Sisian
Sisian
Սիսիան | |
---|---|
UTC+4 (AMT) | |
Area code | +374 2830 |
Website | Official website |
Sisian (
As of the 2022 census, the population of the town was 13,179.[1]
Etymology
The area of present-day Sisian was also known as Sisakan and Sisavan during ancient times and later in the Middle Ages. According to Movses Khorenatsi, the name of Sisakan—and subsequently Sisian—was derived from Sisak,[2] a legendary ancestor of the Armenian princely house of Syuni.[3]
History
Ancient history and Middle Ages
Between 331 BC and 428 AD, the region of Sisian—known as Sisakan—was part of the ancient
In 1103, the region was invaded and looted by the
Persian rule
At the beginning of the 16th century, Sisakan became part of the Erivan Beglarbegi within the
Russian rule
At the beginning of the 19th century, many territories of southern Armenia including the region of Sisakan became part of the
Modern history
After World War I, Sisakan became part of the short-lived independent Republic of Armenia between 1918 and 1920.[19] Following the Sovietization of Armenia in December 1920, Sisian was included in the breakaway Republic of Mountainous Armenia under the leadership of Garegin Nzhdeh, who fought against the Bolsheviks and maintained an independent state between 26 April and 12 July 1921.[20]
After the Soviet
Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, Sisian was incorporated into the newly formed Syunik Province based on the 1995 administrative reforms.
Geography
Topography
Sisian is located at the southeast of Armenia, in the mountainous region of historic Syunik. Surrounded by the Zangezur Mountains from the west and the Bargushat Mountains from the south, the town is situated on the bank of the Vorotan River, at an average height of 1600 above sea level, only 6 km south of the main highway that connects Armenia with the Republic of Artsakh and Iran. The Sisian River joins the Vorotan at the southern border of the town.
The Sisian mountain pass north of the town is at a height of 2345 meters, connecting the Vorotan plain at the east with the plains of Nakhichevan at the west. The 3563 meters-high Mount Ughtasar is overlooking at Sisian from the north, while the Mount Mets Ishkhanasar (3552 meters) is located 13 km east of the town.
Climate
Sisian has a humid continental climate (Dfb/Dwb according to the Köppen climate classification system). The average temperature in January is -6°C and +18°C in July. The annual precipitation level is around 489 mm.[23]
Climate data for Sisian (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1981-2020) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.6 (58.3) |
14.5 (58.1) |
22.1 (71.8) |
27.0 (80.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
32.9 (91.2) |
36.0 (96.8) |
36.0 (96.8) |
35.4 (95.7) |
27.5 (81.5) |
21.1 (70.0) |
19.2 (66.6) |
36.0 (96.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.4 (25.9) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
2.4 (36.3) |
7.3 (45.1) |
11.8 (53.2) |
15.8 (60.4) |
18.4 (65.1) |
18.3 (64.9) |
14.5 (58.1) |
9.1 (48.4) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
7.8 (45.9) |
Record low °C (°F) | −26.9 (−16.4) |
−31.0 (−23.8) |
−28.9 (−20.0) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
0.8 (33.4) |
3.9 (39.0) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−20.8 (−5.4) |
−25.7 (−14.3) |
−31.0 (−23.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 16.2 (0.64) |
22.4 (0.88) |
34.6 (1.36) |
57.6 (2.27) |
70.6 (2.78) |
50.7 (2.00) |
30.4 (1.20) |
15.7 (0.62) |
28.1 (1.11) |
32.1 (1.26) |
25.5 (1.00) |
19.2 (0.76) |
403.1 (15.88) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 3.8 | 5.2 | 7.1 | 9.6 | 11.6 | 7.5 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 5 | 4.4 | 70 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
73.2 | 72.6 | 71.6 | 70.5 | 70.7 | 69.3 | 66.9 | 67.1 | 70.5 | 72.2 | 73.4 | 73.3 | 70.9 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 153.8 | 146.6 | 165.3 | 174.9 | 236 | 294.3 | 309.3 | 299.9 | 252.3 | 198.7 | 157.5 | 146.3 | 2,534.9 |
Source: NOAA[24][25] |
Demographics
Many of the ancestors of the citizens in Sisian migrated from Khoy and Salmast in Iran after the Russian conquest of the region in the 19th century. Currently, the town has a population of ethnic Armenians who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church with the 7th-century church of Saint Gregory of Sisavan being the main church of the town. It is regulated by the Diocese of Syunik based in Goris.
The population timeline of Sisian since 1831 is as follows:[26]
Year | Population |
---|---|
1831 | 116 |
1897 | 1,266 |
1926 | 1,186 |
1931 | 1,635[citation needed] |
1939 | 2,215 |
1941 | 1,473[citation needed] |
1951 | 3,016[citation needed] |
1959 | 3,859 |
1969 | 6,778[citation needed] |
1975 | 9,100[citation needed] |
1979 | 10,373 |
1984 | 12,487[citation needed] |
1989 | 15,292 |
2001 | 16,843 |
2004 | 16,800 |
2011 | 14,894 |
Healthcare is served by the Sisian Medical Center. The Sisian Military Hospital is based in the nearby village of Aghitu.
Culture
Sisian is surrounded by many historical sites dating back to the
The Sisian History Museum named after Nicholas Adontz has operated since its inauguration in 1989, covering the history of Sisian and the surrounding region.[30] The town is also home to a public library opened in 1935, the Hamo Sahyan house of culture, the Sisian branch of the National Gallery of Armenia opened in 1978.
