Armavir ( ), is a town and urban municipal community located in the west of Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Armavir Province. It was founded in 1931 by the government of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town is 29,319, down from 46,900 as reported in the 1989 census. As of the 2022 census, the population of the town is 27,470. Currently, the town has a population of 38,495 as per the 2023 official estimate.
The town was known as SardarapatCaucasus 1906 map, Ordnance Survey Office, Great Britain before 1935, and Hoktemberyan from 1935 to 1995. Currently, Armavir is the seat of the Diocese of Armavir of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Name Armenian and foreign historians and archaeologistsUvarov A. S., Investigation of the area where the ruins of Armavir were assumed to be. 5th Archaeological Congress in Tiflis. Protocols of the preparatory committee, M., 1882 have given the name of the city and the site of Armavir as:
Aramayir, Aramuria, Argishti, Argishtikhiana, Argishtikhinilini, Argishtihinili, Armayir, Armenia, Armav(i) i-ara, Old Armavir, Armauria, Armoria, Blur, «Abandoned capital» — Blur, Plur - Blur, BLUR, burial ground, settlement (in the form of Russian "Plur"). Numerous cuneiform inscriptions have been found in the Armavir region and near the Blur hillT. Hakobyan «Dictionary of Toponyms of Armenia and Adjacent Regions», article «Armavir», pp. 77-78..
Capital City of Armavir
«Ancient Armenian settlement» (Movses Khorenatsi, Sebeos, Ghevond Alishan, Mikayel Chamchyan, Mesrop Smbatyants, Aleksandr Yeritsyan, Sergey Glinka, Babken Arakelyan, Gevorg Tiratsyan), «Pre-Urartian Armavir»Pre-Urartian Armavir (III — beginning of I millennium BC). Historical-Philological Journal, No. 2. pp. 254–275., «The capital Armavir of the Haykids dynasty as presented in the historiography of Khorenatsi», citing the arguments of Movses Khorenatsi's «History of Armenia» regarding the founding of Armavir by Aramayis, grandson of Hayk, on the eastern hill of Armavir, and the construction of the main temple. The name «Urartian fortress-city of Argishtikhinili». «The capital Armavir of the Ervanduni (Orontid) dynasty», Archaeologists Karo Ghafadaryan, A. Martirosyan, and Inessa Karapetyan gave the site both the names Armavir and Argishtikhinili. Archaeologists B. Arakelyan and G. Tiratsyan, consistently following the historiography of Armenian chroniclers, gave the city and the site the name «Capital Armavir». The buildings and structures discovered on the territory of the Armavir site received various, sometimes contradictory, names. Archaeologist G. Tiratsyan characterized the structure on the summit of the eastern hill as «remains of an ancient temple», «ancient Armenian temple». B. Arakelyan named the structures as «sanctuary of Armavir»Babken Arakelyan, Encyclopedia, vol. 7, p. 444, «monumental structure of the capital Armavir, probably a temple». Inessa Karapetyan calls the ruins on the summit of the Armavir hill the Urartian temple of Susi. Armenologist Rafael Ishkhanyan named the archive-depository of cuneiforms on the summit of the hill as the «libraries of Armavir».
Geography
Location of the city of Armavir Archaeologists have disagreements regarding the location of the city of Armavir. A large group of archaeologists considers the location of the city to be the eastern and western hills of Armavir and the areas between them. According to the conviction of Babken Arakelyan, the head of the archaeological expedition in Armavir in 1962–1969, the main residential part of the capital was located on the eastern hill of Armavir and in the residential areas around the hill, while the «monumental structure», the citadel, the sanctuary-temple economy, structures of cultural, economic, and defensive significance, as well as triple-row walls, were located on the eastern hill of Armavir. The Citadel and the Temple were surrounded by an outer triple-row wallB. N. Arakelyan, On some results of the archaeological study of ancient Armavir, «Historical-Philological Journal, 1969, No. 4.. According to archaeologists, the capital Armavir was spread over an area of more than 10,000 square meters, and by the "geography" of the distribution of stone inscriptions, it encompassed the administrative territories of 12–14 villages of the modern Armavir region of the Armavir province. Thus, the eastern gate of the city was Mokhrabur-KyultapaEmma Khanzadyan, Settlements of the 3rd millennium BC in Mokhrabur (Arevik-Armavir)., located on the border of the villages of Armavir and Arevik; to the north — the "Dik Kamurj" (Old Bridge) on the Alashkert-Armavir-Haykavan highway; to the west — the hill range of the villages of Amasia, Nor Armavir, and Nor Amasia; to the south — the river Yeraskh (Arax). The hill and the city were protected by a network of canals and ditches, and in the intervals between them were located the agricultural estates of the capital Armavir, barracks, stables, forges, and other craft-stable complexes — "quarters of artisans".
Location of the Sos (Plane Tree) Forest The city of Armavir and the Sos (Plane Tree) ForestHayk Khachatryan, Sos Forest, 1978. ARKAYAPATUM. spread around it were located in the Aragatsotn district of the Ararat Valley, on the right and left banks of the river Yeraskh (Arax) or the river Armavir, on the eastern and western hills of Armavir and the adjacent territories, in the vicinity of the modern villages of Armavir province: Armavir, Haykavan, Jrashen, Nor Artagers, Bambakashat, Nor Artagers, Nor Armavir, Nalbandyan, Aygeshat, Janfida, and AmasiaThe first mention of the Sos Forest or the sacred artificial forest belongs to the eminent Greek geographer and cosmographer, mathematician Claudius Ptolemy (90–168, according to other sources 70–147 AD), who visited Armavir and admired the beauty of the forest..
