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Ashtarak
Աշտարակ
Ashtarak; Աշտարակ
	Ashtarak as seen from across the gorge at the Church of Saint Sargis.
	; Ashtarak; Աշտարակ
	Coordinates: 40°17′51″N 44°21′42″E / 40.2975°N 44.36167°E
Country	Armenia
Marz	Aragatsotn
First mentioned	9th century
Elevation	1,145 m (3,757 ft)
	Population (2001)
- Total	20,636
Time zone	GMT +4 (UTC+4)
- Summer (DST)	GMT+5 (UTC+5)

Coordinates: 40°17′51″N 44°21′42″E / 40.2975°N 44.36167°E / 40.2975; 44.36167

Ashtarak (Armenian: Աշտարակ, meaning tower in Armenian; also Romanized as Achtarak and Ashtarakats’ Gyugh) is an industrial city in Armenia, on the Kasagh River gorge approx. 20 km northwest from Yerevan, and is the capital of Aragatsotn province. This city, with 30,000 inhabitants, is an important crossroad of routes to the three of the most important Armenian cities: Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor.

[edit] History

According to a legend, three sisters lived in Ashtarak, all of whom fell in love with the same man, prince Sargis. The elder two sisters decided to commit suicide in favor of the youngest one. One wearing an apricot-orange dress and the other wearing a red dress, they threw themselves into the gorge. When the youngest sister found out, she put on a white dress and also threw herself into the gorge. Sargis then became a hermit and three small churches appeared at the edge of the gorge, named after sisters' dress colors.

Best preserved of them is Karmravor (meaning reddish because of the color of its dome) church which dates back to the 7th century, and is dedicated to the Mother of God (Surb Astvatsatsin). It has a small cruciform central-plan, with a reddish/apricot colored dome, and an octagonal drum. Other churches include, Spitakavor (meaning whitish because of its color) was built between the 5th-6th centuries, and Tsiranavor (meaning apricotish because of its color) built between the 13th-14th centuries may both be found along the edge of the gorge. (Note: Some confusion has seemed to have occurred due to the misplacement of the Russian markers located inside the two churches. Anyone that lives in the city around the area will tell you that Spitakavor is the white church, and Tsiranavor is the apricot colored church.)

The city boasts two more churches, including the church of Surb Sarkis (Saint Sargis), supposedly built in the 19th century on an old foundation. It is situated at an attractive point at a promontory overlooking the gorge and offers a fine view to the previously mentioned three churches. The outer walls of the structure were almost completely restored recently and the interior walls remain the same. Some pieces of the outer walls remain sitting next to the church with carvings on them. The town's largest church Surb Mariane is located in the center of town. It was constructed in the year 1271 and has a rectangular plan from the outside and a cruciform type plan from the inside with an octagonal drum above.

Another interesting sight is an unusual bridge that crosses the Kasagh River, located in the gorge just below the church of Surb Sarkis. It was built in 1664, and features three arches that are unequal in size.

[edit] Famous people

[edit] Sport

Kasakh Ashtarak - football club

[edit] Gallery

Tsiranavor and Spitakavor seen along the ridge.	Karmravor Church, 7th c.	Spitakavor Church, 5th-6th c.	Tsiranavor Church, 13th-14th c.
Surb Sarkis Church	Surb Mariane Church, 1271	Ashtarak Bridge, 1664