Stepanavan
Encyclopedia
StepanavanStepanavan is the second largest city in Lori Province of Armenia
. The town is located 139 km north of the capital Yerevan
and 24 km north of the provincial centre Vanadzor
, in the centre of Yerevan-Tbilisi highway.
Stepanavan was one of Armenia's most famous tourist spots during the Soviet era, but it had suffered major destruction during the Spitak Earthquake of 1988. Nowadays, the city is reviving and tourists from all over the world visit Stepanavan to enjoy the beauty of one of Armenia's most picturesque towns.
(known also as Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget) of the 10th century where the Fortress of Lori (a medieval royal palace complex) was built. At Lori Berd (or Lori Fortress), the ruins of a 10th century royal bathhouse and palace could be found. This medieval town-fortress was founded by one of the powerful kings of Armenia, David I Anhoghin
, between 1005–1020. In 1065, king Kiurike I
proclaimed Lori as the capital of the Kyurikid Kingdom after losing the town of Shamshvilde to the Georgian king Bagrat IV
. Located on the northern trade route, Lori was a large craft and commercial centre in medieval Armenia. It had a population of more than 10,000 in the 11th century.
In 1105, Lori was occupied by the Seljuks
, then by the Georgian House of Orbeliani
. Later it became under the rule of the Armenian Zakarian
brothers, Ivaneh and Zakareh. In 1236, Chaghatai Khan, the commander of the Mongolian
army took over the town and razed it to the ground.
Between the 14th and 17th centuries, while under the rule of the Armenian Orbelian Dynasty
as governors of Jalayirids
, Karakoyunlu
, Timurids and Akkoyunlu, Lori remained a strategically important fortress until the 17th century, when it was captured by Turks, Persians and Georgians respectively. During the reign of Catherine the Great
of the Russian Empire
in the 18th century, the town of Jalaloghly was founded on the same site, by the Armenian Jalalyan dynasty from Karabakh
. Jalaloghly was part of Borchalu region within the governorate of Tiflis in the Russian Empire.
The name "Jalaloghly" was used until 1923, when it was renamed "Stepnavan" after the Armenian Bolshevik leader Stepan Shaumyan.
at an average height of 1375 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 17 km2 with an estimated population of 16200 inhabitants in 2009. The deep gorge of Dzoraget divides Stepanavan into northern and southern banks, the latter of which has deeper historical roots.
Surrounded with thick forests and alpine meadows, Stepanavan has a relatively humid climate with an average yearly temperature of 6.6 C. The average temperature of January is -4,2 C while in July it makes +16,7 C. The annual precipitation is 683 mm with snowy winters.
Stepanavan is a health resort known for its pine
forests and mountainous climate. The essential oils, isolated by coniferous trees, possess strong bactericidal properties; therefore mountainous air of Stepanavan, filled with the aroma of pine tree, is useful for patients who suffer from respiratory problems.
The nearby villages of Yaghdan
and Koghes
used to have significant Pontic Greek
communities.
There are 6 public educations schools and 4 kindergartens in Stepanavan.
Stepanavan has many restaurants and hotels, including the centrally-located Hotel Lore, Anahit's Resort, Vahagn's Resort nestled in the forest, Paradise Hotel in Amrakits village on the outskirts of town, as well as numerous locally-run B&Bs, many of which are located on the northern bank. The Stepanavan Information Center maintains current contact information for the restaurants, hotels, and B&Bs in the area.
(1918–1920) Avetik Sahakyan
(1863–1933) was born in Jalaloghly. Today, the house where he was born is located on Andranik street (formerly Lenin street).
The honoured actor and People's Artist of the USSR
Sos Sargsyan was born in Stepanavan on 24 October 1929.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. The town is located 139 km north 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...
and 24 km north of the provincial centre Vanadzor
Vanadzor
-Industry:Vanadzor is dominated by large chemical plants which include: "Prometey-Khimprom", "Vanadzor Chemical Plant", "Vanadzor Khimprom" and "Vanadzor Chemical Fiber Plant". Another big enterprise is the "Vanadzor Thermal Power Plant....
, in the centre of Yerevan-Tbilisi highway.
Stepanavan was one of Armenia's most famous tourist spots during the Soviet era, but it had suffered major destruction during the Spitak Earthquake of 1988. Nowadays, the city is reviving and tourists from all over the world visit Stepanavan to enjoy the beauty of one of Armenia's most picturesque towns.
