Metsamor

Metsamor is a small town in the Armavir region of Armenia. It is located in the west of Armenia in the Ararat Plain. It is 35 km west of the capital Yerevan and 6 km east of the provincial centre Armavir. The population of Metsamor is around 8,000.

The city is at an average height of 855 meters above sea level. The nuclear power plant of Metsamor is located around 4 km north of the residential area of the town. Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is the only one in the Transcaucasian region. 

History of Metsamor

The construction of the settlement of Metsamor was initiated in 1969. The town was named after the nearby river of Metsamor. The word is composed of 2 Armenian words "mets-մեծ" meaning "big", and "mor- մոր" meaning "mother's". The name relates to the Virgin Mary as the Great Mother of God. 

The city was founded as the residential settlement of the employees of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. In 1972 Metsamor got the status of an urban settlement. The main architect of the city was Martin Mikayelyan. After the severe earthquake of Spitak the nuclear plant was temporarily closed in 1989. Nowadays, the Metsamor plant generates 40% of Armenia's electricity.

Metsamor is constructed in the area of the oldest settlements of historic Armenia. Metsamor historical-archeological Museum-Reserve is one of the greatest cultural monuments which was opened in 1968. The samples of excavation date back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The scholars have found that in the 4th-2nd millennium B.C. Metsamor was a huge residence, and had a fortress surrounded by cyclopean gates. It even had an observatory.

Places of Interest in Metsamor 

The archaeological site of ancient Metsamor is located about 4 km southeast of the town, near the village of Taronik. More than 27.000 valuable artefacts have been excavated and exhibited in the Metsamor Historical-Archaeological Museum-Reserve.

The city has a central park, a cultural house, a post office, a public library, and a school of music. In 2005 the Church of Saint Lazarus was built in Metsamor.