Artik

The town of Artik is located on the north-western slope of Aragats Mountain within the Shirak Plain, at a height of 1,859 meters above sea level. It is 27 km from Gyumri and 67 km from the capital Yerevan.

Artik is considered to be one of the oldest residences in Armenia. The town has mountainous relief and is rich in mineral springs. The locals say that the springs have a healing effect and take care of them. Very often you can find beautiful khachkars placed at the springs. 

History of Artik

According to archaeological excavations, the territory of the modern-day city has been settled since the 14th century BC. There are many old cemetery yards dating back to the Late Bronze Age in the territory of the town. 

According to locals, the name consists of 'Ar' derived from the name of Mount Aragats, and 'tik' meaning "leaning" in Armenian. Thus, the name Artik most probably means "leaning on Aragats".

There are two partly-ruined churches located at the centre of Artik: the Holy Mother of God of 5th century, and St․ Gregory Church of 7th century. The St․ Stephen Church of Lmbat Monastery (more commonly known as Lmbatavank) is a well-preserved church of the 7th century, located in the vicinity of Artik. The walls of the church are decorated with well preserved early medieval frescoes. 

The city has a cultural palace named after composer Tigran Mansurian, 2 schools of arts, a music school and a public library. There is also a memorial dedicated to the Great Patriotic War (World War II) at the Liberty Square in the centre of the town.

Artik is famous for its tufa stone, mainly the pink and rosy-coloured tufa. It is the main centre of tufa production in Armenia.  

The city has a humid continental climate, characterized by mildly cool summers and extremely cold and snowy winters.