Armavir
Armavir Province
The Armavir Province is where the holy city of Ejmiatsin was founded. The Holy See in Ejmatsin serves as the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians.
Also in this province is the Sardarapat Memorial Complex, located at the site of the 1918 battle between Armenians and Turks. The memorial complex has a great historical and architectural value.
Geogrpahical Location
Armavir is the smallest province of Armenia. It is located in the west of the Republic of Armenia, in the Ararat Plateau, between Mount Ararat and Mount Aragats. The province shares a 45-mile border with Turkey to the south and the west. Armavir borders the Aragatsotn Province in the north and the Ararat Province in the southeast.
General Description
Armavir city is the center of the province. It is a 40-minute trip from Yerevan to Armavir city. The Armavir Province is the most densely populated province in Armenia. Armavir has about twenty industrial plants as well as cultural, medical, and administrative establishments. However, agriculture is the main form of sustenance of the locals, which is why most of them live in villages.
Armavir has a highway bridge, built across the Araks River which connects Armenia with Turkey.
The Weather and the Land
The Armavir Province has a continental climate. It can be very hot in the summer. The weather is most pleasant in the fall, when the days are sunny, windless and long.
Armavir is the lowest land area in Armenia, ranging between 800 and 1400 m above sea level. Part of the province is covered by swamps and salt-marshes. Though small, the province is intensely crisscrossed by many reservoirs, small lakes, rivers and canals, as well as thousands of streams. Thanks to its weather and geographical conditions, there are big plantations of fruits and vegetables in Armavir, which yield crops in big quantities and are very sweet and tasty.
The Cultural and Historical Sites
Holy See of Ejmiatsin (the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians)
Saint Gayane Church
Saint Hripsime Church
Zvartnots Cathedral
Shoghakat Church
Sardarapat Battle Memorial
National Museum of Armenia in Sardarapat
The ruins of Argishtikhinili (ancient city of the Urartu kingdom)
Old Armavir (an ancient settlement)
Archeological Museum of Metzamor (displaying the relics of the ancient settlement)
Going to Armavir
Armavir borders Yerevan, so it takes an hour to get to Sardarapat and half an hour to Ejmiatsin. You can take a bus at the Kilikia Central Bus Station going to Sardarapat via Armavir. The buses going to Ejmiatsin leave from the Saryan and Mashtots Bus stations. In Ejmiatsin, you can take a local taxi to visit the other sites in the province or take a taxi from Yerevan for the whole trip.