The music academy of the town is operating since 1960, with around 175 students as of 2017. as well as an academy of fine arts. The town has also an academy of fine arts and children's art, operating since the Soviet days, named after Z. Khachatryan.
The town has 2 newspapers: Vorotan[31] and Vorotanian Ghoghanjner.
Transportation
The Yerevan-Stepanakert highway (M-2 Motorway) that links Armenia with the Republic of Artsakh is only 6 km northeast of Sisian. The Sisian airstrip was opened in 1982 adjacent to the highway. The town is connected with the surrounding villages and towns with a network of regional roads, paved through the mountains passes.
Economy
The economy of Sisian was greatly boosted with the inauguration of the Vorotan Cascade in the early 1960s. Many industrial plants and service firms were opened by the Soviet government, including the production of building materials, reinforced concrete, textile and medical equipments. The industry was enlarged with the foundation of the sewing factory, the Armenian rug production unit, and the dairy products plant. Agriculture was also promoted during the Soviet days, with the establishment of many poultry and pig farms.
Following the independence of Armenia and the resulted economic crisis, most of the industrial and agricultural firms of the Soviet period were forced to close.
Currently, many plants for the production of building materials, furniture and canned food are operating in the town, including the Sisian Shik mining plant,[32] Bazalt-M plant for building materials (since 2009),[33] and Sisian Ceramics plant.
With its ancient archaeological sites and attractive nature, tourism is an important sector for Sisian and the region. The town is served with many traditional boutique hotels, B&Bs, as well as restaurants and pubs.
Education
As of 2017, Sisian is home to 5 public education schools as well as a number of pre-school kindergartens.
The Sisian branch of the
The Sisian Adult Education Center is a non-profit organization offering non-formal educational and development programs for the population of the town.
Sport
Football, volleyball, futsal, handball, weightlifting, boxing, wrestling and chess are among the popular sports in Sisian. The children and youth sport school of the towns was opened in 1961 by the efforts of volleyball player Manvel Amirkhanyan.[35] Designated for around 500 young trainees, the school was entirely reconstructed and opened in March 2017.[36]
The town is also home to a chess school as well as a football school operating since 2011.
The Sisian Football School Stadium was constructed during 2017. The stadium has an up-to-date artificial turf and a seating capacity of 500 spectators.
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Sisian is
Notable people
- Stepanos Orbelyan(1250–1305), nobleman, historian, and bishop
- Israel Ori (1658–1711), nobleman and diplomat
- Nicholas Adontz (1871–1942), historian
- Hamo Sahyan, (1914–1993), poet and translator
- Ashot Avagyan, (1958–), artist
- Vahagn Khachaturyan, (1959–), politician and current president of Armenia
See also
- Zangezur Mountains
- Ughtasar Petroglyphs
- Zorats Karer
- Kingdom of Syunik
References
- ^ a b "The Main Results of RA Census 2022". Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ISBN 5-540-01192-9.
- Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1984, p. 399.
- ISBN 9781107016521.
- OCLC 643843083.
- ISBN 9781784919443.
- OCLC 643843083.
- ISBN 9781351537377.
- ^ ISBN 9780197582077.
- OCLC 29734923.
- ISBN 978-90-04-19211-9.
- ISBN 9781351722179.
- ISBN 9780812217667.
- ISBN 978-88-6240-662-8.
- Hewsen, Robert (1984). Russian-Armenian Relations, 1700-1828. Cambridge: Society for Armenian Studies. p. 5.
- ISBN 9783643910660.
- ISBN 9781578985760. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus.
- ^ "Свод статистических данных о населении Закавказского края, извлеченных из посемейных списков 1886 г." [A set of statistical data on the population of the Transcaucasian Territory, extracted from the family lists of 1886]. Tblisi. 1893. p. 247. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ISBN 9780520005747. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
Armenia on the Road to Independence.
- ISBN 9780231139267.
- ^ Sarukhanyan, Vahe (2019-02-01). "Armenia's Sisian Airport: Will it Revert from Military to Civilian Use?". Hetq.am. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ "Russian Peacekeepers Expand Presence in Sisian". CIVILNET. 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ "Sisian climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Sisian weather averages - World Weather Online". World Weather Online. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- NOAA. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- NOAA. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Հայաստանի Հանրապետության բնակավայրերի բառարան [Republic of Armenia settlements dictionary] (PDF) (in Armenian). Yerevan: Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia. 2008. p. 180. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 March 2018.
- ^ Ughtasar: The Petroglyphs of Armenia
- ^ "The Vorotan Project". Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. 2005. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- )
- ^ Sisian History Museum named after Nicholas Adontz
- ^ Vorotan newspapaer
- ^ Sisian Shik mining plant
- ^ Bazalt-M for building materials production
- ^ Armenian National Agrarian University, Sisian branch
- ^ ՀՈՒՇԱՄՐՑԱՇԱՐ` Ի ՀԻՇԱՏԱԿ ՍԻՍԻԱՆԻ ՄԱՐԶԱԴՊՐՈՑԻ ՀԻՄՆԱԴԻՐ ՄԱՆՎԵԼ ԱՄԻՐԽԱՆՅԱՆԻ
- ^ Sisian sport school is reconstructed