Small Historic Centres in Armenia: from ancient times to modern realities Author: Zhanna Galyan

1. VIVA EASTPART
Small Historic Centers in Armenia:
from ancient time to modern
realities

4. Armenia in brief
 29,743 square kilometres
 The terrain is mostly mountainous
 Тhe highest point - 4,095 metres
 Тhe lowest point - 375 metres
 The climate is highland continental

5. The Republic of Armenia, covering an
area of 29,743 square kilometres
(11,484 sq mi), is located in the north-
east of the Armenian Highland
(400,000 square
kilometres (154,441 sq mi)), otherwise
known as historical Armenia and
considered as the original homeland
of Armenians, the territory even now is
full of Armenian cultural monuments.

6. Biblical mountain Ararat

8. …..Armenia, a subtly green, richly
textured landscaped, every corner of
which has been sculpted by
millennia of human triumphs and
tragedies…..
Brady Kiesling. Rediscovering
Armenia

9. Small Historic Centers
ONLY a few Examples
The "Pilot Project on the Rehabilitation of
Cultural Heritage in Historic Towns" (
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/cooperation/
)

10. SANAHIN
 Monastery Complex, founded in
966, significant cultural, scientific
and educational centres, UNESCO
site
 administrative center of the
Kyurikyan Kings in 11th and 12th
centuries and the residence of the
Bishop
 seminary, where besides the
theological studies and research
manuscripts were produced and
copied
 the famous library established in
1063

11. Ashtarak town
 one of the oldest settlements in
Armenia first written reference
to it dates back to 9th century
 the most ancient part is
“Berdatagh” (Fortress quarter),
the name deriving from a
Cyclopean fortress nearby
 one of the most important
observatories in the Eastern
European and Middle East area
– the Byurakan Observatory, is
situated in this region.
 famous with its wines and sun-
dried fruit production

12. Yeghegis and Gnishik villages
 picturesque landscapes, wild flora
and fauna, historical and cultural
heritage.
 settled since IV-V centuries
 well preserved tombstones with
inscription in Hebrew, Assyriac
and Arabic were found in the area
 Yeghegis was famous with its
Smbataberd Fortress, one of the
biggest (15 hectare) and
impenetrable fortifications in
Historic Armenia
 leading sectors of economy in
villages are agriculture and stock-
raising

13. Goris town
 the oldest settlements of Syunik
region. First references go back
to the 13th century.
 for defensive purposes dwellers
used to built their homes by
carving the nearby cone-shaped
rocks and in the caves
 unique-style traditional one-two-
story houses, public,
administrative and trade buildings
across the rectangular-shaped
street networks shaped the
historical center of the town
 favorable geographical location,
climate and the unique natural
landscape, as well as the rich
cultural heritage and the well
preserved local traditions

14. Noratus village
 located on the Southern shore of
Lake Sevan, at the foot of the
Gueghama Mountain Chain.
 famous with its Old Cemetery, 9-
19th centuries, where more than
600 khachkars (cross-stones)
carved with unique patterns and
other tomb-stones are found ,
unique feature of the Armenian
Cultural Heritage.
 UNESCO included the “Culture
of Khachkar” in the List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage in
2010.

15. Oshakan village
 an important settlement throughout the
history of Armenia
 a Royal summer residence during the
Artaxiad and Arsacid Dinasties (1st
century BC-4th century AD)
 the ruins of an Urartian fortress on the
top of the Didi Kond Hill, many Antic
era crypts have been excavated the five-
arched bridge over the Kasakh River in
the middle of the village.
 burial place of St. Mesrop Mashtots,
inventor of the Armenian Alphabet and
the founder of the Armenian School in
404 AD

16. Dilijan Town
DILIJAN - ARCHITECTURAL APPRAISAL

17. DILIJAN - IMAGES

18. Main Regulations in the field of Cultural and
Natural Heritage
 The legal regulation of the cultural heritage field is implemented
by the Constitution, laws, Government decrees, Ministerial and
other legal acts, and international agreements signed by the
Republic of Armenia.
 The Law of the Republic of Armenia “On the Principles of
Cultural Legislation”
 The Law of the Republic of Armenia “On the Protection and
Use of Immovable Historical and Cultural Monuments and
Historical Environment” (1998)
 Procedures of “State registration, study, protection, repair,
rehabilitation, use” and “Relocation of historical and cultural
immovable monuments”.
 The Law of the Republic of Armenia “On immovable
monuments of history and culture considered state property of
the Republic of Armenia and not subject to alienation” (2007)
 The Law “On export and import of cultural assets” (2004)
 The Law “On copyright and related rights”

19.  The Law “On Archives”
 The Law “On the mandatory copy of the documents”
 The Law “On specially protected areas of nature” (2006)
 The Law “On Urban Planning” (1998)
The following laws also include provisions related to cultural heritage:
 “On local self-government”
 “On local self-government in Yerevan”,
 “Land Code of the Republic of Armenia”,
 “Water Code of the Republic of Armenia”,
 “Forest Code of the Republic of Armenia”,
 “Civil Code of the Republic of Armenia”,
 “Code on Administrative-legal violations of the Republic of
Armenia”.
 Draft laws “On libraries” and “On museums and museum fund” of
the Republic of Armenia which have been submitted to the
Parliament for discussion.

