Alaverdi

The town of Alaverdi is in the northeastern part of Armenia in Lori region. It is located on the slopes of the Debed River Gorge and on the Sanahin Plateau. The town is located at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level and is surrounded by high mountains and green forests. It is an industrial and important trade centre in the North of Armenia.

The history of Alaverdi 

During the medieval period, the area around the present-day Alaverdi was known as "Manasgomer" or "Manits Gom". The area was inhabited in the 2nd millennium BC, therefore it is rich with historical monuments. 

In the 8th-6th centuries B.C. the region was part of the Urartu Kingdom. Later the region became part of the Gugark province of Greater Armenia. With the establishment of Haghpat and Sanahin Monasteries in the 10th century, the region became a prominent centre of Armenian culture, theology and science. 

In the 19th century, Lori was adjoined to the Russian Empire. Nearly a quarter of the entire Russsian copper was being mined in this area and a new settlement for the smelter workers was founded and named Manes after the French engineer who directed the project. In 1935 Manes was renamed Alaverdi and gained the status of an urban-type settlement. 

Sights of Alaverdi

The Monastery of Sanahin is located in the southern part of the town on the Sanahin plateau. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The monastery includes Saint Astvatsatsin and Saint Savior churches with their courtyards, as well as Saint Grigor and Saint Harutyun chapels, a lyceum, writing house, bell-tower, and the ancestral mausoleums of Kyurikyan’s Zakarian’s. The first church of the complex Saint Astvatsatsin was built in the 10th century. 

Near the town is the 10th-century Haghpat monastery complex also included in the World Heritage List, 6th-century church of Odzun, Kobayr monastery of 1171, Horomayr church of 5th-6th centuries, Kayan fortress of 1233, Sanahin Bridge of the 7th century, 10th Century Akhtala Monastery and Fortress. So this place is really worth visiting to discover the cultural and historical heritage of Armenia.

Today the town has a theatre operating since 1932, a cultural palace, a large public library, a music academy named after Romanos Melikian, an Academy of Fine Arts and the branch of Yerevan Northern University of Alaverdi. In 1987 the National Gallery of Armenia opened its branch here.