- Metsamor
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- For the village near Echmiadzin, see Metsamor, Echmiadzin; for the river, see Akhurian River; for the archaeological site, see Metsamor site.
Coordinates: 40°08′34″N 44°06′59″E / 40.14278°N 44.11639°E
Metsamor
ՄեծամորCoordinates: 40°08′34″N 44°06′59″E / 40.14278°N 44.11639°E Country Armenia Marz (Province) Armavir Founded 1979 Population (2008) - Total 9,546 Time zone (UTC+4) - Summer (DST) (UTC+5) Metsamor (Armenian: Մեծամոր) is a city in the Armavir Province of Armenia. Armenia's Nuclear Power Plant called Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is located in this city. Metsamor was built in 1979 to house workers from the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. The power plant was closed in 1989 after an earthquake prompted officials to reconsider the safety of the location. The plant reopened in 1996 after being retrofitted to make it earthquake-resistant. Today, it generates 40 percent of Armenia's energy needs.[1] The balance of Armenia's energy use is fueled by thermal and hydro-generated power. Metsamor is also notable for the archaeological site at Metsamor castle.
Also on this site is the Metsamor Museum, marking the bronze-age settlement. There is a row of phallus stones just outside the front entrance of the museum. The stones were created as part of a fertility rite. Excavations at the site demonstrate that there had been a vibrant cultural center here from roughly 4000 to 3000 BC, and many artifacts are housed in the museum. The settlement persisted through the Middle Ages.
Gallery
References
Media related to Metsamor at Wikimedia Commons
- Metsamor at GEOnet Names Server
- World Gazeteer: Armenia – World-Gazetteer.com
- Report of the results of the 2001 Armenian Census, National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia
- Brady Kiesling, Rediscovering Armenia, p. 37; original archived at Archive.org, and current version online on Armeniapedia.org.
Categories:- Populated places in Armavir
- Populated places established in 1979
- Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union
- Armavir (province) geography stubs
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