Gavar
Encyclopedia
Gavar is a city and the provincial capital of the Armenian province
of Gegharkunik. It was known as Nor Bayezet or Novyi Bayazet until 1959, then Kamo (named in honour of Bolshevik of the same name
) until 1996. The town is situated in the mountains with an average altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, on a distance of 98 kilometers to the east of the capital Yerevan
.
Gavar lies in the Armenian Highland
s, just few miles away from the western shores of Lake Sevan
. The city was founded in 1830 by migrants from the Ottoman Empire
city of Bayazet (Armenian Daroink), and named "New Bayazit". It achieved city status in 1850.
Despite its relatively modern rebirth, the area has an ancient past. Fabled monuments dating back to the Bronze Age
adorn the region, a testimony to the presence of Armenians in the region for thousands of years.
On the western part of the hill, located at the town center there are remnants of cyclopean
fortress dating back to the early iron age
. It is supposed that the fortress was the royal capital of the Urartian
Velikukhi region. It was surrounded by more than 22 small fortresses. King Sarduri II
, after having invaded Velikukhi and conquering the fortress, the fortress was renamed "Khaldi
City" by his son Rusa II
.
Tombs of 4000 years old were found in the Gavar Theatre square. Small medieval monuments; cross-stones, gravestones and a chapel were also found in the city. Over the centuries, Gavar underwent countless destructions with the latest in the 17th century when it was ruined by Shah Abbas I of Persia
.
After achieving the status of an urban settlement in 1950, the city progressed gradually over the years. It was once home to 36,400 people but the population has declined to 23,302 as reported in the 2001 census. Much of the Soviet era infrastructure has failed and the industrial capacity has floundered. However, the local economy is improving at a slow rate as some businessmen are returning to Gavar from abroad with the hope of gaining new chances for investments. Major local manufacturers include electronics and machinery plants, and textile mills which are located in and around Gavar.
Religion is very important for the people of Gavar. The population of the town is Christian and belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church
. The church of the Holy Mother of God was built in the centre of the town by Bishop "Khoren Muradbeghian" in 1905 with help of the local population. Until recently it was considered to be the tallest church in Armenia. 4 kilometers north of Gavar, there is the Noraduz cemetery
which contains a large number of impressive medieval khachkar
s (cross-stones). Hayravank Monastery
of the 9th century is very close to Gavar.
The Gavar State University was opened in 1993 after Armenia declared independence. It is a major educational centre for the Gegharkunik region with five faculties: Philology, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Economics and Education. Today, more than 2,400 students are attending those programmes.
The Gavar Special School
which is the only school for mentally and physically handicapped children in the region, is currently carrying out steps towards improvement and development with the assistance of its partners and sponsors, so it can become the premier school for special children in Armenia.
Gavar has a city portal which is used by many people outside of Gavar. The name of the portal is Kyavar.com as the locals pronounce the name of the city with a "ky" sound instead of a "g" sound at the beginning of the name.
One of the Human Rights Library Network (HRLN) libraries of the Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre (ACRPC) is located in Gavar.
Kyavari Kyufta (kofta
of Gavar), the town's most favourite dish, is made from minced meat spiced with onions and rolled into balls before boiling in water. Served in slices, it is garnished with butter. People of Gavar like to eat bread with almost everything, and the two traditional types of bread in Gavar are lavash
and matnakash
.
Kyavari Pakhlava, many-layered pastry with tissue-thin sheets of phyllo
dough, filled with nuts and sugar and finished with a dousing of hot honey.
Administrative divisions of Armenia
Armenia is subdivided into eleven administrative divisions. Of these, ten are provinces, known as marzer or in the singular form marz in Armenian....
of Gegharkunik. It was known as Nor Bayezet or Novyi Bayazet until 1959, then Kamo (named in honour of Bolshevik of the same name
Kamo (Bolshevik)
Kamo, real name Semeno Aržakovitš Ter-Petrossian , was a Georgian revolutionary of Armenian descent, and an early companion to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin...
) until 1996. The town is situated in the mountains with an average altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, on a distance of 98 kilometers to the east of the capital Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
.
History
Armenian Highland
The Armenian Highland is the central-most and highest of three land-locked plateaus that together form the northern sector of the Middle East...
s, just few miles away from the western shores of Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.Lake Sevan is situated in the central part of the Republic of Armenia, inside the Gegharkunik Province, at the altitude of 1,900m above sea level...
. The city was founded in 1830 by migrants from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
city of Bayazet (Armenian Daroink), and named "New Bayazit". It achieved city status in 1850.
Despite its relatively modern rebirth, the area has an ancient past. Fabled monuments dating back to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
adorn the region, a testimony to the presence of Armenians in the region for thousands of years.
On the western part of the hill, located at the town center there are remnants of cyclopean
Cyclopean masonry
Cyclopean masonry is a type of stonework found in Mycenaean architecture, built with huge limestone boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal clearance between adjacent stones and no use of mortar...
fortress dating back to the early iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
. It is supposed that the fortress was the royal capital of the Urartian
Urartu
Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
Velikukhi region. It was surrounded by more than 22 small fortresses. King Sarduri II
Sarduri II
Sarduri II was the King of Urartu . The Urartian Kingdom was at its peak during his reign. He succeeded his father Argishti I to the throne....
, after having invaded Velikukhi and conquering the fortress, the fortress was renamed "Khaldi
Haldi
Haldi may refer to:* Haldi Hindi/Punjabi/Urdu/Gujarati name for the spice turmeric* Haldi River, a West Bengal river* Ḫaldi, an Urartian god* Haldi, Estonia, village in Estonia* Haldi, a Swiss family name, originally from the Saanen region...
