Tavush marz is in the north of the country. Low hills and rocky peaks are quite typical for its landscape. Tavush is also famous for its rich fauna: there are more than 240 species of birds and various species of animals, from bears to foxes. This province is also rich in water resources – mountains, springs, small rivers, lakes and mineral springs.
Relatively large rivers, flowing through this marz, are Aghstev, Voskepar, Hachush, Tavush, Hndzorot. Izhdevan is the capital of this province. According to archeological excavations, carried out in the neighborhood and burial places found here, this are was inhabited back in 2nd-1st millenniums B.C. Preserved and found medieval villages, castles and monasteries testify that this region was densely populated in early Middle Ages. Monastery complexes Goshavank (12-13 centuries), Haghartsin (11-13 centuries), Makaravank (11-13 centuries), Voskepar (6-7 centuries), Mshavank (12 century), Nor Varagavank (12-13 centuries), Horanagat (13 cent.) and others were built either among dense forests, hiding among them, or at such a height that was sometimes closed by the clouds, coming from the mountains.
Ijevan is popular as a resort. There are numerous vacation retreats and health resorts for treatment lung-, stomach-, abdominal cavity- and liver diseases. Near Ijevan and Dilijan there are more than 20 mineral springs and 15-20 million of mineral water bottles are produced here annually.
From Semenovsky pass begins a fairly steep descent to the resort town of Dilijan. Its vast territory occupies wooded ravines of the Agstev river and two of its tributaries. The climate of Dilijan neighborhoods, located at the altitude of 400 meters above sea level, is soft and fairly dry. Fresh mountain air is full of healing pine scents.
The exact time of its foundation is unknown, but mentions of it appear in various documents of the first half of the 19t century, when Dilijan began to develop as a resort by attracting people suffering from lung diseases. Mountain forest climate of this region is characterized with light winds, almost constant low relative humidity of around 65%, warm winters and cool summers. All this makes it a very popular resort. Dilijan is also rich in mineral springs, whose properties are similar to the waters of Borjomi in Georgia and Vichy in France.
The center of this town is located on the right bank of the Aghstev river, it’s the concentration of living districts and stores. Here there’s also a restored block of historic buildings with their characteristic architectural elements – mansards, wooden balconies with caved banisters, various caved frames of windows and doors. In this block they try to reconstruct a traditional way of life of citizens – here work craftsmen, bakeries, souvenir shops.
The resort area is on the left bank of the river. Besides health resorts there are lots of vacation retreats and reorts. A large woodland park of nearly 40 hectares is used for hiking and outdoor activities.
Ijevan is an administrative, economic, religious and cultural capital of Tavush. Known as Karvansara until 1919, Ijevan got the official status of the city in 1961. This is a garden city, nestled in the valley of the Aghstev river. With 650-680 meters above sea level, Ijevan is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Armenia, mostly thanks to magnificent forests with deciduous trees and rich flora and fauna. Ijevan is also rich in cultural and historical monuments. This city is located 140 km north-east of Yerevan, with a population of approximately 21,000 people. The length of the city from north to south is 3 km, from east to west is 1.5 km.
From 1985 to 1991 several international art symposiums on the sculpture were held in Ijevan. Therefore this city is also called “The City of 100 sculptures”. Many wonderful sculptures were created from natural stone and were dedicated to the city. Today, they decorate various parks, streets and groves of Ijevan. Ijevan region is one of the cradles of ancient Armenian masters, an endless source of new expressions of talented inhabitants of this ancient land.
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Artificial Stone Factory
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Armenian Heritage
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