Talin

The town of Talin is located in the Aragatsotn Region of Armenia. It is situated on the slope of Aragats Mountain within the Shirak valley, at a height of 1,585 meters above sea level. It is considered to be the oldest settlement in the region because of archaeological artifacts dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. Throughout its history, Talin was known with the names Talina, Big Talin and Talno Votn. It has a humid continental climate with warm summers and extremely cold and snowy winters.

There is a legend about the origin of the town’s name. It says that a princess with the name of Talin fell in love with a simple boy. Her father was against their love and found a young prince for his daughter. The princess couldn’t forgive her father and threw herself down from the rock. Thus the city was named after the poor princes.

In 774, the population of Talin had been massacred by the invading Arab Muslims. Later, by the end of the 9th century, the town revived with the establishment of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia. Between the 7th and 10th centuries, the town was mentioned by many historians, either as a big village or a town under the rule of Kamsarakan Armenian noble family.

In the 7th century, prince Nerses Kamsarakan founded the Cathedral of Talin. In the same period, Kamsarakan princes built the Dashtadem Fortress which is situated in the south of the town. The fortress played a huge role as a strategic point in the north of Yerevan during the wars between the Ottomans and Persians. 

Places of Interest 

Talin is home to the 8th century Holy Virgin and St. Katoghike churches. The latter is considered one of the greatest examples of Armenian architecture. The area of Talin is rich with historical monuments. The 7th-century Cathedral built by the Kamsarakan princes is a typical example of the Armenian church architecture of the early Christian period. 

Nowadays, the city has a house of culture, a public library, a school of music, and a geological museum. It also has its local "Talin Ashkharh" weekly newspaper. There is a small park in the centre of the town where young people like to gather in the evenings

Employment in Talin

The locals are involved in agriculture, cattle-breeding and beekeeping. "Bonilat" factory for dairy products was founded in 2005, on the basis of the former Talin cheese factory. There is also "Avetisyan Aghek" plant for soft drinks. An asphalt and bitumen plant is also operating since the Soviet days. The town has many small enterprises for dairy and bakery products.