Vayots Dzor (, ) 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'') 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 lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of

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 ...

to the west and the

Kalbajar District Kalbajar District () is one of the 66 Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan, districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the East Zangezur Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Lachin Distric ...

of Azerbaijan to the east. It covers an area of . With a population of only 52,324 (2011 census), it is the most sparsely populated province in the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Yeghegnadzor. A major wine-producing region in Armenia, Vayots Dzor is home to many ancient landmarks and historical attractions. Among them are the

Areni-1 cave complex The Areni-1 cave complex () is a multicomponent site, and late Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age ritual site and settlement, located near the Areni village in southern Armenia along the Arpa River. Findings In 2008, Armenian PhD student and ar ...

and

Areni-1 winery The Areni-1 winery is the world’s oldest known winery, discovered in 2007 in the Areni-1 cave complex near the village of Areni in Vayots Dzor Province, Armenia. Excavated by a team of Armenian and international archaeologists, the winery dates ...

of the

Chalcolithic The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...

period, the 8th-century Tanahat Monastery, the 10th-century fortress of Smbataberd, and the 13th-century monastery of Noravank. The province is also home to the spa-town of Jermuk and the village of Gladzor, known for the 13th and 14th-century University of Gladzor.

Etymology

The province is named after the Vayots Dzor canton of historic Syunik, the ninth 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 ...

. The exact etymology of the name Vayots Dzor is unknown, although it is popularly understood to mean ''valley'' or ''canyon of sorrows'' (''vay'' is an exclamation of sorrow or pain in Armenian, a cognate of the word "woe"). According to folk tradition, the region received this name after a powerful earthquake struck the area. Historian Grigor Ghapantsyan considers it more likely that the name Vayots Dzor derives from the name of an ancient tribe or ethnic group with the name ''Vay'', perhaps connected with ''Biaini'', the endonym of the ancient kingdom of

Urartu Urartu was an Iron Age kingdom centered around the Armenian highlands between Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and Lake Sevan. The territory of the ancient kingdom of Urartu extended over the modern frontiers of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Armenia.Kleiss, Wo ...

Geography

Situated at the southeastern end of modern-day Armenia, Vayots Dzor covers an area of 2,308 km² (7.8% of total area of Armenia). It the most sparsely populated province in the country. It borders the Nakhchivan exclave of

from the west and the

of Azerbaijan from the east (administered as the Shahumyan Region of the

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Artsakh ( ), officially the Republic of Artsakh or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ( ), was a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory was internationally recognised as part of Azerbai ...

between 1993 and 2020). Domestically, it is bordered by 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 north,

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 northwest and

Syunik Province Syunik (, ) is the southernmost province of Armenia. It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital and larg ...

from the southeast. Historically, the current territory of the province occupies most of the ''Vayots Dzor'' canton of the historic Syunik province of

. Vayots Dzor is a mountainous region. It is mainly divided into 3 mountain ranges: the Vardenis mountain range at the north, the Arpa range in the middle and the Vayk range at the south. At a height of 3522 meters, the Vardenis volcano in the north is the highest point in the province, while the Areni valley, at a height of 850 meters, is the lowest point. The 2586 meters-high ''Vayots Sar''

volcanic cone Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic landforms. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and s ...

is located almost at the centre of the province. Vayots Dzor has many rivers, mountains springs and mineral water, with the Arpa River being the most significant of them. It flows 92 km in the territory of Vayots Dzor, through the settlements of Jermuk, Vayk, Yeghegnadzor, and

Areni Areni () is a village and the center of the Areni Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in Armenia. Areni is best known for its wine production, with the majority of wine produced locally from the nearby village of Getap, Vayots Dzor, Getap. ...

, among others. It originates in Vayots Dzor from the northwest part of the Syunik plateau at a height of 3260 meters, and flows into the Araks river. It has a number of tributaries that form waterfalls such as the Jermuk and the Herher. Yeghegis river is the main tributary of Arpa. It flows into a valley that is protected by the government as a wildlife sanctuary. Most of the rivers in Vayots Dzor are characterized by swift flow, deep fall and inclination. A large project was completed during the Soviet period to transfer the water of Arpa river to

Lake Sevan Lake Sevan () is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater Alpine lake, high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, at an altitude of abov ...

