ancient ruins
Zvartnots Cathedral
Haunting ring of 7th-century columns from a collapsed circular cathedral, framed by Mount Ararat on the Yerevan–Etchmiadzin road; a UNESCO World Heritage ruin.
15 km · about 30 min drive
AsiaArmeniaAragatsotn
Ashtarak
Aragatsotn, Armenia · Asia
About Ashtarak
Ashtarak is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Karbi, 15km from Zvartnots Cathedral.
Ashtarak is in Aragatsotn, Armenia, with about 18,000 people. The nearest town is Karbi, about 4 km away.
Ashtarak (Armenian: Աշտարակ [ɑʃtɑˈɾɑk]) is a town in the Ashtarak Municipality of the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, 20 km northwest of the capital Yerevan. It is the administrative centre of the province and an important crossroad of routes for theRead more
Yerevan–Gyumri–Vanadzor triangle.
The town plays a great role in the national economy as well as the cultural life of Armenia through several industrial enterprises and cultural institutions. It has developed as a satellite town of Yerevan. The nearby village of Mughni is part of the Ashtarak municipality.
As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 18,834. However, as per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Ashtarak is 18,000. As of the 2022 census, the population of the town was 15,686.
The prelacy of the Diocese of Aragatsotn of the Armenian Apostolic Church is headquartered in Ashtarak.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Ashtarak?
Within an hour or so of Ashtarak: Zvartnots Cathedral (15 km), Amberd Fortress (15 km), Garni Temple (37 km), Geghard Monastery (43 km).
Are there any good drives near Ashtarak?
The nearest famous roads are Orbelian's Caravanserai (Vardenyats Pass).
Where is Ashtarak?
Ashtarak is in Aragatsotn, Armenia, about 4 km from Karbi.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 17,600
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Armenia
- Region
- Aragatsotn
- Timezone
- Asia/Yerevan
- Coordinates
- 40.2976, 44.3615
Tags
Worth the detour from Ashtarak
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Amberd Fortress
A 7th-century fortress with an 11th-century church on a triangular spur at 2,300m on the slopes of Mount Aragats, wedged between two river gorges. Ruined by the Mongols in 1236 and never rebuilt.
15 km · about 30 min drive
ancient ruins
Garni Temple
The only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded temple in the former Soviet Union, a 1st-century pagan shrine overlooking the dramatic Azat River gorge.
37 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Geghard Monastery
A UNESCO partially rock-cut medieval monastery with extraordinary acoustics, said to house the spear that pierced Christ's side at the crucifixion.
43 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Khor Virap
An iconic Armenian monastery at the foot of Mount Ararat where Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years, offering the most famous view of Ararat.
50 km · about 60 min drive
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