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Coordinates: 40°48′46″N 44°29′18″E / 40.81278°N 44.48833°E Vanadzor (Armenian: Վանաձոր; formerly, Karaklis, Karakilis, Karakhs, Kirovakan, Gharak’ilisa, Karakilisa, Mets Karakilisa, Korovakan, and Kirowakan) is the third-largest city in Armenia with a population of 107,394 (2001 census) and the capital of the Lori Province. It was previously known as Kirovakan (Armenian: Կիրովական, after Sergey Kirov) during the Soviet era and as Karakilisa during the Tsarist period. The city is considered to be one of the most picturesque in the entire country, having beautiful summer homes or dachas. Vanadzor is dominated by a large chemical plant. Vanadzor's history dates back to the Bronze Age, with interesting tombs and other material finds now, in principle, housed in the local museum. The city received its name possibly as early as the 13th century, from a black stone church on a nearby hill. Totally destroyed in 1826 by Hasan Khan during the Russo-Persian war, the city enjoyed considerable uplift from the opening of the railroad to Tbilisi in 1899. The vicinity of the city was the site of the Battle of Karakilisa when in May 1918, General Tovmas Nazarbekian's outnumbered troops successfully defended it from the invading Turkish Army, pushing them back just a few days after the crucial battle of Sardarapat.[1] On the North side of the Spitak-Vanadzor highway, about 2 km West of the city, there is a little shrine in the ruins of a church, site of a planned monument to that battle.
[edit] Geography Vanadzor, the capital of Lori, is located 128 km north of Yerevan and 64 km east of Gyumri. At an altitude of 1424 meters , the city is built next to the valley of Pambak river and is surrounded by mountains that have an altitude of over 2500 meters. To the south and east, they are densely forested while to the north and west, they are more dry and often only covered by bushes and plants. Vanadzor, like Gyumri and Spitak (25 km west), received a considerable amount of damage from the 1988 Spitak earthquake during which 564 people died. But unlike the other cities, the majority of buildings, large avenues and the central park were unscathed from the earthquake. [edit] Education
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