. Thus, an underground water tunnel was opened in 1981 that starts from the basin of the Kechut reservoir to transfer the flow of the Arpa river into Kake Sevan. A number of small lakes are also found in the valley of the Herher River.

History

Vayots Dzor is first mentioned in the ''History of Armenia'' by

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 region has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. Archaeological investigations have uncovered many sites and objects dating back to the

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...

Era and the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

, including carvings on cliffs depicting scenes of hunting and animals. The

—including the 6,100-year-old

—discovered in archaeological excavations conducted between 2007 and 2011, revealed that the region was settled during the 5th millennium BC (Late

Age). The winery consists of

fermentation Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and reduce ...

vats, a wine press, storage jars, pottery sherds, and is believed to be the earliest known winery in history.Maugh II, Thomas H.
Ancient winery found in Armenia
" ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.Santini, Jean-Louis.
Scientists find 'oldest ever' winery in Armenia
" ''

Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...

''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.Owen, James.
Earliest Known Winery Found in Armenian Cave
" ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

''. January 10, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011. A 5500-year-old leather

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

, the oldest known piece of leather footwear, has also been found in Areni-1. As early as the 8th century BC, the area of modern-day Vayots Dzor was part of the Kingdom of

. Later, it became part of the Kingdom of Armenia forming the ''Vayots Dzor'' canton of the province of Syunik, under the rule of the

Siunia dynasty The Siuni or Siwni dynasty () was an ancient Armenians, ArmenianIn the west stretched the country called Siunia (in Armenian Siunik') whose rulers belonged to a special Armenian family of descendents of Sisak princely () dynasty which ruled the prov ...

The Orbelian family became especially prominent in Vayots Dzor and Syunik during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Many churches, monastic complexes, bridges and

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...

s were built between the 10th and 13th centuries under their influence. Vayots Dzor benefited from its location on the

Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...

, particularly along the road that now links the town of Martuni with Yeghegnadzor. During this period, the province became home to the University of Gladzor. Founded around 1280 by Nerses of Mush, it was one of the earliest higher educational centres of medieval Armenia. The period between the 15th and 17th centuries is considered by historians to be one of the darkest in the history of Vayots Dzor. The region became a frequent battlefield between the invading troops of the Turkic and Iranian tribes. As a result, many monuments and villages were destroyed and the population was displaced. It later became part of the

Nakhichevan Khanate The Nakhichevan Khanate () was a khanate under Iranian suzerainty, which controlled the city of Nakhichevan and its surroundings from 1747 to 1828. The territory of the khanate corresponded to most of the present-day Nakhchivan Autonomous Republ ...

under Persian suzerainty and became known as ''Daralagyaz'' (also spelled ''Daralagez'' or ''Daralayaz''). During the first half of the 19th century, following the Russo-Persian War of 1826-28 and the resulting

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 ...

signed in 1828, Vayots Dzor passed from

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

to Russian rule. In the same year that the territory came under Russian rule, it was incorporated into the newly established Armenian Oblast. In 1849, the Erivan Governorate was founded including Vayots Dzor, while in 1870, the governorate was further divided into

uezd An uezd (also spelled uyezd or uiezd; rus, уе́зд ( pre-1918: уѣздъ), p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context () was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, the ...

s. Consequently, Vayots Dzor became part of the Sharur-Daralayaz uezd of the Erivan Governorate. Between 1918 and 1920, the region was included within the short-lived Republic of Armenia. After the Sovietization of Armenia, Vayots Dzor became one of the regions that resisted Soviet rule and formed part of the unrecognized Republic of Mountainous Armenia under the leadership of Garegin Nzhdeh. However, after falling to the Bolsheviks in July 1921, Vayots Dzor became part of the

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

. During the Soviet period, modern-day Vayots Dzor was divided into the raions of Yeghegnadzor and Azizbekov. After the independence of Armenia, the two raions were merged during the 1995 administrative reform to form the Vayots Dzor Province.

Demographics

Population

According to the 1989 Soviet census, the Vayots Dzor Province (then part of the Vayk and Yeghegnadzor districts in 1930–1995) had a population of 60,357. 10,234 or 16.96% of which was urban, distributed in the city of Jermuk, and 50,123 or 83.04% were rural, distributed in the districts of Vayk (13,680) and Yeghegnadzor (36,443). Malishka 2

The population and density in Vayots Dzor is the least among the provinces of Armenia. According to the 2011 official census, Vayots Dzor has a population of 52,324 (25,740 men and 26,584 women), forming around 1.7% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 18,449 (35.26%) and the rural is 33,875 (64.74%). The province has 3 urban and 41 rural communities. The largest urban community is the provincial centre of Yeghegnadzor, with a population of 7,944. The other urban centres of Vayk and Jermuk have a population of 5,877 and 4,628 respectively. With a population of 4,460, the village of Malishka is the largest rural municipality of Vayots Dzor.

