ...

. Kotayk is also home to the popular winter sports resort and the spa-town of

Tsaghkadzor Tsaghkadzor (, ) is a resort town and urban municipal community in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is a popular ski and health resort and one of Armenia's most important tourist destinations. It is situated on the eastern side of Mount Teghenis ...

and the mountain resort of

Aghveran Aghveran () is a mountain resort in the Kotayk Province of Armenia, within the municipality of Arzakan village, located to the north of Buzhakan village. It is situated on the Hrazdan River's right-side tributary of Dalar (). Gallery Image:Re ...

Etymology and symbol

Kotayk Province is named after the historic Kotayk canton of the historic

province of

, directly ruled by the royal

Arsacid dynasty The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe ...

. Kotayk was first mentioned as an Armenian region by Ptolemy as Kotakene. According to

Movses Khorenatsi Movses Khorenatsi ( 410–490s AD; , ) was a prominent Armenians, Armenian historian from late antiquity and the author of the ''History of Armenia (book), History of the Armenians''. Movses's ''History of the Armenians'' was the first attempt at ...

, the name Kotayk is derived from an ancient nearby settlement called Kutis. The symbol of Kotayk is the ''lion of Geghard'' depicted on the coat of arms of the province, standing on a traditional Armenian

sundial A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

from

, surround by a bunch of Armenian

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

s from both sides. The decorative statue of the lion of Geghard was erected in 1958 among the mountains of Kotayk, on the way to the 4th-century

monastery. It is derived from the decorative lions carved on the walls of the monastery. The 1st-century pagan

Temple of Garni The Garni Temple is a Classical architecture, classical colonnaded structure in the village of Garni, in central Armenia, around east of Yerevan. Built in the Ionic order, it is the best-known structure and symbol of Armenian mythology, pre-Chri ...

is also depicted on the coat of arms of Kotayk.

Geography

Situated at the central part of modern-day Armenia, Kotayk covers an area of (7% of total area of Armenia). It is bordered by

from the east,

from the northeast,

from the north,

from the west,

from the south and the capital

from the southwest. Historically, the current territory of the province mainly occupies parts of the ''Aragatsotn'', ''Kotayk'', ''Varazhnunik'' and ''Mazaz'' cantons of

province of Ancient Armenia. Kotayk occupies the northeastern part of the Ararat plain. The Kotayk plain located between Hrazdan and Azat rivers has a height of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. It is dominated by the

Gegham mountains The Gegham mountains (or Gegham Ridge; ) are a range of mountains in Armenia. The range is a tableland-type watershed basin of Sevan Lake from east, inflows of rivers Araks and Hrazdan from north and west, Azat and Vedi rivers from south-west ...

from the northeast including the mountains of Azhdahak, Hatis and Gutanasar. The province approximates the Pambak mountains at the north, while the Tsaghkunyats mountains lie at the west, and the Voghjaberd mountains at the southwest of Kotayk. Affected by the Gegham volcanoes, the land relief of Kotayk is covered with

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...

and

tufa Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitation (chemistry), precipitate out of water in ambient temperature, unheated rivers or lakes. hot spring, Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less ...

Getar The Getar (Գետառ), formerly spelled Gedar, is a small river in Armenia that flows through Kotayk Province and central parts of the capital Yerevan. It originates near the village of Mayakovski, Armenia, Mayakovski at the western parts of Ge ...

and

Azat Azat (; plural ազատք ''azatkʿ'', collective ազատանի ''azatani'') was a class of Armenian nobility; the term came to designate the middle and lower nobility originally, in contrast to the '' naxarark'' who were the great lords. From ...

are the 3 major rivers of the province. Lake Akna located at a height of , is the only lake in the province. The climate of the province is quite diversified. It ranges between arid and semi-arid climate at the south, and snowy climate at the centre and the north. Annual precipitation levels are less than at the dry areas, while it ranges between 400 and at the heights in the centre and the north of the province.

History

The earliest records about the region date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. According to

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

, Kotayk was directly ruled by the

Arsacid kings of Armenia The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe i ...

