Armavir

Armavir, is a province in the western part of Armenia. Located in the Ararat plain dominated by Mount Ararat from the south and Mount Aragats from the north, the province’s capital is the town of Armavir while the largest city is Vagharshapat. The province shares a 72 km-long border with Turkey to the south and west.The province is home to the spiritual centre of the Armenian nation; the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

The province is named after the ancient city of Armavir founded in 331 BC. The province is also the site of the decisive Battle of Sardarabad in 1918 that resulted in the foundation of the Republic of Armenia. The battle is seen as a crucial historical event not only by stopping the Turkish advance into the rest of Armenia but also preventing the complete destruction of the Armenian nation.The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is also located in Armavir Province near the town of Metsamor.

Modern-day Armavir occupies an area of 8.51 km² within the fertile Ararat plain, at a road distance of 47 km west of the capital Yerevan.The territory around Armavir is among the most important regions of Ancient Armenia. The town is built 6 km northeast of the ancient city of Argishtikhinili and 8 km north of historic Armavir. The region corresponds with the Aragatsotn canton of the ancient Armenian Kingdom.The town is surrounded by many large villages including Sardarapat, Norapat, Mrgashat, Maysisyan and Noravan.