Ethnic groups and religion

The majority of the Vayots Dzor 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 Vayots Dzor, headed by Archbishop Abraham Mkrtchyan. The Holy Mother of God Cathedral (known also as Surp Sarkis) in Yeghegnadzor is the seat of the diocese. A percentage of the population in Vayots Dzor have their ancestors migrated from the

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ian towns of

Salmas Salmas () is a city in the Central District of Salmas County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is northwest of Lake Urmia, near Turkey. Etymology The original name of Salmas was ...

and

Khoy Khoy (, ) is a city in the Central District (Khoy County), Central District of Khoy County, West Azerbaijan province, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Occupied since Medes, Median times, ...

in 1829 and 1830.

Administrative divisions

As a result of the administrative reforms concluded by June 17, 2016, October 8, 2016, and June 9, 2017, Vayots Dzor is currently divided into 8 municipal communities (''hamaynkner'') *''A cross denotes a town (urban settlement), otherwise, the settlements are villages (rural settlements).'' File:Djermuk.JPG, Jermuk File:Arevik Stadium, Vayk.jpg, Vayk File:Yeghegnadzor landscape3.jpg, Yeghegnadzor File:Areni Village, Armenia.jpg, Areni File:2014 Prowincja Wajoc Dzor, Gladzor, Widok wsi z drogi H47 (03).jpg, Gladzor File:Malishka Village, Armenia.jpg, Malishka File:Yeghegis.jpg, Yeghegis

Culture

Yeghegnadzor has a cultural palace, a public library and an archaeological museum. The town's public park has a vishapakar (dragon stone) dating back to the 2nd millennium BC.

Fortresses and archaeological sites

and the

Winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

of the

age, * Smbataberd fortress of the 10th century, * Proshaberd fortress of the 13th century, * Ertij Fort of the 13th century, * Agarakadzor bridge of the 13th century, * Orbelian's Caravanserai of 1332.

Churches and monasteries

* Tanahat Monastery of 735, * Saint Sion Monastery of the 8th century, * Shativank monastery of the 10th century, * Khotakerats Monastery of the 10th century, * Tsakhats Kar Monastery, 10th-11th centuries, * Noravank monastery, 10th-13th centuries, * Gndevank monastery, 10th-13th centuries, *Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God in Yeghegnadzor, 12th century, * Noravank monastery of 1205, * Spitakavor Monastery of 1321, * Areni Church of 1321.

Media

''Vardadzor'' monthly is the regional newspaper of Vayots Dzor. It has been published in Yeghegnadzor since 15 November 2002. It covers political, economical and regional news. It also has a literary supplement.

Transportation

The M-2 Motorway that connects Armenia from north to south, passes through the province. On the other hand, the towns of Yeghegnadzor are domestically connected through a number of well-developed roads. The Jermuk airstrip is located near Jermuk, adjacent to the Kechut Reservoir.

Economy

Agriculture and viticulture

Vayots Dzor has the poorest agricultural index among the Armenian provinces, forming 2.2% of the annual total agricultural product of Armenia. Around 82.5% (1,903 km²) of the total area of the total area of the province

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 only 8.5% (162 km²) are ploughed.

Industry

The industry of Vayots Dzor contributes 1% of the annual total industrial product of Armenia. Industry is mainly based on water bottling, alcoholic drinks production (mainly wine), food-processing and dairy products. The discovery of the 6100 year-old

has provided increased awareness of the ancient tradition of wine-making in Armenia and particularly in the region of ancient Syunik. Rind Vineyard

*Wine production: Vayots Dzor has a large number of wine producers (mainly producing under the category of "Areni wine"), including: **"Yacoubian-Hobbs" (wine), first vintage 2014 **"Getap Wine Factory" ( Vedi Alco Winery branch), opened in 1938 in Getap. **"Maran Winery", opened in 1992 in Yeghegnadzor. **"Areni Wine Factory", opened in 1994 in

