Alaverdi, Armenia

For the monastery, see Alaverdi Monastery.

In Georgian culture, the alaverdi is the person granted the right to speak right after the toastmaster, see Tamada.

Alaverdi
From top left: Alaverdi skyline • Residential blocks Lori Mountains overlooking the town • Debed canyon Sanahin bridge of 1195 • Debed River The copper plant seen from the cable car • Narekatsi church
Land	Armenien
Marz	Lori
First mentioned	17th century
Regierung
• Mayor	Karen Paremuzyan
Area
• Total	18 km2 (7 sq mi)
Elevation	1,000 m (3,000 ft)
Population  (2011 census)
• Total	13,343
• Density	740/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+4 (UTC)
Area code	(+374) 253
Website	Official website
Sources: Population

Alaverdi (Armenian: Ալավերդի, Armenian pronunciation: [ɑlɑvɛɾˈdi]), is a town in the Lori Province at the northeastern part of Armenien, near the border with Georgien. It is located at the only direct rail link between Armenien and Georgien. Situated at the bottom of the Debed river gorge, Alaverdi is an important commercial and industrial centre in northern Armenia.

As of the 2011 census, the population of the town is 13,343, down from 26,300 reported in 1989.

Etymology

Historically, the area around Alaverdi was known as Manasgomer or Manits Gom during the medieval period. Starting from the 17th century, the settlement became to be known as Alaverdi, derived from the name of a 17th-century Turkic Borçalu tribe leader Allahverdi molla oğlu Tarkhan.

History

General view of Alaverdi

Excavations conducted in 1931 testify that the region of modern-day Alaverdi was most probably settled since the 2nd half of the 3rd millennium BC. Later, the region became part of the Urartu Kingdom between the 8th and 6th centuries BC. After the Achaemenid invasion, the region became part of the Satrapy of Armenia. With the establishment of the Kingdom of Armenia in 331 BC, the region became part of the Dzorapor canton of the historic Gugark province, the 13th province of Greater Armenia.

Following the partition of Armenia by the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Persia in 387 and in 428, Eastern Armenia including Dzorapor region became under the rule of Sassanid Persia. In 658, Armenia was conquered by the Arab invaders. At the end of the 9th century, Dzorapor became part of the newly-established Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia. In 979, King Kiurike I founded the Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget (alternatively known as the Kingdom of Lori) under the rule of the Kiurikian dynasty and the protectorate of the Bagratid kings of Armenia. The Kiurikians ruled the kingdom until 1118 when Tashir-Dzoraget became part of the Kingdom of Georgia.

The Seljuks invaded the region in the early 12th century, but their rule did not last long and in 1118-1122 the Georgian king David the Builder conquered Lori and granted the rule to the Georgian-Armenian Orbelian Dynasty. The Orbelians revolted unsuccessfully in 1177, after which a Kipchak named Khubasari was appointed spasalari of Lori. Later in 1185, the province became ruled by the Zakarian dynasty after Queen Tamar of Georgia appointed the Zakarid prince Sarkis as its governor. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, and with the establishment of the monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin and Odzun, the region modern-day Alaverdi became a prominent centre of Armenian culture, theology and science. Scholars such as Hovhannes Imastaser, Grigor Tuteordi, Davit Kobayretsi, Grigor Magistros worked in these monasteries. However, The region was devastated by the Mongol invasion of 1236, and the Zakarian dynasty declined by the second half of the 14th century.

Lori was annexed by Safavid Persia as a result of the 1555 Peace of Amasya and became part of Persia's Kartli-Kakheti province. After Nader Shah's murder in 1747, the Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti became independent and united into a single kingdom by 1762. In 1801, together with Georgian provinces of Kartli and Kakheti, Lori was annexed by the Russian Empire. The region became officially part of the Russian Empire at the Treaty of Gulistan signed on 1 January 1813 between Imperial Russia and Qajar Persia.

Under the Russian rule, a number of Pontic Greek miners were resettled in the area during the 18th century to start exploiting copper, through the efforts of the Argoutinski-Dolgoruki family. Soon after, nearly a quarter of the entire Russian copper was being mined in Alaverdi. At the end of the 19th century, the concession to exploit the mine was sold to a French firm. During the Soviet rule in the 20th century, the town acquired its current socialist industrial appearance. After the independence, the metallurgical plant was privatized to become a major employer for the town and its surroundings.

Geography

Alaverdi is lying on the shores of Debed river at a height of 1000 meters above sea level.

