Pemzashen () is a village in the
Artik Municipality
Shirak (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province () of Armenia. It is located in the north-west of the country, bordering the provinces of Lori Province, Lori to the east and Aragatsotn Province, Aragatsotn to the south and southeast, and the cou ...
of the
Shirak Province
Shirak (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province () of Armenia. It is located in the north-west of the country, bordering the provinces of Lori Province, Lori to the east and Aragatsotn Province, Aragatsotn to the south and southeast, and the cou ...
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 ...
. During the Soviet era a sewing factory, construction materials plant, and a parts factory to supply hydro-electric stations were based out of Pemzashen. After the collapse of the USSR, most of the village's residents have found themselves out of work and many of the men have moved to Russia to find jobs. In the past 15 years, over 300 families have moved away from the village. There is also the problem of a lack of irrigation water for crops or household gardens, and the land around the village is not flat or fertile (due to no irrigation). Plans are currently underway to put in an irrigation system.
In the middle of village is a
7th-century church adjacent to the foundations of a 5th-century basilica. Just west of the village off of the main road leading from Pemzashen to
Artik is
Arakelots Vank of the 11th century. Along the road south to
Lernakert, is also
Makaravank built in the 10th to 13th centuries, with the church of Surb Sion of 1001. In the gorge below is a small church built on earlier foundations constructed in the 18th century with a hermit's cell cut into the cliff face behind.
Demographics
Gallery
Image:Arakelots Vank Northwest.JPG, Arakelots Vank northwest corner, 11th century
Image:Makaravank front façade.jpg, Makaravank Church, 10th-13th century
Image:Makaravank Pemzashen Chapel 18th c.JPG, 18th-century chapel in gorge below Makaravank
References
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World Gazeteer: Armenia– World-Gazetteer.com
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External links
Article: Pemzashen
Populated places in Shirak Province
{{Shirak-geo-stub