Armavir was one of the oldest and most sacred cities of Armenia. It was an ancient capital of Armenia, said to have been founded by King Aramais in 1980 B.C. In addition to its prominence as a capitol of Armenia, Armavir has served as a center of religious worship almost continuously from its establishment to present. Traces of ancient cult worship of the sun and the moon, pre-Christian temples and medieval Churches have been uncovered. Often build on top of each other, the sacred structures replaced one another as religious beliefs changed over time. Nevertheless, the sanctity of the site remained constant for thousands of years.
Armenian traditional historiography (Khorenatsi I. 10; Sebeos I) depicts the ancient history of Armavir as follows: Aramaneak (var.: Aramenak, Armenak), the eldest son of the Armenian forefather Hayk, moves from Haykβs province of Harkβ to theΒ Ararat valley and settles at the foot of Mt. Aragac. His son Aramayis (var.: Armayis), establishes a residence here, naming it Armavir after himself (Modern Arm. Armavir).Β Several generations later, one of their successors, patriarch Aram, expands Armenia from all sides and establishes a new, superior Armenia, becoming the second Armenian eponym (cf. Armeniansβ exonym Armen). Aram is succeeded by his son Ara theΒ Handsome, who after rejecting the love of the lustful Assyrian queen Semiramis dies in the war against her. Ara is succeeded by his namesake son.
The city of Armavir in Russia, founded by Armenians in the 19thΒ century, was named after this city.
For more on Armavir as a cult center read HERE
Reblogged this on Notes of a Spurkahye.