History
The area of present Stepanavan was inhabited since the ancient times, but, in fact, the city in its current location on the southern bank of Dzoraget river was founded in the 12th century, as evidenced by Surb Sargis Armenian Apostolic church in the center of town. The territory was the home of Kingdom of LoriKingdom of Lori
Kingdom of Lori alternatively known as the Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget or Kingdom of Albania, was an Armenian kingdom formed during the breakup of Bagratuni Armenia. The kingdom encompassed territories of modern-day Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia....
(known also as Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget) of the 10th century where the Fortress of Lori (a medieval royal palace complex) was built. At Lori Berd (or Lori Fortress), the ruins of a 10th century royal bathhouse and palace could be found. This medieval town-fortress was founded by one of the powerful kings of Armenia, David I Anhoghin
David I Anhoghin
David I Anhoghin succeeded his father to the throne of the Kingdom of Lori. His nickname Anhoghin refers to a temporary loss of his lands he suffered after a defeat at the hands of the king of Ani.-References:...
, between 1005–1020. In 1065, king Kiurike I
Kiurike I
Kiurike I was the first king of the Kingdom of Lori. He was succeeded by his son David I Anhoghin.-References:...
proclaimed Lori as the capital of the Kyurikid Kingdom after losing the town of Shamshvilde to the Georgian king Bagrat IV
Bagrat IV of Georgia
Bagrat IV , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the King of Georgia from 1027 to 1072. During his long and eventful reign, Bagrat sought to repress the great nobility and to secure Georgia's sovereignty from the Byzantine and Seljuqid empires...
. Located on the northern trade route, Lori was a large craft and commercial centre in medieval Armenia. It had a population of more than 10,000 in the 11th century.
In 1105, Lori was occupied by the Seljuks
Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuq ; were a Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries...
, then by the Georgian House of Orbeliani
House of Orbeliani
The Orbeliani was a Georgian noble family , which branched off the Baratashvili family in the 17th century and later produced several lines variously called Orbeliani, Orbelishvili , Qaplanishvili , and Jambakur-Orbeliani...
. Later it became under the rule of the Armenian Zakarian
Zakarid Armenia
The Zakarids or Zakarid Armenia , is used to describe territories of Armenia given to the Zakarid-Mxargrzeli princes as a fief by Tamar, the queen of the Kingdom of Georgia.- History :...
brothers, Ivaneh and Zakareh. In 1236, Chaghatai Khan, the commander of the Mongolian
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
army took over the town and razed it to the ground.
Between the 14th and 17th centuries, while under the rule of the Armenian Orbelian Dynasty
Orbelian Dynasty
The Orbelian lords of Syunik were a noble family, documented in inscriptions throughout Vayots Dzor and Syunik, and recorded by the family bishop Stepanos in his 1297 History of Syunik....
as governors of Jalayirids
Jalayirids
The Jalayirids were a Mongol Jalayir dynasty which ruled over Iraq and western Persia after the breakup of the Mongol Khanate of Persia in the 1330s....
, Karakoyunlu
Karakoyunlu
Karakoyunlu is a town and district of Iğdır Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. Part of the district forms the international border between Turkey and Armenia.-History:...
, Timurids and Akkoyunlu, Lori remained a strategically important fortress until the 17th century, when it was captured by Turks, Persians and Georgians respectively. During the reign of Catherine the Great
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in the 18th century, the town of Jalaloghly was founded on the same site, by the Armenian Jalalyan dynasty from Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
. Jalaloghly was part of Borchalu region within the governorate of Tiflis in the Russian Empire.
The name "Jalaloghly" was used until 1923, when it was renamed "Stepnavan" after the Armenian Bolshevik leader Stepan Shaumyan.
Geography
Stepanavan is situated on Lori plateau to the north of Bazum mountains, on the shores of river DzoragetDzoraget (river)
The Dzoraget is a river in the Debeda hydrological region in the Lori region in Northern Armenia. It originates in the Bazum Mountains and flows west to east through spectacular gorges around Stepanavan...
at an average height of 1375 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 17 km2 with an estimated population of 16200 inhabitants in 2009. The deep gorge of Dzoraget divides Stepanavan into northern and southern banks, the latter of which has deeper historical roots.
Surrounded with thick forests and alpine meadows, Stepanavan has a relatively humid climate with an average yearly temperature of 6.6 C. The average temperature of January is -4,2 C while in July it makes +16,7 C. The annual precipitation is 683 mm with snowy winters.
Stepanavan is a health resort known for its pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forests and mountainous climate. The essential oils, isolated by coniferous trees, possess strong bactericidal properties; therefore mountainous air of Stepanavan, filled with the aroma of pine tree, is useful for patients who suffer from respiratory problems.