. However, during the 4th and the 5th centuries, the territories were granted to the Varazhnuni noble family who governed the forests and lands used as a hunting ground by the kings of the Arsacid kings. Later between the 5th and 7th centuries, the region was granted to the

Kamsarakan The House of Kamsarakan () was an Armenian noble family that was an offshoot of the House of Karen, also known as the Karen-Pahlav. The Karens were one of the Seven Great Houses of Iran and were of Parthian origin. In the Byzantine-Sasanian era ...

and

Amatuni The House of Amatuni () is an ancient Armenian noble family, known from the 4th century in the canton of Artaz, between lakes Van and Urmia, with its center at Shavarshan (latter-day Maku), and subsequently also at Aragatsotn, west of Lake Se ...

families, under the Persian rule. Between the 7th and 9th centuries, Armenia suffered from the Arab Islamic occupation. Bjni Fortress

By the end of the 9th century, the region became part of the newly established

Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia Bagratid Armenia was an independent Armenian state established by Ashot I of the Bagratuni dynasty in the early 880s following nearly two centuries of foreign domination of Greater Armenia under Arab Umayyad and Abbasid rule. With each of t ...

. Between the 11th and 15th centuries, the region suffered from the Seljuk, Mongol,

Ag Qoyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two tribal confederations: ...

and

Kara Koyunlu The Qara Qoyunlu or Kara Koyunlu (, ; ), also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, were a culturally Persianate, Muslim Turkoman "Kara Koyunlu, also spelled Qara Qoyunlu, Turkish Karakoyunlular, English Black Sheep, Turkmen tribal federation th ...

invasions, respectively. At the beginning of the 16th century, the territory of modern-day Kotayk became part of the ''Erivan Beglarbegi'' within the

Safavid Persia The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the beg ...

. During the first half of the 18th century, the territory became part of the

Erivan Khanate The Erivan Khanate (), also known as , was a Khanates of the Caucasus, khanate (i.e., province) that was established in Afsharid dynasty, Afsharid Iran in the 18th century. It covered an area of roughly 19,500 km2, and corresponded to most o ...

under the rule of the

Afsharid dynasty The Afsharid dynasty () was an Iran, Iranian dynasty founded by Nader Shah () of the Qirqlu clan of the Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman Afshar people, Afshar tribe, ruling over the Afsharid Empire. List of Afsharid monarchs Family tree ...

and later under the

Qajar dynasty The Qajar family (; 1789–1925) was an Iranian royal family founded by Mohammad Khan (), a member of the Qoyunlu clan of the Turkoman-descended Qajar tribe. The dynasty's effective rule in Iran ended in 1925 when Iran's '' Majlis'', conven ...

of Persia. It remained under the Persian rule until 1827–1828, when Eastern Armenia was ceded to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

as a result of the Russo-Persian War of 1826–28 and the signing of the

Treaty of Turkmenchay The Treaty of Turkmenchay (; ) was an agreement between Qajar Iran and the Russian Empire, which concluded the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828). It was second of the series of treaties (the first was the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan and the last, the ...

. With the fall of the

and after the decisive Armenian victories over the Turks in the battles of Sardarabad, Abaran, and Gharakilisa, the region became part of the independent Armenia in May 1918. After 2 years of brief independence, Armenia became part of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in December 1920. After the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Kotayk witnessed major growth and development under the soviet rule. Many new urban settlements and industrial centres were established in the region, including the towns of Byureghavan (1945),

Charentsavan Charentsavan (), is a town and urban municipal community in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It was founded in 1947 as ''Lusavan'', and renamed in 1967 after the poet Yeghishe Charents. According to the 2011 census, the population of Charentsavan ...

(1947), Nor Hachn (1953),

(1959) and

(1963). Thus Kotayk had gradually become a major industrial region within the

Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia bordered the Soviet republics ...

. Between 1930 and 1995, modern-day Kotayk was divided into 3

raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is c ...

s: ''Kotayk raion'', ''Nairi raion'', and ''Hrazdan raion''. With the territorial administration reform of 1995, the 3 raions were merged to form the Kotayk Province.

Demographics

Population

According to the

1989 Soviet census The 1989 Soviet census (), conducted between 12 and 19 January of that year, was the final census carried out in the Soviet Union. The census found the total population to be 286,730,819 inhabitants. In 1989, the Soviet Union ranked as the third ...

