Agarak, Aragatsotn

Coordinates: 40°18′09″N 44°16′44″E / 40.30250°N 44.27889°E / 40.30250; 44.27889

Agarak (Armenian: Ագարակ) is a village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It is located on Amberd River. The modern settlement was founded in 1919 by emigrants from Van and Bitlis.

Archaeology

The archaeological site of Agarak is located south of the highway on the west side of the Amberd Canyon. A dirt road leads from the village sign to the south on the mound.

The site contains some of the oldest large man-made structures carved into stone, dating to the Early Bronze Age ('Agarak 1' dated 3400 BC). This is the earliest in the Caucasus. Rock wells, rock-cut stairways, corridors, and horseshoe-shaped structures are found.

The Early Bronze Age culture area covers 200 hectares, of which 118 hectares were declared a protected zone.

In the early Bronze Age, here already existed a town with a regular street plan.

A possible ancient astronomical observatory is found here.

The Early Bronze Age site is surrounded by walls; they are up to one meter thick and were made of sun-dried mud-brick.

Ashtarak

Coordinates: 40°17′51″N 44°21′42″E / 40.29750°N 44.36167°E / 40.29750; 44.36167

Ashtarak (Armenian: Աշտարակ), is a town in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, northwest of the capital Yerevan. It is the administrative centre of the Aragatsotn province. With a population of 19,615 (2011 census), Ashtarak is an important crossroad of routes for the Yerevan–Gyumri–Vanadzor rectangle.

The town plays a great role in the national economy as well as the cultural life of Armenia through several industrial enterprises and cultural institutions. It has developed as a satellite town of Yerevan. The nearby village of Mughni is part of the Ashtarak municipality.

Etymology

The name of "Ashtarak" is the Armenian word for tower or fortress. However, according to linguist Grigor Ghapantsyan, the name of Ashtarak is derived from Ishtar (Ashtar); the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility. Contrary, the latest historical researches proved that the name of Ishtar was never used in the Armenian mythology during the ancient times. Instead, the goddess of fertility was known as Shardi or Sardi in the ancient kingdom of Urartu, and later became to be known as Astghik among the Armenian monks.