Dilijan
Dilijan is a spa town and urban municipal community in the Dilijan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. The town is one of the most important resorts in Armenia, situated within the Dilijan National Park. The forested town is home to numerous Armenian artists, composers, and filmmakers and features some traditional Armenian architecture.
Sharambeyan Street in the city centre, has been preserved and maintained as the heart of Dilijan's old town, complete with craftsman's workshops, a gallery and a museum. Hiking, mountain biking, and picnicking are popular recreational activities. As of the 2011 census, Dilijan has a population of 17,712. Dilijan is currently the fastest-growing urban settlement in Armenia. As of the 2022 census, Dilijan has a population of 15,914.
Etymology
In an ancient popular legend, the name of the town is named after a shepherd called Dili. The shepherd Dili was in love with his master's daughter, however her father was against it and ordered to kill the shepherd. For many long and dark days, the sorrowful mother was mourning and looking for her only son all over the area and desperately crying, "Dili jan, Dili jan.. " . According to the legend the area was later known for his name.History
Early history and Middle Ages
Historically, the area of modern-day Dilijan -known as Hovk'- was part of the Varazhnunik canton of Ayrarat; the 15th province of the historic Greater Armenia.During excavations conducted in the 1870s, many valuable items were found, dating back to the late Bronze and the early Iron ages. Some of the excavated collections were transferred to the museums of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Tbilisi, Baku and Yerevan, while the remainder was kept in the Dilijan Geological Museum.
During the medieval era, the territory of Dilijan was known as Hovk'. Hovk' was a favourite forest and a summering place for the Arsacid kings to display their abilities in hunting. The settlement of Bujur Dili was founded during the 13th century near the area of modern-day Dilijan. The monasteries of Haghartsin and Goshavank were built between the 10th and 13th centuries. The monastery complexes have quickly developed and have served as cultural and educational centers. Haghartsin is one of the iconic examples of the developing Armenian architecture during the Middle Ages. Many other important religious and educational centers of the Middle Ages have survived in Dilijan, such as the Jukhtak Vank Monastery and Matosavank Monastery.
Modern History
In 1501-02, most of the Eastern Armenian territories including the territories of modern-day Tavush, were swiftly conquered by the emerging Safavid dynasty of Iran led by Shah Ismail I. In 1666, the name Dilijan was mentioned for the first time in the notes of the French traveler Jean Chardin.The territories of present-day Lori and Tavush along with the neighboring Georgia, became part of the Russian Empire in 1800-01. The territories became an official region of Russia as per the Treaty of Gulistan signed between Imperial Russia and Qajar Persia in October 1813, following the Russo-Persian War of 1804–13. Since the town became under the Russian rule in 1801, the population of Dilijan had gradually grown. In 1868 the first public education school was opened in Dilijan.
Auspicious conditions for cultural development have appeared at the end of the 19th and in the beginning of the 20th centuries. Many theatre groups were organized during the 1890s and the first library of the town was opened in 1908.
In the second half of the 19th century, Dilijan became a well-known mountain resort the town began to grow gradually. By the end of the 19th century, many entertaining centres were opened in the town, and the famous open-air theatre, known as Rotunda, was built in 1900. The theatre became a favorite place for locals and the visiting Russian intellectuals.
At that period, many modern houses were constructed in a unique traditional architectural style. Many wealthy Armenians from Tiflis and other areas of Transcaucasia began to build their own villas in Dilijan. The architecture in Dilijan has been characterized with gable tiled roof, wide patterned oriel and whitewashed walls. The style has quickly been spread all over the villages at the Aghstev river valley.
At the beginning of the 20th century, many traditional crafts have been developed in Dilijan including metalsmith, carpet weaving, fine arts, wood engraving and other types of folk crafts.
During the Battle of Karakilisa in May 1918, Dilijan was the main staging point of the Armenian forces under the command of General Tovmas Nazarbekian. Following the brief independence of Armenia in 1918-20, Dilijan became part of the newly founded Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1930, it was part of the newly formed Ijevan rayon, until 1958 when Dilijan became a town of republican subordination.
Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, Dilijan became part of the newly formed Tavush Province as per the 1995 administrative reforms. Nowadays, in addition to being one of the most prominent mountain resorts in Armenia, Dilijan is planned to be an international educational centre for both locals and foreigners, through the establishment of many developed schools and educational institutions.
Geography
Dilijan lies on the banks of Aghstev River with a length of more than and at a height of above sea level. The valley is surrounded with the Lesser Caucasus mountains from the north, and the Semyonovka mountain pass from the south. The mountainous areas -mainly the ranges of Bazum and Pambak mountains- are all covered with thick forests occupying a territory of more than. Reaching up the highest peaks of the mountains, the forests turn into Alpine meadows. In addition to Aghstev River, many other tributaries flow through the town.Dilijan National Park
The forests of Dilijan cover an area of more than 34,000 hectares. For the enrichment of the natural life around Dilijan, the state forest reserve was founded in 1958 to become known as Dilijan National Park later in 2002. Woods cover 94% of the park territory and with around 40 types of trees and 18 types of bushes, being mostly oaks, beeches, hornbeams, maples, elms, willows, etc.The national park is also rich in its fauna, including brown bear, wolf, marten, otter, lynx, sylvan cat, Persian squirrel, sylvan dormouse, hedgehog, chamois, European red deer, wild hog, pheasant, quail, partridge, Caspian turkey, culver, white-tailed eagle, lammergeyer, pygmy eagles, golden eagle, hawk and others.
Lake Parz is one of Dilijan's most attractive natural landmarks. It is situated in the northern part of the town at a height of above sea level. It has an area of and an average depth of.
To the east of the Lake Parz, at a distance of from Gosh village, Lake Tzlka is located at a height of. Aghstev River with its tributaries passes through the town and the surrounding forest. Its origins are from the northwestern part of the Pambak mountain range, at a height of. Aghstev River has a length of. Many tributaries flow into Aghstev such as Bldsan, Ghshtoghan, Haghartsin and Getik rivers.
Climate
The climate in Dilijan is classified as warm summer humid continental climate with cool weather during the summer and cold with snowfalls in winter. With its montane climate, Dilijan is a town-resort with favorable oxygen regimen, unique landscape features and curative mineral water.Demographics
The majority of the population in Dilijan are ethnic Armenians who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Tavush based in Ijevan. There is also a small community of Russians who are spiritual Christians known as Molokans.As of the 2011 census, Dilijan has a population of 17,712, down from 23,700 reported in the 1989 census. Currently, the town has an approximate population of 16,600 as per the 2016 official estimate. As of the 2022 census, Dilijan has a population of 15,914.
Dilijan does not a have a church building, and the church services are conducted at a building within the Tufenkian Old Dilijan complex. The town's monumental church is currently under construction since April 2016.
Culture
Dilijan has a rich historical and cultural heritage. During the nearby excavations in the prehistoric cemeteries of Golovino and Papanino, bronze items of almost three thousand years old were found, including armours, daggers, pitchers, ear-rings and others were found. All those items could be found either in the Dilijan museum or in the Hermitage Museum.In 1932 the State Theatre was founded in Dilijan under the supervision of the honored USSR artist Hovhannes Sharambeyan, while the school of music was founded in 1946.
On 26 January 2013, the American University of Armenia and the Central Bank of Armenia inaugurated a new state-of-the-art library at the Knowledge for Development Center in Dilijan. On the same day, the Dilijan branch of Tumo Center for Creative Technologies was also opened in the development center.
Monuments
- Dilijan Museum of Popular Art: formerly a residential house dating back to the second half of the 19th century, converted into a traditional art museum in 1979.
- The open-air theatre, also known as the Rotunda: built in 1900, it is located at the centre of the town. Many prominent artist performed in the theatre including H. Abelian, Vahram Papazian, A. Hrachian and others.
- Dilijan Museum of Geology: opened in 1952, it is located at the centre of the town.
- Memorial to Soviet Armenia: built in 1970 by the artists A. Tarkhanyan, S. Avetisyan, K. Vatinyan, symbolizing the 50th anniversary of the Sovietization of Armenia. Five edges of the monument symbolize each decade of the 50 years.
- Memorial to World War II: built near central park in 1975 by K. Vatinyan and S. Mehrabyan to commemorate the local martyrs during World War II.