Dastakert

Dastakert (Armenian Դաստակերտ ) is a small town in the Armenian province of Syunik ( historically Sangesur ). With only 301 inhabitants ( 2009 calculation ) it is the smallest city in Armenia.

Geography

The city is located in the west of the province near the border with Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Situated in about 2000 m city is surrounded by the high rate at 3000 m eastern side ridges of Sangesurkammes. Dastakert is located at the headwaters of the opening into the reservoir of the Tolors Sissian river Ajriget. The Sissian opens a little later, at 15 kilometers in a straight line north of Dastakert lying eponymous town Sissian in the Worotan.

History

The Armenian historian Stepanos Orbeljan († 1304) mentions the place, starting from the 12th to the 13th century, when it belonged to the province of Syunik Zghuk - state, which by the Seljuk Turks in 1170 constituted an independent kingdom from 970 until its conquest and the Mongol rule from 1251 was relatively autonomous. The village was called at this time as Dastakern or Dastakjurd.

1951 Dastakert received in connection with the construction of a copper -molybdenum mine with associated Erzaufbereitungsfabrik the status of an urban-type settlement. The production was recorded in 1952. The mining was, however, after a short flowering period a rapid decline, and the population dropped from 2,317 (1959 ) about 1,308 (1970 ) to only 326 in 1989. During the economic crisis of the collapse of the Soviet Union after 1990 was that the Sangesurer copper and molybdenum Combine connected plant bankrupt.

Although the population stabilized at a low level in 1989, Datakert received city rights in 1995.

Attractions

Two kilometers to the north there is a rock with ancient inscriptions, called Wardapet - stone, in the northeastern part of the city an old tomb.

Economy and infrastructure

The only major company, a copper-molybdenum mine in the valley above the town with Erzanreicherungsfabrik, has set its operation in the early 1990s.

Dastakert is the regional road H44 with Sissian and six kilometers beyond Sissian leading past highway Yerevan - connected Meghri. About this Dastakert is located 236 km from the capital Yerevan and 115 kilometers from the provincial capital Kapan.