, the Kotayk Province (then part of the Kotayk,

Nairi Nairi (, also ''Na-'i-ru''; ) was the Akkadian name for a region inhabited by a particular group (possibly a confederation or league) of tribal principalities in the Armenian Highlands, approximately spanning the area between modern Diyarbakır ...

, and

districts in 1930–1995) had a population of 301,737. 153,410 or 50.84% of which was urban, distributed in the cities of Abovyan (58,671), Hrazdan (60,839), and Charentsavan (33,900), and 148,327 or 49.16% were rural, distributed in the districts of Kotayk (63,099), Nairi (56,325), and Hrazdan (28,903). ZOVUNI

According to the 2022 official census, Kotayk has a population of 269,883 (128,793 men and 141,090 women), forming around 9.2% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 146,273 (54.2%) and the rural is 123,610 (45.8%). The province has 7 urban and 60 rural communities. The largest urban community is the town of Abovyan, with a population of 46,434. The other urban centres are Hrazdan, Charentsavan, Yeghvard, Byureghavan, Nor Hachn, and Tsaghkadzor. With a population of 7,198, the village of

Jrvezh Jrvezh (), meaning "waterfall", is a major village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia, located at the eastern outskirts of the capital Yerevan. The village is 45 km south of the provincial capital Hrazdan, and 9 km from the town of Abovyan. The n ...

is the largest rural municipality of Kotayk.

Ethnic groups and religion

The majority of Kotayk Province are ethnic Armenians who belong to the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

. The regulating body of the church is the

Diocese of Kotayk Diocese of Kotayk ( ''Kotayki t'em''), is a diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the Kotayk Province of Armenia. The name is derived from the historic ''Kotayk canton'' of Ayrarat province of Armenia Major. The diocese was officia ...

, headed by Archbishop Arakel Karamyan. The

is the seat of the diocese. However, small communities of Yazdis in Zovuni,

Bjni Bjni (), is a village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is situated in a valley between canyon walls and a small river. The village is one of the prominent centers of education and culture of ancient and medieval Armenia. It is the birthplac ...

, Getamej, and

Dzoraghbyur Dzoraghbyur (); formerly known as Tedzhirabad, is a village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. "Dzoraghbyur" translates roughly to English as "Canyon Fountain". It is located 10 km east of Yerevan and 35 km south of the regional centre Hr ...

. Zovuni and Alapars have a significant number of

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

Molokan The Molokans ( rus, молокан, p=məlɐˈkan or , "dairy-eater") are a Russian Spiritual Christian sect that evolved from Eastern Orthodoxy in the East Slavic lands. Their traditions, especially dairy consumption during Christian fasts, ...

Hankavan Hankavan () is a village and a summer resort in the Kotayk Province of Armenia along in the Marmarik River below the Pambak mountains range. It is notable for its mineral springs, which were used as part of a sanitarium industry during the Soviet p ...

has a majority of

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

, while the village of Arzni is predominantly populated by

Assyrians Assyrians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to Mesopotamia, a geographical region in West Asia. Modern Assyrians share descent directly from the ancient Assyrians, one of the key civilizations of Mesopotamia. While they are distinct from ot ...

. Minor communities of Russian Molokans, Yazidis, Kurds, Assyrians and Greeks are also found in Abovyan and Byureghavan.

Administrative divisions

As a result of the administrative reforms took place on 9 June 2017, Kotayk is currently divided into 42 municipal communities (''hamaynkner''), of which 7 are urban and 35 are rural: During the recent years, many rural settlements in Kotayk became abandoned, including the village of Saranist.

Culture

The Hrazdan Drama Theatre was founded in 1953. The Hrazdan branch of the

National Gallery of Armenia The National Gallery of Armenia (, ) is the largest art museum in Armenia. Located on Yerevan's Republic Square, Yerevan, Republic Square, the museum has one of the most prominent locations in the Armenian capital. The NGA houses significant colle ...

and the Geological Museum of Hrazdan are also among the prominent cultural institutions in the province. The urban centres of Kotayk have their own cultural centres and public libraries. The House-museum of Brothers Orbeli in Tsaghkadzor, is dedicated to the Armenian scientists Ruben, Levon and

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

Orbeli. The town of Yeghvard has a number of historic structures dating back to classical antiquity and the medieval period, including the "Seghanasar" ancient settlement from the 2nd millennium BC, the ruins of a 4th-century church surrounded with more than 30 khachkars dating back to the 12th century, the ruins of the 5th to 6th-centuries Katoghike Church, and the well-preserved Holy Mother of God Church of 1301.