Sos (Plane Tree) Forest of Armavir An artificial forest within the administrative territory of the capital Armavir. A forest belt irrigated by artificial canals that were part of the defensive system of the capital Armavir. According to Khorenatsi, the Sos Forest was founded by the patriarch Armenak — AramanyakArmenak (2026–1980 BC), Leaders of the Armenian people, internet site.. It covered more than 1000 hectares of the Armavir region. The forest mainly consisted of plane trees (sos). The plane tree is known to the Armenian people also as "chinar". Even now, in the villages of the Armavir region, when cultivating the land, tree trunks emerge from under the soil.
Several species of plane tree-chinar are known, which can still be seen in the areas of the villages of the Armavir provinceClaudius Ptolemy (Greek: Κλαύδιος Πτολεμαῖος, Latin: Claudius Ptolemaeus; c. 90–168, according to other sources 70–147 AD) — eminent Greek geographer, cosmographer, and mathematician..
The Greek historian-commander Claudius Ptolemy, having visited Armavir, admired the beauty of the forest:«Aramanyak founded a forest of plane trees in this area — the Sos (Plane Tree) Forest. The historian reports that in Armenia it was customary to make predictions based on the rustling of plane tree leaves. There was a female plane tree and a male plane tree — the female ones rustle more; the priest-soothsayers made calculations — the outcome of war and victory, the number of sacrifices. The forest was a kind of meteorological station where the periodicity of droughts, hailstorms, floods, and other phenomena was determined. The Sos Forest was a sacred place; dedicated to this forest was Anushavan Sos-anver, the grandson of Ara the Beautiful, who was a high priest, soothsayer, and oracle. The plane tree was a symbol of pagan Armenia, equal to the Masis (Ararat) mountains. The Armenians went into battle with banners depicting the Sos Forest. On a fresco found in Artske, Aram the Conqueror holds a plane tree leaf between his fingers. The forest existed for 2300 years, from the 25th century BC to the 2nd century AD. The historians do not report how this forest was destroyed, from which no trace has remained».
Mokhrabur-Kyultapa Located on the border of the villages of Armavir and Arevik in the Armavir province. Locals call it Kyultapa. It is located east of the hill of the capital Armavir, at a distance of 1.5–2 kilometers. It is highly probable that the settlement served as the eastern entrance — the gate — to the capital Armavir, as elderly locals remember that until 1953 there were remains of some kind of wall here. Systematic excavations at this site were carried out by archaeologist Emma Khanzadyan. The archaeologist considered the settlement to be the result of the accumulation of construction layers from the 3rd millennium BCEmma Khanzadyan. As a result of excavations (1962–1966) on a hill located on the road from Arevik to Armavir, traces of structures from the 3rd millennium BC were discovered.:«...on the hill, round dwellings built of mudbrick were discovered, on the clay floors of which (in pits) were found burnt grains, sheaves of wheat and barley ears, millstones, grindstones, and pestles. A significant group also consists of bones of large and small cattle. In the Arevik settlement, crafts were developed (metallurgy, leatherworking, pottery, weaving, stoneworking, and bone carving). Weaving tools were found (bone spindle whorls, needles, loom weights, etc.). Particularly noteworthy are clay hearths and their various supports (round, horseshoe-shaped, horned, and tripods), large clay vessels, deep basins and bowls, spoons, some of which have a matte surface, while the majority have a black, silver-shiny surface, decorated mainly with combinations of birds, spirals, pits, and protrusions».
History
Ancient Period (6th millennium BC — 8th century BC) The Armavir region has been inhabited since the 6th millennium BCI. A. Karapetyan. "Material Culture of Armenia in the 6th-4th centuries BC".. Evidence includes two rock carvings dating back to the 15th–12th millennia BC (the "Star Sky Maps") and the "Sacred Stone" found on the eastern hill of Armavir, as well as traces of Cyclopean structures in the caves of the hillTer-Avetisyan. "Archaeological Survey of the Ancient Armavir Settlement and Fortress". Yerevan, 1941. — pp. 51-64..
Archaeologists have found various obsidian instruments, bronze objects, and pottery from this period. Armavir has been inhabited since the 6th–5th millennia BC.S. Asmaryan. "From Patriarch Aramais to the Armavir Community". Yerevan, 2013. A settlement from the 3rd millennium BC has also been discovered near Armavir, between the villages of Armavir and Arevik (Mokhrabur-Kyultapa)E. Khanzadyan. "Settlements of the 3rd millennium BC at Mokhrabur (Arevik-Armavir)".. Here, round dwellings made of mud-brick, grain grinders, millstones, and bones of large and small cattle were found, indicating developed cattle breeding and agricultureB. B. Piotrovsky. "The Van Kingdom (Urartu)". — M.: Oriental Literature Publishing House, 1959..
Urartian Period: Argishtikhinili (8th—5th centuries BC) King Argishti I of Urartu (c. 786–764 BC) founded a fortress on the site of the future city in 776 BC and named it Argishtikhinili. The fortress-city was located on the eastern outskirts of Armavir and served as an administrative-economic and cult centerA. A. Martirosyan. "Argishtikhinili". — Yerevan, 1974..
The country of Aza(ni), on whose territory Argishtikhinili was founded, is mentioned in the annals of Argishti I. The inscriptions state: "By the greatness of the god Khaldi... in Argishtikhinili, the country of Aza(ni) is an enemy land"Inscriptions of Argishti I, son of Menuas. No. 137, 141, 142..