. **"Old Bridge Winery", opened in 1998 in Yeghegnadzor. **"Getnatoun Winery" (wine, brandy), opened in 1999 in Yeghegnadzor. **"Vayk Group Winery" (wine, vodka), opened in 2000 in Vayk. **"Ginekar Winery", opened in 2000 in Aghavnadzor. **"Mets Syunik Winery" ("Matevosyan Wine"), opened in 2001 in Aghavnadzor. **"Zorah Wines", opened in 2001 in Rind. The company's "2010 Zorah Karasi Areni Noir" was ranked in the 2012 Bloomberg's top 10 list. **"Areni Wine Winery", opened in 2003 in Areni. **"Hin Areni Vineyards", opened in 2007 in Areni. **"Trinity Canyon Vineyards", opened in 2009 in Aghavnadzor. *Yeghegnadzor has many plants for cheese and other dairy products. The town is famous for its goat cheese produced by the "Golden Goat" factory founded in 2000. It is also home to the "Selim LLC" for dairy products founded in 2002. Other industrial firms of the town include the "Rafelgrig" for electrical products founded in 1968, the "Izoton" company for oak-wood made barrels for wine and brandy aging founded in 2003, and the Yeghegnadzor Cannery operating since 2015. *Vayk is home to the "WCW of Vaik" building materials factory founded in 1968, the "Arpi Mineral Waters Factory" founded in 1973, and the "Meg Ararat" factory for tea production founded in 2008. *Jermuk is known for its

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

production. The town is home to the "Jermuk Group" CJSC, currently the main producer of Jermuk mineral water. Founded in 1999, Jermuk Group acquired the original water producing factory known as "Jermuk Mayr Gortsaran" operating since 1951. Another water bottling factory known as "Jermuk Service Enterprise" was founded in 2014. There are many small plants for building materials production in the villages of Areni, Agarakadzor and Yeghegis, while the village of Malishka is home to a jewelry plant.

Tourism

The cultural heritage and the natural monuments of the region attract a number of tourists. Jermuk and the surrounding forests are a tourist attraction with many sanatoriums, spa resorts and its ropeway. It is considered one of the centres of

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 ...

in Armenia. Some areas of the province are listed as protected wildlife sanctuaries, including the Herher Open Woodland Sanctuary, the Jermuk Forest Sanctuary, the Jermuk Hydrological Sanctuary, and the Yeghegnadzor Sanctuary. The Mozrov Cave was found in 1980 near the village of Arpi. It is protected as a natural and cultural monument of Armenia.

Education

Vayots Dzor was home to the medieval Armenian University of Gladzor that was established around 1280 by Nerses of Mush and operated until 1340 and "left behind a rich intellectual heritage". Currently, the Yeghegnadzor branch of the Armenian State University of Economics is operating in the province since 2008. As of the 2015–16 academic year, Vayots Dzor was home to 50 public schools as well as 17 pre-school kindergartens: The number of the students was around 6,300, while the academic staff included around 1,100 teachers. Around 1,000 children attended the kindergartens.

Sport

Arpa FC of Yeghegnadzor -founded as Momik FC in 1992- used to represent the town 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 ...

football competition. Like many other Armenian football clubs, Arpa FC was dissolved in early 2003 and is currently inactive from professional football. The towns of Vayk and Yeghegnadzor have a football stadium each with minor capacities. Every year, during the month of August, Jermuk hosts the

FIDE The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( , ), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the Spor ...

Grand Prix Jermuk chess tournament.

Notable natives

* Ara Abramyan, Armenian businessman based in Russia. * Narek Sargsyan, Armenian architect and politician. * Kamsar (Kamo Sahakyan), renowned Armenian painter. * Narine Dovlatyan, Armenian singer and actress.

Gallery

File:Noravank.JPG, Noravank, 1205 AD File:Areni church.jpg, Areni Church, 1321 AD File:Ջերմուկի անտառային արգելավայր (13).JPG, Jermuk Forest Sanctuary File:Ջերմուկի ջրաբանական արգելավայր 2, Կեչուտի ջրամբար (4).JPG, Kechut reservoir File:Jermuk Waterfall4.jpg, Jermuk Waterfall

References

External links

Vayots Dzor Marz Tourist Guide
{{Authority control Provinces of Armenia 1995 establishments in Armenia