Demographics

Population

Alaverdi is mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians with a minor Greek community that was once considered the largest in Armenia. The Greeks in Armenia speak the Pontic dialect and they are fluent in both Armenian and Russian. The Madan neighbourhood of Alaverdi used to have a large Greek community during the Soviet period.

Here is the population timeline of Alaverdi since 1916:

Year	1916	1926	1939	1959	1970	1979	2001	2011
Population	1,185	4,500	10,010	16,805	23,311	23,182	14,835	13,343

Religion

In November 2001, the church of Saint Gregory of Narek was opened in Alaverdi through the efforts of the Alaverdi Copper Plant, the Diocese of Gougark and the local citizens of the town.

Culture

Nature at the Debed river canyon in Alaverdi

The area around Alaverdi is rich with historical monuments and natural life. The town itself is built in the canyon of Debed river, surrounded with high mountains and green forests. Many samples of the Armenian architectural heritage are located near the town of Alaverdi:

• Odzun Church of the 5th century,
• Horomayr Monastery of the 7th century near Odzun village,
• Surp Hovhannes Monastery of Ardvi, 8th-13th centuries,
• Kaytson Castle of the 10th century located near the shores of Debed river,
• Kayan Fortress, built by King Ashot Yerkat in the 10th century near Alaverdi.
• Sanahin Monastery of the 10th century,
• Haghpat Monastery of the 10th century,
• Church of the Forty Martyrs of the 11th century,
• The medieval bridge of Sanahin near Alaverdi, built in 1195.
• House-museum of Hovhannes Tumanyan, located in Dsegh village near Alaverdi.

Economy

Alaverdi Copper Smelter

During the Georgian rule over Alaverdi region, the Alaverdi Copper Smelter was founded in 1770, by the order of Georgian king Erekle II. At the end of the 19th century, the region was flourished through the growing Russian and French investments in metallurgical business. In 1903, the amount of copper produced in Alaverdi region made around 13% of the total copper production in the Russian Empire.

By the end of 1909, the hydropower plant of Debed river was inaugurated in order to provide the developing metallurgical plants with sufficient energy.

During the Soviet rule, massive construction works were carried on in Alaverdi, including the surrounding areas of Sanahin and other villages. The Soviets made significant steps for the enlargement of the metallurgical industry in the region, which has turned Alaverdi from a small industrial settlement to a modern town within Soviet Armenia.

Recently, new plans were introduced for the expansion of copper production in Alaverdi smelter and the development of new copper mines within the frameworks of the "Armenian Copper" project.

Around 500 job opportunities are secured by the copper factory.

Bildung

The church of Saint Gregory of Narek

The first educational centre in the area of Alaverdi was the University of Sanahin, which was opened in 966 AD by the efforts of the Bagratuni queen Khosrovanush.

The town is one of the important educational centres in Lori. As of 2009, 10 public education schools are operating in Alaverdi with nearly 2,000 students, and 6 nursery schools with more than 400 kids.

The State College of Alaverdi offers an opportunity in pedagogical studies with a duration of two years, while the Tumanynan branch of the Northern University offers degrees in nursing and dental prosthesis.

A music academy named after Romanos Melikian and 3 schools of art are functioning in Alaverdi, with a total number of 600 students (as of 2009).

The Alaverdi cultural palace was founded in 1997. It consists of a large theatre hall and a big public library.

Sport

Metallurg Stadium

Alaverdi is one of the major centres of sports in Armenia. In 1936, the Metallurg Football Club of Alaverdi had participated in the lower levels of the first ever Soviet football championship, representing the Armenian SSR.

After the independent of Armenia in 1991, Debed FC of Alaverdi represented the town at the Armenian Premier League during the 1992 season. However, like many other Armenian football clubs, Debed FC was dissolved in 1993 and is currently inactive from professional football.

However, the infrastructures in Alaverdi are still poor, but some plans have been implemented by the Football Federation of Armenia to promote the game in the region. Therefore, the town's only Metallurg Stadium, was renovated to serve the young footballers and sport schools of the Lori Province.

During the Soviet period, the town used to have a strong handball team. The handball training academy of Alaverdi named after Oleg Gorbunov (Soviet handball player during the 1960s), is still operating in the town since 1962.

Chess and boxing training academies are operating in the town since 2006.

Sister cities

Downtown Alaverdi

• Kobuleti, Georgien, since 28 May 2007.
• Agios Ioannis Rentis, (municipality in Athens), Griechenland, since 1 October 2007.
• Polotsk, Weißrussland, since 26 May 2012.
• Daugavpils, Lettland, since 2 October 2012.

External links

• Alaverdi travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official web site
• A brief description at Cilicia.com