Fortresses and archaeological sites

*Darani Cyclopean fortress, 2nd millennium BC, *Seghanasar ancient settlement of Yeghvard, 2nd millennium BC, *

fortress, 2nd millennium BC, *

of the 1st century AD, *

of the 9th century, *Astghaberd fortress of Hatis, medieval period

Churches and monasteries

monastery, founded in the 4th century, *Surp Kiraki church in Arzni of the 6th century, *

Ptghnavank Ptghnavank () or Ptghni church (Պտղնիի տաճար) is located in the village of Ptghni in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. Architecture The temple is a domed single-nave basilica type completed in the 6th or 7th century. Presently, the o ...

monastery, 6th to 7th centuries, *Teghenyats Monastery, 6th to 7th centuries, *Artavaz Monastery of the 7th century, *

Gharghavank Gharghavank (also, Zoravor Church, ) is a ruined Armenian Apostolic church located on the outskirts of the village of Zoravan, at the lower slopes of Mount Ara in Kotayk Province, Armenia. To get to the church, turn left immediately after the s ...

monastery of the 7th century, * Dzagavank Monastery of the 7th century, * Mayravank Monastery of the 7th century, * Neghuts Monastery of the 10th century, *

Makravank Monastery Makravank () is an Armenian church-complex located in the Makravan district of Hrazdan, the capital of Kotayk Province, Armenia. Hasratyan, Murad. ''Մաքրավանք'' (Mak'ravank'). Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. vol. vii. Yerevan: Armenian Aca ...

, *Holy Mother of God church in Bjni of 1031 *

, 11th to 13th centuries, *

Havuts Tar Havuts Tar (; also Havuts Tar Vank; translates to the "All Savior Monastery") is an 11th to 13th century walled monastery, situated upon a promontory along the Azat River Valley across from the villages of Goght and Garni in the Kotayk Province ...

monastery, 11th to 13th centuries, * Mashtots Hayrapet Church of Garni of the 12th century, *

Tejharuyk Monastery Tejharuyk () is a 12th-century walled Armenian monastery located upon a wooded hill just southwest of the village of Meghradzor in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It was constructed between 1196–99 and commissioned by Ivane I Zakarian, a comma ...

of the

Georgian Orthodox Church The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...

, opened in 1199, * Yeghvard Church of 1301, *Kaptavank Church of 1349, *Holy Mother of God church in Arinj of the 15th century, *Surp Hovhannes church of Abovyan opened in 2013. *Surb Karapet church in Rndamal (Djrarat) village, 10th to 12th centuries, reconstructed and reopened in 2008

Transportation

The M-4 Motorway connects the province with the rest of Armenia. The local urban and rural settlements are connected to each other with a well-developed network of roads. Being very close to the capital Yerevan, the towns of Kotayk are regularly connected with the capital city through mini bus trips operating throughout the day.

Economy

Agriculture

Kotayk is a major centre for agricultural products and cattle-breeding in Armenia, forming 6% of the annual total agricultural product of Armenia. Around 74% (1,546.4 km²) of the total area of the province are

arable land Arable land (from the , "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the purposes of a ...

s, out of which 24.4% (378 km²) are ploughed. A total of 36,125 farms in Kotayk are operated by the private sector or through cooperatives. The agricultural products of the province are divided as follows: 40% provided by cattle-breeding 40%, 14% by tobacco processing, 10% by fruits, 8% by vegetables, 28% by other products including grains and dry grains. The orchards mainly produce grapes, apricot, peach and apple. Around 40% of the farmlands are irrigated, mainly through the Kanaker Hydroelectric Power Station canal and the Kotayk canal of

Sevan–Hrazdan Cascade Sevan–Hrazdan Cascade () is a complex of hydroelectric power plants on the Hrazdan River and its tributaries between the Lake Sevan and Yerevan in Armenia. They use irrigation water flow from the Lake Sevan and streams waters of Hrazdan River. T ...