Culture and services
The infrastructure of the city is rather developed with many public libraries, sport schools, a cultural palace, modern hospitals and hotels. The domestic airport of Stepanavan was constructed and put in service in 1982. The house-museum of Stepan Shahumyan is located in the centre of the city. Directly off of the main square is the Stepanavan Information Center which provides services to tourists and residents alike.The nearby villages of Yaghdan
Yaghdan
Yaghdan is a town in the Lori Province of Armenia....
and Koghes
Koghes
Koghes is a town in the Lori Province of Armenia....
used to have significant Pontic Greek
Pontic Greeks
The Pontians are an ethnic group traditionally living in the Pontus region, the shores of Turkey's Black Sea...
communities.
There are 6 public educations schools and 4 kindergartens in Stepanavan.
Tourism and attractions
- Dzoraget Canyon, a popular recreational destination.
- Lori BerdLori BerdLori Berd is a village in the Lori Province of Armenia located just east of Stepanavan. It is the site of the medieval fortress "Lori Berd" located on a peninsula along the deep gorge cut by the Dzoraget and Tashir rivers.-Gallery:...
, medieval Armenian fortress, the centre of the historical Kingdom of LoriKingdom of LoriKingdom of Lori alternatively known as the Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget or Kingdom of Albania, was an Armenian kingdom formed during the breakup of Bagratuni Armenia. The kingdom encompassed territories of modern-day Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia....
. - Stepanavan DendroparkStepanavan DendroparkThe Stepanavan Dendropark is an arboretum located near Gyulagarak village, Armenia's Lori province . It was established in 1933 by Polish engineer-forester Edmon Leonovich...
, founded in 1931 by "Edmon Leonovich", this 35 hectare botanical garden features a broad range of tree species from many regions. It is only 12 kilometers from Stepanavan, just outside the village of GyulagarakGyulagarakGyulagarak is a village in the Lori Province of Armenia.Gyulagarak is near the Stepanavan Dendropark.-Villages nearby:* Garrgarr* Hobardzi* Vardablur* Amrakits* Lori Berd- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
. The park is known for its pine trees in "Sojut" area. - House-museum of Stepan Shahumyan, located in the main square of Stepanavan, built around Shahumyan family's house.
- The Russian church in AmrakitsAmrakitsAmrakits is a town in the Lori Province of Armenia....
village. - Lake Kyubishev near Stepanavan, hidden in the heart of Lori's alpine meadows. The lake is covered with lilies and bulrushes.
- Surb Nshan chapel overlooking the city from the adjacent hill.
- SanahinSanahin MonasterySanahin Monastery is an Armenian monastery founded in the 10th century in the Lori Province of Armenia.The name Sanahin literally translates from Armenian as "this one is older than that one", presumably representing a claim to having an older monastery than the neighbouring Haghpat Monastery...
and HaghpatHaghpat MonasteryHaghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank , is a medieval Armenian monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia....
monasteries are also close to Stepanavan.
Stepanavan has many restaurants and hotels, including the centrally-located Hotel Lore, Anahit's Resort, Vahagn's Resort nestled in the forest, Paradise Hotel in Amrakits village on the outskirts of town, as well as numerous locally-run B&Bs, many of which are located on the northern bank. The Stepanavan Information Center maintains current contact information for the restaurants, hotels, and B&Bs in the area.
Notable people
The first Parliament speaker of the Democratic Republic of ArmeniaDemocratic Republic of Armenia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...
(1918–1920) Avetik Sahakyan
Avetik Sahakyan
Avetik Hovhannesi Sahakyan or Sahakian also known as Father Abraham was an Armenian politician, the Parliamentary President of the Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1918-19 , the social security minister and member of ARF Dashnaktsutiun Eastern Bureau...
(1863–1933) was born in Jalaloghly. Today, the house where he was born is located on Andranik street (formerly Lenin street).
The honoured actor and People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...
Sos Sargsyan was born in Stepanavan on 24 October 1929.
Gallery
Villages near Stepanavan
- Lori BerdLori BerdLori Berd is a village in the Lori Province of Armenia located just east of Stepanavan. It is the site of the medieval fortress "Lori Berd" located on a peninsula along the deep gorge cut by the Dzoraget and Tashir rivers.-Gallery:...
- Bovadzor
- Ledjan
- AgarakAgarak, LoriAgarak is avillage in the Lori Province of Armenia. It lies at the end of the H-33 highway. The area is dominated by agriculture.-References:* – World-Gazetteer.com...
- AmrakitsAmrakitsAmrakits is a town in the Lori Province of Armenia....
- Hobardzi