Rural

Marts

One of the magnificent and colorful communities of Debed canyon is the village of Marts. It is located on the bank of the homonymous river- Marts, near the village of Karinj.

The half-ruined “Surb Nshan” church is located in the central part of Marts. While passing around the village you will enjoy the beautiful samples of cross-stones(khachkars). In particular, there are 5 khachkars with inscriptions on them in the so-called “Tshgnavor” meadow, which means Hermit in Armenian. These khachkars are all lined up and the most prominent of them is the Holy Saviour type khachkar, dating back to the 13th century.

The “Igatak” meadow, where the “Holy Sunday” chapel (made of rough stones) is preserved, is 5 km northeast of the village.

Even though there are no tourist infrastructures in the village, it has all the prerequisites to develop ecotourism. Inspired by the nature of Marts, notable Armenian painter Panos Terlemezyan painted “The bank of the Martz river” – one of his most famous artworks.

What's Nearby

Tsover lake (3.8 km)

Bardzrakash St. Gregory monastery (8.1 km)

Kobayr monastery (25.2 km)

Hovhannes Tumanyan House-Museum (7.8 km)

COAF Smart Center (12.9 km)

Karsnits Mankats Vank Monastery (8․4 km)

Debet

Located about 20-25 km northeast of the city of Vanadzor, at an altitude of 1100 meters, the village of Debet was founded in 1857, when several families moved to the area from the village of Marts. Ancestors of some of the villagers relocated to Debed canyon from Artsakh. Others are descendants of refugees from Western Armenia who moved to these areas in 1828-1831.

Traditionally, locals here are engaged in cattle breeding, gardening, agriculture, beekeeping.

The village is home to nine khachkars dated 12th-13th centuries, as well as ruins of a medieval church. Today, Debet is rapidly developing thanks to the activities of the nearby COAF SMART Center launched in 2018. In 2020, a co-living and workation house was opened in the village, the Debed.Life. It’s a shared living concept for digital nomads and location independent professionals, the first of its kind in Armenia. Chamich guesthouse is another new business that was launched in Debet recently, enriching the tourism infrastructure of the region.

What's Nearby

COAF Smart Center (1.7 km)

Hovhannes Tumanyan House-Museum (7.1 km)

Monastery of Forty Saints (8.1 km)

Bardzrakash St. Gregory monastery (8.6 km)

Tsover Lake (10.7 km)

Visitor Center by COAF (3.3 km)

Dzoragyugh

Situated in a mountainous area at the confluence of the rivers Pambak and Dzoraget, at an elevation of 1250 meters above sea level, the village of Dzoragyugh was founded in 1804 by families who arrived here from Artsakh. The village derives its name from the Armenian words “dzor” (gorge) and “gyugh” (village). Initially, the village was located in the gorge, thus, the name, “a village in the gorge.” The village is home to two churches dating back to 12th-13th centuries and 19th century respectively.

Down in the gorge, in the area known today as Dzoragyugh Gardens, there is another medieval monastery known as Hnevank (‘Old Monastery’).

Dating back to 7th-12th centuries, this monastic complex once consisted of three churches, a narthex, and the living quarters․ At the further end of the valley, two cliffs rise high above the valley. Atop of these cliffs, remains of two medieval castles, known as “Kir u Akhper” (Brother and Sister) are situated.

Local lore has it that these castles were built by a brother and a sister coming from a noble family. The siblings often competed with each other, trying to prove their military skills. It is even said that they had a rope stretched between the two cliffs, which they used to transfer wine to each other.