. Kotayk has the 3 largest poultry farms in Armenia including the farms of Lusakert (in Nor Geghi), Arzni and Getamej.

Industry

Kotayk was a major industrial centre during the Soviet period. The towns of Byureghavan, Charentsavan, Nor Hachn, Hrazdan and Abovyan were founded by the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

government between the 1940s and the 1960s to promote the industrial capacity of the

. However, many industrial plants have been revived after the independence of Armenia, mainly during the first decade of the 21st century. Currently, the province has a contribution of 13.5% in the annual total industrial product of Armenia. Food-processing, alcoholic beverages and building materials production are the prevailing sectors in the industry of the province. Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant Armenia 02

*Hrazdan is the most industrialized town of Kotayk. The Hrazdan Hydro Power Plant opened in 1959, the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant opened in 1966, and the Hrazdan Cement factory opened in 1970, are among the largest plants in Armenia. The Qualitech Machinery machine tool-plant was founded in 1999. The town has also minor industrial firms including Hidro Storm metal-plastic manufacturing plant founded in 2009, as well as Arjermek and Hakobyan plants for building materials. *Charentsavan is another major industrial centre in Kotayk. The town is home to many types of industries including Dzulakentron metal casting plant founded in 1962, Charentsavan Precision Tool-Making Plant founded in 1964, Khorda Hydroturbines Manufacturing Enterprise founded in 2006, Bjni and Noy mineral waters factory founded in 2010, and Lubawa Armenia safety equipments production founded in 2014. *Yeghvard has many major industrial plants, including Yeghvard Wine-Brandy Factory founded in 1966, Nairishin building materials plant founded in 1986, Yeghvard sport shoes factory founded in 1987, Yeghvard yeast plant founded in 1991, Yeghvard Combined Feed Factory founded in 1993, Semur & Co steel and metal manufacturing plant founded in 2003, and Shahnazaryan Wine-Brandy House founded in 2005. In 2016, the "Armoil" company for petroleum has built an oil refinery in Yeghvard. The town is also home to the "65 Military Factory" specialized in military products. *Byureghavan is major industrial centre since the Soviet period. The town's largest firms were opened during the Soviet days, including Arzni Group mineral water plant founded in 1925 in Arzni and relocated to Byureghavan in 1974, Glass World enterprise for glass manufacturing founded in 1947, Almaqar stone-processing enterprise founded in 1971, and Sunenergashin reinforced concrete columns manufacturers founded in 1973. During the 1990s, Byuregh Alco Winery for wine, brandy and vodka (founded in 1996), and Varat stone crushing plant (founded in 1997) were opened. *Abovyan has an industrial district located to the south of the town. It is home to Suardi Armenia factory for building materials since 1963, Samkon Brandy Factory since 1970 (privatized in 1998), the famous

Kotayk Brewery Kotayk Brewery ( ), is a brewing company founded in 1974 in Abovyan, Kotayk Province, Armenia. History Kotayk Brewery was founded in 1974, as a state-owned enterprise by the government of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, with a limited s ...

founded in 1974, Poli-Serv factory for polymer products since 2001, Ginevan Winery for wine, brandy, beer and canned food since 2011, and Italasphalt LLC for asphalt and concrete production since 2015. Other major firms include Tamara factory for dairy products and sweets since 1988, Luma factory for meet products and chips since 1995, Armstone plant for building materials since 1996, Sipan canned food and soft drinks plant since 2003, and Tamara Food for convenience food since 2007. *Nor Hachn is famous for its diamond cutting plants with many enterprises, including Shoghakn plant founded in 1958, Andranik plant founded in 1994, Arevakn plant founded in 2000, and Agates plant founded in 2001. *Being located at the eastern suburbs of Yerevan, the village of Jrvezh is home to a large number of industrial firms, including Arega Cannery since 1995, Garni Crystalline water manufacturers since 1999, Jrvezh Meat Factory since 2006, Javale" factory for plastic products since 2008, and T-Pharma pharmaceuticals plant since 2017. *The village of Balahovit is also home to several industrial firms, including Argishty mechanical enterprise since 1989, Saranist factory for glass containers since 1989, and Filishin LLC for concrete since 2007. Other major industrial firms located in the villages of Kotayk include: Chanakh dairy factory founded in 1991 in Zovk, Glanzh Alco Winery for cognac and wine founded in 2003 in Aramus, Nicola International Armenia for canned food in Aramus (since 2003), Ptghni Gold Winery for wine and liquor founded in 1996 in

