Small town of Akhtala is located in the very north of Armenia, in the Lori region. 3,000 people live in Akhtala.
Akhtala is located 181 km far from Yerevan and 60 km far from the regional center of Vanadzor. The height of Akhtala above sea level is 740 m. The name of Akhtala came from the words “akhtov li”, which in Armenian means “full of diseases”. This is explained by the fact that after the raids of the hordes of Tamerlane, the settlement turned into a hotbed of dirt.
The oldest plant in the Caucasus, a mining and processing plant, built in 1763 is located in Akhtala. Copper production in Akhtala has a thousand-year history. This is evidenced by the medieval name of the city - Pghndzahank, which in translation from Armenian means «copper mine». According to a legend, the Armenian King Artashes I (Conqueror) visited Akhtala in the II century BC and wished to look at the work of masters. One of the craftsmen, seeing a ring on the king's finger, sent a jet of molten copper upwards from the furnace and, outlining a circle in the air, got a ring similar to the ring on the king's finger. The delighted king presented his ring to a skilled craftsman.
A monument "Wedding Rings" was erected in the yard of the church in Akhtala in 2010 on the basis of this legend.
A mint also operated in Akhtala during the reign of the Kyurikyans.
Akhtala was also the most multinational settlement in Armenia: representatives of 18 nations once lived here. In the late Middle Ages, the settlement was also called Gyumushkhana, which in translation from Persian means “copper mine”.
The Surb Astvatsatsin Church is a visiting card of Akhtala. The church was built in the early Middle Ages. There was a pagan temple here until the IV century. Even today we can see the symbols of a pagan temple on the walls of the church.
The church in its current state was built by Mariam, a monastic daughter of the Lori King Kyurikyan Kyurike III, in 1188. She left the following inscription on the cross stone (khachkar): “I, daughter of Kyurike Mariam, built my Holy Mother of God in Akhtala. Remember, it was 1188."
Mariam, together with her sisters Borina and Rusudan, also built the Kobayr church and the gavits of Haghpat, Sanahin ...
The Akhtala church was built on a high hill, which had a shape of a peninsula, where the Akhtala fortress dated back to the X century is located. The construction of the fortress is attributed to the King of Lori, David I the Landless.
The Surb Astvatsatsin Church stands out for its sublime appearance. It is a central dome building. The external decoration of the church is characterized by huge monumental crosses, which are considered as the largest crosses in the territory of Armenia. The church is also unique for its frescoes. Here there are the largest samples of monumental wall paintings in Armenia, the murals with an area of 960 square meters, which are dated back to the XIII century. The wall paintings of the Akhtala church are distinguished by its colorfulness and sophistication. They mainly depict the biblical characters. The image of the Georgian Queen Tamara on the southern wall of the church is of particular importance.
The holy cross of Noravank has been kept in the Akhtala church until 1216, which gave rise to many disputes.
After the acquisition of the church by Ivane Zakaryan, the Akhtala church was turned into a Chalcedonian temple. The Zakarians built an open hall-porch next to the church, and a small chapel-tomb was build near it. Akhtala became the residence of the bishop and was considered as the center of Armenian Chalcedonism. The well-known Armenian medieval translator Simeon Pghndzahanetsi worked and created here, whose works have been kept in the Matenadaran up today.
The remains of Ivane and Avag Zakaryans are buried in the church. Saint Soprianos Akhtaletsi also lived here. The Akhtala church has its own day of pilgrimage. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world gather here every year on September 20.
Main source of material: Vahe Lorenz "Akhtala", Yerevan. 2016.
