Tsakhkadzor is a city and a popular health resort in Armenia located north of Hrazdan in the Kotayk province (marz).
Tsakhkadzor means valley of flowers in Armenian. It was also known as Dereçiçek, meaning flower creek in Turkish. The city is located 50 kilometers North from Yerevan, on the southeastern slope of Teghenis Mountains, 1750 meters above sea level, surrounded with alpine meadows.
In the early medieval period the region belonged to the feudal clan of
Varazhnuni, which governed the forest that was used as a hunting
ground for the Armenian Arshakuni Kings from the 4th to the 5th
centuries. In the 6th century, the territory passed into the possession of
the House of Kamsarakan. Beginning from the 10th century, the clan of
Kamsarakan merged with the House of Pahlavuni, who were also related
to the Arshakunis. Gregory Pahlavuni, the leader of the clan and
subsequently the prince of the Kecharis principality, built the Kecharis
monastery in honor of Gregory the Illumanitor in 1033. In 1051 he
constructed the Church of Holy Nshan. The territory passed to the rule of
Zakarid princes during the 13-14th centuries, at times falling to the rule
of Proshyan and Khagbakyan families. During the larger part of the later
centuries, the region was constantly the arena of the Ottoman-Persian
wars. Finally in 1828, according to the Treaty of Turkmenchay, the
region was connected with the Erivan Governorate and entered into the
composition of the Russian Empire. During the Soviet era Tsakhkadzor
was developed into a modern city intended to attract large numbers of
tourists. Many historical buildings and dachas, built before the revolution
by industrialists and merchants from Yerevan and Tbilisi, were either
nationalized in favor of the state or they were sold in auctions.
Currently, Tsakhkadzor is a fast developing winter resort that attracts
hundreds of ski and snowboard enthusiasts from around the world. Many
people choose this undiscovered destination to combine their snow
experience with an extraordinary experience of touring the country
wintertime. Best months for skiing and snowboarding are normally
February and March. Usually, snow cover is good from January to
mid-April.