Ptghni Ptghni (), is a village located in the Kotayk Province of Armenia along the left bank of the Hrazdan River. Ptghni's mayor Arakel Virabyan was the only mayor of the village for more than 30 years. Ptghni was founded in 1831. The village has a scho ...

, Bacon factory for meet products founded in 1995 in Arzni, Multi Aquamarine for spring water since 2003 in Akunk, Aquastone spring water manufacturers in

since 2012, Rukar Group for vodka and calvados since 2010 in Verin Ptghni, Helias Vineyards for wine production since 2013 in

, and Pacific Home for spring water production founded in 2014 in

Akunk Akunk () is a village in the Vardenis Municipality of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. History The village was founded on the site of a Bronze Age settlement and to the west of Akunk, there is a cyclopean Cyclopean masonry is a type of m ...

Tourism

spa town is a popular mountain resort in Kotayk with its several hotels and sanatoriums. The Tsaghkadzor ski resort is a major destination for the lovers of winter sports. Many 5-star luxury hotels and resorts serve the town during the summer and winter seasons including the Marriott Tsaghkadzor Hotel, Multi Rest House Hotel,

Golden Palace Hotel Golden Palace Hotel Resort and Spa is a hotel in Tsaghkadzor, a popular resort town in Kotayk Province, Armenia. It was opened in 2013. With 120 guestrooms, the Golden Palace Hotel is the largest hotel in Armenia outside the capital Yerevan. His ...

and Ararat Resort Tsaghkadzor Hotel. The "Senator Golden Palace" casino of Tsaghkadzor is among the largest entertainment centers in Armenia. The villages of

, Pyunik, Agveran,

and Arzni are popular summer resorts and major destinations for

medical tourism Medical tourism is the practice of traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment. In the past, this usually referred to those who traveled from less-developed countries to major medical centers in highly developed countries for treatment unavaila ...

The monastery of

located at the south of province is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

, designated as the Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley. The pagan

and the medieval

are also among the attractive monuments of the province. The province has 3 nature protected areas: the Arzakan-Meghradzor Sanctuary, the Banks' Pine Grove Sanctuary, and the Hankavan Hydrological Sanctuary. Kotayk has many spa and mountain resorts that attract tourists, including: *

mountain resort, *

spa town, * Tsaghkadzor ski resort.

Education

Hrazdan is home to the Humanitarian University of Hrazdan. Owned by the private sector, the university has 3 faculties: law, pedagogy and economics. 2 major science institutions and research centres are located in Abovyan: the Republican Hospital of tuberculosis and the Institute of Biological Microbes of the

Armenian National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) (, ''Hayastani Hanrapetut’yan gitut’yunneri azgayin akademia'') is the Armenian national academy, functioning as the primary body that conducts research and coordinates activ ...

. The Armenak Khanperyants Military Aviation University is located near the town of Nor Hachn. As of the 2015-16 educational year, Kotayk has 103 public schools as well as 1 private school. The number of state pre-school kindergartens is 54.

Sport

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

and other Olympic sports including weightlifting and wrestling are popular in Kotayk.

FC Kotayk FC Kotayk () was an Armenian football club based in the town of Abovyan, Kotayk Province. History Founded in 1955, Kotayk was one of the oldest football clubs in Armenia. After playing several years in the Armenian SSR League as well as the S ...

founded in 1955, is one of the oldest football clubs in Armenia. Like many other football teams in the country, the club was forced to default from the Armenian football league and consequently from professional football since 2005, due to financial crisis. The short-lived King Delux FC of Abovyan played a single season in the Armenian First League of 2012–13. Other defunct football teams of Kotayk include

FC Moush Charentsavan FC Moush Charentsavan () was an Armenian football club from Charentsavan, Kotayk Province. They played their home games at the Charentsavan City Stadium Charentsavan City Stadium (), is a multipurpose stadium in Charentsavan, Armenia, mainly us ...