20. Other Protection/Safeguarding Mechanisms
for Historic Towns and Settlements
According to the law “On Urban Planning”, key
issues of spatial development of the country and
the activities aimed at their implementation are
reflected in the planning documents of national,
territorial and local levels.

21.  At the national level the General project of
settlement distribution and territorial
organization projects are being elaborated
 At the regional level territorial planning projects
(for the marz or several communities/micro-
regional level)are being elaborated.
 At the local level General Plans of communities
and zoning projects are being elaborated.

22.  In all the documents elaborated at above-
mentioned levels the limitations related to the
protection of the natural and cultural heritage
are duly taken into account. Simultaneously,
proposals are presented for the improvement of
its use and protection.
 The towns of Gyumri, Vanadzor, Dilijan,
Jermuk, Vagharshapat, Ashtarak, Goris, as well
as Tatev and Halidzor village communities have
been identified as special urban planning
territories, based on the need for protecting the
historical-cultural heritage in their territories.

23. Programs implemented and being
implemented
1. The "Pilot Project on the Rehabilitation of
Cultural Heritage in Historic Towns" (
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/cooperat
 Enhancing available heritage resources
 Managing existing constraints and pressures
 Introducing public debate in the decision-
making process
 Making the best of the existing urban fabric to
foster a different kind of modernity

24. The Preliminary Phase has led to the following
main achievements:
 Setting up of political back up and technical
management structure
 Publication of Heritage Assessment Reports
 Development of a regional network of
professionals and towns
 Elaboration and implementation of the
Diagnosis methodology
 Public Awareness / communication

25. "Architectural and Natural Heritage
Restoration in Urban Development
Policies/Armenia”,
 2003 - 2006, with the support of the Council of
Europe, the Ministry of Urban Development
(with the participation of Ministry of Culture
and the Ministry of Nature Protection, local
authorities, NGOs and experts
 within the Programme “Cultural and Natural
Heritage Preservation in the South
Caucasus/Regional Project on Management of
Historical Cities and Institutional Capacity
Building.”

26. National experts have elaborated the
“Concept of priorities of urban policy for
the restoration of architectural and natural
heritage for the towns of Ashtarak, Goris
and Gyumri."

27. Town of Jermuk (Vayots Dzor Marz) was
announced as a tourism centre. The program is
being implemented jointly by the Ministry of
Economy, Ministry of Urban Development, and
other stakeholders. By the request of the
Ministry of Urban Development the Vayots
Dzor territorial planning was made (approved by
the Government decree N103-N as of 2010-02-
11).

28. “Tatev” and “North Gate” tourism centres were
approved and targeted programs were
developed. These programs for tourism centres
are long-term plans from the perspective of
tourism development in Armenia according to
their rich historical-/cultural heritage and
climatic conditions, peculiarities and traditions.

29. Since 2008 the Ministry of Economy has been
implementing the program ''Roads of Culture
and Tourism for Development and Dialogue in
Armenia” managed by the Moscow office of
UNESCO. The main goal of the program is to
develop tourism in the territories of Armenia
where historical-cultural monuments listed in
UNESCO world heritage list or monuments
nominated for inclusion in the list.

30. Government of Armenia adopted the decision
“On activities aimed at solutions of the
problems of the “Garni-Geghard” tourism
route”, which has determined a number of
projects and measures for development of
infrastructure around the Garni Temple,
Geghard Monastery and Charentz Arch.
Currently construction works are implemented
with the assistance of the UNDP.

31. Ministry of Culture has implemented a monument
rehabilitation project in Gyumri (monument-
buildings #2 on Shchors street, and #2 and #2A
on Achemyan Street). As a result, the mentioned
monument-buildings will receive new
operational significance and will operate as the
Shirak Regional Museum of Folk-Lore, the
branch of Armenian National Art Gallery and
the Shirak Regional Library.

32. Armenian Monuments Awareness Project
(AMAP) is a permanent project to increase
awareness of Armenia’s historical, cultural and
natural monuments by creating and installing
signed, print, multimedia and online
presentations at selected sites while creating a
viable, sustainable public-private partnership to
create, develop and maintain programming at
Armenian monuments.

33. Thank you for attention!