Zovuni (also, Molla Kasum), is an abandoned village in the
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 ...
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 was formed during the 1828 by Armenian migrants from the village of Akori in
Western Armenia
Western Armenia (Western Armenian: Արեւմտեան Հայաստան, ''Arevmdian Hayasdan'') is a term to refer to the western parts of the Armenian highlands located within Turkey (formerly the Ottoman Empire) that comprise the historic ...
. The villages was abandoned in 1965 and its ruins now lie beneath the Aparan Reservoir.
The settlement is famous for the
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...
of
Vardan Mamikonian
Vardan Mamikonian (; – 451) was an Armenian military leader who led a rebellion against Sasanian Iran in 450–451. He was the head of the Mamikonian noble family and holder of the hereditary title of , the supreme commander of the Armenia ...
, the
Poghos-Petros Church and the Tukh Manuk shrine.
The Zovuni cemetery sits to the east of the church, across a ravine. The monuments are near the village of
Jrambar
Jrambar () is a village in the Aparan Municipality of the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The local economy is based on the nearby Aparan dam and reservoir, which supplies the capital Yerevan with drinking water. Prior to the construction of the ...
.
After the abandonment of the village, the population was moved to a new village called
Zovuni, built at the northwestern suburbs of
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 ...
, currently part of the
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 ...
.
Gallery
Image:Զովունի 01.jpg, Poghos-Petros Church
Image:Զովունի 02.jpg, Poghos-Petros Church
Image:Զովունի 03.jpg, Poghos-Petros Church
Image:Zovuni church.JPG, Poghos-Petros Church
Image:Եկեղեցի ս. Պողոս - Պետրոս.JPG, Cemetery and Poghos-Petros Church
Image:Զովունի 15.jpg, Tukh Manuk shrine
References
*
*Kiesling, ''Rediscovering Armenia'', p. 22, available online at th
US embassy to Armenia's website
External links
Former populated places in Aragatsotn Province
{{Aragatsotn-geo-stub