Hachn FC Hachn FC (), is a defunct Armenian football club from Nor Hachn, Kotayk Province. They played under the name Sapphire FC in the 1996–1997 Armenian First League season. The club was dissolved in 1997 and is currently inactive from professional f ...

, FC Shinarar Hrazdan,

FC Yeghvard Yeghvard FC () was an Armenian football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''footbal ...

FC Dinamo Yeghvard FC Dinamo Yeghvard (), is a defunct Armenian association football, football club from Yeghvard, Kotayk Province. The club was formed in 2002 and participated in the Armenian First League during the same year. However, the club was dissolved in 200 ...

and FC Moush Kasagh.

Abovyan City Stadium Vahagn Tumasyan Stadium () is an all-seater football stadium in Abovyan, Armenia. Overview The stadium was opened in 1966 and currently holds a capacity of 3,100 seats. The stadium which was known as Kotayk Stadium until 2006, used to have a ca ...

is the largest sports venue in the province. Stadiums with minor capacities are also found in Hrazdan, Nor Hachn, Charentsavan and Kasagh. The town of Tsaghkadzor is a major centre for sports in general, mainly winter sports. It has a large sports complex as well as a

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area–a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North Am ...

. The Zepyur Football Training Camp is located in the village of Pyunik at the north of Kotayk. The

Dzoraghbyur Training Centre Dzoraghbyur Training Centre, is the training ground and academy base of the Armenian football club FC Ararat Yerevan. Overview Dzoraghbyur Training Centre was opened in 2007 on the grounds of the former Dzoraghbyur Sports Complex in the Dzoragh ...

owned by

FC Ararat Yerevan Football Club Ararat Yerevan (), commonly known as Ararat Yerevan, is an Armenia, Armenian professional Association football, football club based in Yerevan that plays in the Armenian Premier League. Since 1999 the club has been owned by the Sw ...

is also located in Kotayk, in the

village.

Notable natives

Grigor Magistros Grigor Magistros (; "Gregory the ''magistros''"; ca. 990–1058) was an Armenians, Armenian prince, Linguistics, linguist, scholar and public functionary. A layman of the princely Pahlavuni family that claimed descent from the dynasty establis ...

(990–1058), Armenian scholar and linguist. *

Leon Orbeli Leon Abgarovich Orbeli (; ; – 9 December 1958) was an Armenian physiologist active in the Russian SFSR. He was a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union and Armenian National Academy of Sciences (the latter was founded by his b ...

(1882–1958), Armenian physiologist. *

Djivan Gasparyan Djivan Gasparyan (var. Jivan Gasparyan; , ; 12 October 1928 – 6 July 2021) was an Armenian musician and composer. He played the duduk, a double reed woodwind instrument related to the orchestral oboe. Gasparyan is known as the "Master of the d ...

, renowned Armenian musician. *Armen Nazaryan (judoka), Armen Nazaryan, Armenian judoka. *Vanes Martirosyan, Armenian-American professional boxer. *Masis Voskanyan, Armenian footballer.

Gallery

File:Arzakan-Meghradzor Sanctuary 15.JPG, Arzakan-Meghradzor Sanctuary File:Geghard entrance-IMG 2525.JPG,

, 4th century, UNESCO World Heritage Site File:Ptghnavank monastery1.JPG, The remains of

monastery, dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries File:Zachatztor.JPG,

, 11th century File:Ազատի ջրամբար ու կղզիներ.JPG, The Azat Reservoir along the Azat River

References

External links

Kotayk Guide with detailed descriptions, by Rick Ney

Kotayk Marz Tourist Guide
{{Authority control Kotayk Province, Provinces of Armenia

Etymology and symbol

Geography

History

Demographics

Population

Ethnic groups and religion

Administrative divisions

Culture

Fortresses and archaeological sites

Churches and monasteries

Transportation

Economy

Agriculture

Industry

Tourism

Education

Sport

Notable natives

Gallery

See also

References

External links