Tavush (, ) 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 ...

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 ...

located at the northeast of Armenia, bordered by

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

from the north and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

from the east. Internally, Tavush borders the

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 south,

Kotayk Province Kotayk (, ), is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, 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 c ...

from the southwest, and the

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 west. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of

Ijevan Ijevan ( ) is a town and urban municipal community in the Ijevan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia, also serving as the province's administrative centre. It is located at the center of the region, at the foot of Ijevan ridge of Guga ...

Etymology

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

Utik Utik (), also known as Uti, was a historical province and principality within 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 o ...

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 ...

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

Berd Berd ( ) is a town in the Tavush Province of Armenia. It is the administrative centre of Berd Municipality. The town is located to the west of the Tavush River, from Yerevan, surrounded by low mountains. Near the city are the ruins of the 10th ...

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

from west. The territory is mainly mountainous and rocky hillsides covered with a green carpet of

Alpine meadow Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

s. Tavush is sometimes referred to as a little Armenian

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. 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 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, the Dzorapor and Koghbapor cantons of

Gugark Gugark (, , ) was the 13th province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia. It now comprises parts of northern Armenia, northeast Turkey, and southwest Georgia. Etymology Etymologically, Gugark in Armenian language denotes land of Gugars. word ...

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

province.

The province entirely lies among the mountains of the

Lesser Caucasus The Lesser Caucasus or Lesser Caucasus Mountains, also called Caucasus Minor, is the second of the two main ranges of the Caucasus Mountains, of length about . The western portion of the Lesser Caucasus overlaps and converges with east Turkey an ...

. 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 () 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. The Debed is long, and has a drainage basin. The river or ...

river valley near the village of Debedavan. The province is a major source of water in Armenia. The main source is Aghstev river with its tributaries 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 and

Lake Gosh A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...

. 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 w ...

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

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 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 ...

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

Treaty of Gulistan The Treaty of Gulistan (also spelled Golestan: ; ) was a peace treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and Qajar Iran on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gülüstan, Goranboy, Gulistan (now in Goranboy District, the Goranboy District of Azerb ...

signed between Imperial Russia and

Qajar Persia The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...

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 ...

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 s ...

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 Sov ...

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, municip ...

s 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 ...

: 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 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 Tavush Province (then part of the

Shamshadin The Shamshadin District () was a ''raion'' (district) of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1929 and later in 1991 of the Republic of Armenia until its disestablishment in 1995. The Shamshadin district today constitutes a southeastern part ...

Noyemberyan Noyemberyan () is a town and urban municipal community in the Noyemberyan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. It is located 2 km west of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and 9 km south of the Armenia-Georgia border. As of the ...

, 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 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 Tavush, headed by Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan. The Surp Nerses Cathedral in

is the seat of the diocese. The town of

is home to around 200 Udis who also belong to the Armenian Church. A tiny community of

Yazidis Yazidis, also spelled Yezidis (; ), are a Kurdish languages, Kurdish-speaking Endogamy, endogamous religious group indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. The major ...

is found in

Dilijan Dilijan () is a spa town and urban municipal community in the Dilijan Municipality of 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 t ...

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 villages of Chermakavan, Chirchiri, Geghatap,

Gomer Gomer ( ''Gōmer''; ) 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 eponymous Gomer, "standing for the whole ...

, Shamakhyan and

Tarsachay Tarsachay is an abandoned village in the Tavush Province of Armenia. References

* Former populated places in Tavush Province {{Tavush-geo-stub ...

Culture

Fortresses and archaeological sites

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

Churches and monasteries

Tsrviz Chapel Tsrviz Chapel () or Moro-Dzoro () is a medieval Armenian chapel located near the village of Lusahovit in the Tavush Province of Armenia. History The chapel dates back to the 5th century. It was reconstructed during the 12th and 13th centuries. ...

of the 5th century, * Holy Mother of God Church of Voskepar of the 7th-century, * Kirants Monastery of the 8th century, * Makaravank monastery of the 10th century, *

Jukhtak Vank Jukhtak Vank () 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. It sits in close proximity to the church of Matosavank as ...

monastery of the 11th-12th centuries, *

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

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 () 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 Jukhtak Vank as well as to a ...

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

Haghartsin Monastery Haghartsin () is a medieval monastery located near the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province of Armenia. It was built between the 10th and 13th centuries. It is composed of three churches: St. Gregory's (the oldest one), St. Stephen's, and St. A ...

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 spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

and the 3rd-largest in the whole

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 ...

. 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 () is a village in the Berd Municipality of 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 V ...

and the "Vital Echogarden" food-processing factory in

Aygedzor Aygedzor () 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 Այգեձորի «Աղջ� ...

, the "Tavush Textile" factory in

Choratan Choratan () is a village in the Berd Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. History In 1854, settlers from Choratan founded the village of Artsvashen Artsvashen () or Bashkend (; ) is a ''de jure'' Armenian village in the Chambar ...

, the "Bavagarm" meet-processing plant in Teghut, and the "Filishin" concrete manufacturing plant in

Haghartsin Haghartsin () is a medieval monastery located near the town of Dilijan in the Tavush Province of Armenia. It was built between the 10th and 13th centuries. It is composed of three churches: St. Gregory's (the oldest one), St. Stephen's, and St. A ...

. *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 () is a town and urban community in the Noyemberyan Municipality of 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 shore ...

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,

Gosh Gosh or GOSH may refer to: People Surnames * Efrat Gosh (born 1983), Israeli singer-songwriter * Mkhitar Gosh, Armenian scholar and priest * Salah Gosh, National Security Advisor for Sudan Given named, nicknamed * Lord Gosh, British rapper * ...

, Teghut and Yenokavan. 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 Parz as well as the Ijevan Dendropark are major destinations for

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

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 The 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 organisation was fo ...

, 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 actively implementing educational projects acr ...

, was completed in Dilijan. It was officially opened in fall 2015. Since 1994, branches of the

Yerevan State University Yerevan State University (YSU; , , ), also simply University of Yerevan, is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919, it is the largest university in the country. It is thus informally known as Armenia's ...

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

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 ...

is popular in Tavush. The province was represented in the

Armenian Premier League The Armenian Premier League (, known as the Armenian Fastex Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the top association football, football competition in Armenia. From 1936 to 1991, the competition was held as a regional tournament within th ...

Impulse FC Impuls Football Club (), 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 the Armenian football. The home ground of Impuls was the ...

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

Dilijan City Stadium Dilijan City Stadium () 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 Armenian Premier League. The capacity of the stadium is 2,200 ...

and

Arnar Stadium Arnar Stadium () is an all-seater stadium in Ijevan, Armenia, mainly used for football matches. With a capacity of 2,100 seats, it is the only stadium in Ijevan. Overview The stadium was built in 2007, by the "Arnar" Charitable Fund directed ...

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 The Armenian Cup () is the main football cup competition of Armenia. In its original form as the Armenian Cup, it started in 1939, when Armenia was a republic of the Soviet Union. It served as a qualification tournament for the Soviet Cup, and it ...

final match in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

where

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 ...

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 D ...

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, Lake Parz 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