City" by his son Rusa II
Rusa II
Rusa II was king of Urartu between around 680 BC and 639 BC. It was during his reign that the massive fortress complex, Karmir-Blur, was constructed....
.
Tombs of 4000 years old were found in the Gavar Theatre square. Small medieval monuments; cross-stones, gravestones and a chapel were also found in the city. Over the centuries, Gavar underwent countless destructions with the latest in the 17th century when it was ruined by Shah Abbas I of Persia
Abbas I of Persia
Shāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
.
After achieving the status of an urban settlement in 1950, the city progressed gradually over the years. It was once home to 36,400 people but the population has declined to 23,302 as reported in the 2001 census. Much of the Soviet era infrastructure has failed and the industrial capacity has floundered. However, the local economy is improving at a slow rate as some businessmen are returning to Gavar from abroad with the hope of gaining new chances for investments. Major local manufacturers include electronics and machinery plants, and textile mills which are located in and around Gavar.
Religion
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
. The church of the Holy Mother of God was built in the centre of the town by Bishop "Khoren Muradbeghian" in 1905 with help of the local population. Until recently it was considered to be the tallest church in Armenia. 4 kilometers north of Gavar, there is the Noraduz cemetery
Noraduz cemetery
Noratus cemetery or Noraduz cemetery is a medieval cemetery with a large number of early khachkars located in the village of Noratus, Gegharkunik marz near Gavar and Lake Sevan, 90 km north of Yerevan. The cemetery has the largest cluster of khachkars in the republic of Armenia...
which contains a large number of impressive medieval khachkar
Khachkar
A khachkar or khatchkar is a carved, cross-bearing, memorial stele covered with rosettes and other botanical motifs. Khachkars are characteristic of Medieval Christian Armenian art found in Armenia.-Description:...
s (cross-stones). Hayravank Monastery
Hayravank Monastery
Hayravank Monastery is a 9th-12th century Armenian monastery located just northeast of the village of Hayravank along the southwest shore of Lake Sevan in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. The monastic complex consists of a church, chapel, and gavit....
of the 9th century is very close to Gavar.
Education
Education continues to be one of the main values in the society of Gavar. A literacy rate of 99% was reported as early as 1960. Nowadays, there are 9 public education schools, 6 nursery schools, 4 specialized technical intermediate colleges, 1 sports school, 2 music and art schools, 1 special school for children with special educational needs and 1 university in the town of Gavar.The Gavar State University was opened in 1993 after Armenia declared independence. It is a major educational centre for the Gegharkunik region with five faculties: Philology, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Economics and Education. Today, more than 2,400 students are attending those programmes.
The Gavar Special School
Gavar Special School
Gavar Special School was founded in 1976 for the Gegharkunik region of the Republic of Armenia. Although the Gegharkunik region had many administrative centers, but the children with mental and physical handicaps are educated in Gavar....
which is the only school for mentally and physically handicapped children in the region, is currently carrying out steps towards improvement and development with the assistance of its partners and sponsors, so it can become the premier school for special children in Armenia.
Gavar has a city portal which is used by many people outside of Gavar. The name of the portal is Kyavar.com as the locals pronounce the name of the city with a "ky" sound instead of a "g" sound at the beginning of the name.
One of the Human Rights Library Network (HRLN) libraries of the Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre (ACRPC) is located in Gavar.
Cuisine
Gavar cuisine is as ancient as the history of Armenia, it is closely related to eastern cuisine, various spices, vegetables, fish, and fruits combination.Kyavari Kyufta (kofta
Kofta
Kofta is a Middle Eastern and South Asian meatball or meatloaf.In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced or ground meat—usually beef or lamb—mixed with spices and/or onions...
of Gavar), the town's most favourite dish, is made from minced meat spiced with onions and rolled into balls before boiling in water. Served in slices, it is garnished with butter. People of Gavar like to eat bread with almost everything, and the two traditional types of bread in Gavar are lavash
Lavash
Lavash is a soft, thin flatbread popular in several countries of the northern parts of the Middle-East and the southern parts of the Caucasus.Traditionally the dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of a clay oven....
and matnakash
Matnakash
Matnakash is a traditional soft Armenian bread. The word matnakash literally means finger draw or finger pull, referring to the way the bread is prepared....
.
Kyavari Pakhlava, many-layered pastry with tissue-thin sheets of phyllo
Phyllo
Phyllo, filo, or fillo dough is paper-thin sheets of unleavened flour dough used for making pastries in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine.-History:An early, thick form of phyllo appears to be of Central Asian Turkic origin...
dough, filled with nuts and sugar and finished with a dousing of hot honey.
Notable people
Here are some notable people who were born or raised in the town of Gavar:- Pahare (1895–1968), actor, writer, conservative.
- Frunze Dovlatyan (1927–1997), was a film director, actor and screenwriter.
- Byureghik Mneyan (1935), actress, honoured pedagogue of the Republic of Armenia.
- Hranoush Hakobyan (1954), political scientist and current minister of diaspora of the Republic of Armenia.
- Tigran Arzakantsyan (1966) veterinarian and honorary Doctor of International Business.
- Hovhannes Goharyan (1988) football player of the Armenian national teamArmenia national football teamThe Armenia national football team represents Armenia in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Armenia, the governing body for football in Armenia...
.