Vanadzor

Vanadzor or Vanadsor , is the third largest city in Armenia after Yerevan, the capital, and Gyumri. in the northern part of the Republic of Armenia, in the intercontinental condominiums of the Pambak and Bazum Ridge, on the banks of the Pambak River and its Tandzut and Vanadzor tributaries. The villages of Zdanov and Khndzorut are surrounded by Vanadzor. The altitude is 1353 m above sea level, 120 km from Yerevan. In the suburbs there is the Maymech Peak.
Vanadzor’s history dates back to the Bronze Age. It took its name possibly in the thirteenth century, from a black stone church on a nearby hill. It was totally destroyed in 1826 by Kan Hasan during the Russo-Persian war. Shortly after, he enjoyed a considerable boom after the opening of the railway to Tbilisi in 1899.

In May 1918, General Tovmas Nazarbekian’s troops outnumbered fought against the Turkish Army, pushing them back for a few days in the crucial battle of Karakilisa, which subsequently closed with victory in the battle of Sardarapat.

Today, the city is considered a resort The city and is also considered “picturesque”, with beautiful houses, called datchas. several clinics specializing in water and mud treatment operate at once. In addition, mineral springs are located in the city: the water in them has a pleasant, mild taste and balanced composition, normalizing metabolic processes, the work of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract.

Access : Coordinates: / You can get to Vanadzor by car, minibus, bus or train (through the station located in the city, trains go from Gyumri to Tbilisi). There are also daily routes from Tabriz./  The city has a well-developed system of fixed-route taxi (more than 20 routes), as well as a taxi.

Attractions :

•  The city center : The city of Vanadzor itself is not a real tourist attraction. Indeed, it corresponds to the architectural standards of the Soviet cities with its wide shaded avenues and its large buildings in pink tuff typical of the early twentieth century.
  In the center of the city there are four churches: the Holy Virgin (1831), St. Sargis (1998), St. Gregory the Illuminator (2005) and the Russian Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin (1895).
• Russian Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1895) / Church of the Holy Virgin, aka Black Church (1831) / Karakilisa. Black Church, the Church of the Blessed Mother / Cathedral of Sts. Grigor of Narek / The statue of the youngster with a spear in Vanadzor / The statue of Vahagn in Vanadzor.
• Monument to the Wasken Sargsyan. Former Prime Minister of Armenia / Statue of the Archangel in the garden of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
• Vanadzor Central park / Mineral Fountain Tetuh Djour / Vanadzor Botanical Garden / Sayat Nova park.
• Museums : Lori-Pambak Geological Museum of Vanadzor , Tigran Mets Ave., 1, / Vanadzor Museum of Fine Arts , Tigran Mets St. 52, Vanadzor 2001, Open : 10:00 am – 6:30 pm / House-museum of Stepan Zoryan, 24 Stepan Zoryan st.
•  the monastery complexes of Haghpat, Sanahin and Haghartsin, the Sanahin bridge and the monasteries of Khorakert, Makaravank and Nor Getik.
• Not far from Sanahin, an arched bridge with lions carved from stone stretches across the Debed River. Its age is 800 years, and its length is 18 m. Although a new bridge was built nearby, the old one is still functioning and actively exploited by tourists
• the Horakert Monastery, which rises on the western slope of Mount Lalwar, is a temple with a rare ten-sided drum for Armenia. On it lies a giant dome connected to smaller domes and rotundas. At the base of the dome are three pairs of intersecting arches forming a six-pointed star. This architectural technique was also used in the construction of the narthex of the temple in 1257, thanks to which it was possible to achieve a stylistic unity of both buildings.
• Haghartsin Monastery is located in the middle of a picturesque beech forest. The oldest building on the territory of the complex is the building of the church of St. Grigor, dating from the 10th century AD e. A feature of the building is a conical dome resting on an octagonal drum.
• the church of St. Stepanos and the refectory, designed by the famous architect Minas in 1248 / Makaravank Monastery, made of pink, red and green stone, is located on the slope of the Bazum Range, Its main temple is famous throughout Armenia for its exquisite stucco molding and amazing ornament.
• The ruins of the Kobayr monastery located in the vicinity of Vanadzor are considered to be a particularly unique attraction. Its walls are decorated with ancient frescoes.
• Fun and relaxation : On the outskirts of Vanadzor there are sanatoriums that specialize in mineral-based treatments. It is these sources that have tremendous effects on the human body. Mostly mud and water treatments prevail.

Go next : Alaverdi is a city in Northern Armenia / Dilijan is a town northeast of Yerevan / Gyumri is the second largest city in Armenia and the capital of Shirak Province in Northern Armenia.