At an altitude of two thousand meters is located Lake Sevan where the water is crystal clear. More than 25 rivers flow into the lake, while only one Hrazdan river flows out of it. In addition to cultural value, the reservoir is of great value for another reason: if it disappears, the main source of freshwater will also disappear.
Lake Sevan: description, photo, video
The reservoir is surrounded by mountain ranges, including Sevan, Pambak, Vardenis and Gegham. This place gained its popularity due to clean air, beautiful nature and a large number of attractions. The lake has been subjected to water level changes many times, which has led to complications.
The 20th century was a turning point for this place. It was in this century that projects became widespread, the meaning of which was to artificially lower the water level. What Lake Sevan is now is not quite the body of water that it was several centuries ago. It went through many negative changes until people stopped trying to use the source of fresh water for larger purposes.
However, now the situation has leveled off. Lake Sevan is a calm and quiet place. Here you can be alone with yourself or see this place with a noisy company - this object will not leave you indifferent.
Now more than 10 public beaches are available to tourists, among which there are both wild and cleaned and aimed at visiting a whimsical tourist. The view of the water from the beach is impressive. Equipped and free parking for the convenience of visiting guests.
Panoramas of Lake Sevan
Where is Lake Sevan
The lake is located in Armenia, Gegharkunik region. On one of the banks is the city of the same name Sevan, which previously had the status of a village. Over time, the population increased, which led to the assignment of the status of the city.
Due to the numerous ridges, the number of roads that lead to this place is only three:
- From Yerevan;
- Through the south of Armenia - through the Selim pass;
- Through the northern part of Armenia - the city of Alaverdi.
Lake Sevan coordinates:
- Longitude - 45°17'42
- Latitude – 40°23’35
Lake Sevan on the map
How to get to Lake Sevan
There are many bus routes that offer to visit this object with an excursion group. In this case, you only need to agree and purchase a ticket.
The most convenient way to visit Lake Sevan is by car. There are three ways here:
- Traveling in your car;
- Rent a car for a trip;
- Overcoming the way by taxi.
Everyone gives preference to the option that is convenient for him. It is more convenient in a private car, but by taxi you can explore the beautiful views of Armenia from the window. There are also a large number of tourist departures to the lake by bus, which will take much more time. If you are not limited by extra days, you can safely use this option.
When is the best time to visit Lake Sevan?
The water of Lake Sevan always remains cold. In summer, residents and tourists bathe in it, but the overall temperature is below normal freshwater. In connection with this, the optimal time to visit the reservoir is from April to September. It is this period of time that is characterized by the highest temperatures and the presence of warm weather.
Not so long ago, a ski resort opened, and now you can conquer the tops of the mountains and watch a stunning view of the lake from above, so the time of the visit is not critical. Therefore, the time of year does not play a big role in planning a trip.
Peculiarities
It is impossible to miss the fact of the formation of a large number of attractions formed directly near the lake. For this reason, you will not only visit one place, but also get the opportunity to see the famous Sevanavank Monastery and numerous other objects.
In July 2012, a sunken ship is found at a depth of more than 15 meters. The length was over 18 meters, and the material of manufacture was wood. This fact makes the lake more special in terms of future historical relics.
What will make your trip special is that Lake Sevan is rich in legends. There are at least two stories about the origin of the name of the reservoir. The events in them tell about the creation of the lake. To visit a place where the atmosphere of old stories and legends reigns around is worth a lot.
What to see in the surroundings
The cemetery of khachkars Noratus deserves attention. Khachkar is an architectural monument in the early terminology of Armenia. Located near the city of Sevan, this attraction is a large area with architectural buildings. There are many legends about this cemetery, which you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with. The impression is indelible. When you see this attraction live, it will take your breath away.
Sevanavank Monastery, founded in the distant year 305 by Gregory the Illuminator. After that, the building has experienced many changes, but the architectural value has been preserved. The object is located close to the lake, so its visit can be succinctly combined with the main attraction.
No less interesting will be a trip to, or, which are also "captured" by the mountain ranges. In Armenia itself, in addition to Sevan, you should definitely go to, which absolutely everyone knows about. And of course, we cannot but advise you to travel to the greatest! Well, for the most sophisticated Seekers, a trip to Armenia will be a nice addition 🙂
Hayravank Monastery is also accessible to tourists. This place has not received much publicity, but is very picturesque and historically valuable. Today the monastery consists of the temple itself, the chapel and the gavit. Lacking specific stories, the monastery deserves a visit for its spectacular view.
Lake Sevan Yerevan
is a great place to relax and learn something new about the traditions of Armenia. This reservoir has gathered around itself many remarkable buildings, which will not let you get bored on vacation. The infrastructure of accommodation, food and movement does not differ in special properties. Near the lake there are hotels, cafes. The climate will allow you to plunge into a world where an icy wind circles around mountain ranges. If you like outdoor activities and immersion in the culture of another nation, then pay attention to Lake Sevan.
Basic moments
There are several hypotheses about the origin of Sevan. Most likely, this lake was born several thousand years ago as a result of volcanic processes that occurred in the Geghama mountains surrounding it.
On the southern slopes to the lake there are several dozen geometric round craters filled with fresh water. 28 rivers flow into Sevan, all small, the largest - Maerik - does not reach even 50 km. Only Hrazdan flows out of the lake. However, it will not be possible to restore the previous supply and water level only by the waters of the flowing rivers, because evaporation in a hot treeless cauldron between the mountains is 88% of the water brought by the rivers. Therefore, a decision was made to permanently additionally discharge water into Sevan from the south, from the Arpa basin through a 48 km long tunnel under the Vardenis Range, and to afforest the mountain slopes surrounding Sevan.
Panorama of Lake Sevanorigin of name
It is believed that the lake got its name from the name of the ancient temple of Sevanavank, built on the northwestern peninsula in the 9th century. This name, translated from Armenian, means "Black Monastery", and the temple is really made of black tufa. There is a version about an even more ancient origin of the name. The Urartians, who lived here before the arrival of the Armenians, called the lake Tsuini, Svini, from where it is not far from the pronunciation of Sevan. Tsuini supposedly meant "body of water".
Once the shores of Sevan were covered with dense forests - beech, oak and other valuable species of trees that were used in shipbuilding. Now the areas of forests have become scarce, and therefore forest plantations are being intensively carried out in coastal zones.
Lake dimensions
At the same time, the maximum length of the lake from the village of Tsovagyukh in the northwest to the port of Tsovak in the southeast was 75 km, and the maximum width from the shore of the Gulf of Artundj in the north to the regional center of Martuni in the south was 37 km. The minimum width from the lighthouse on the Shogel Spit in the south to Cape Uchtash in the north was only 8 km.
The part of the lake to the west of this narrow bridge is called Small Sevan, and the maximum depth there was 84 m, in the east, at the exit from the Artundj Bay, - 51 m, and on the bridge between these parts - 58 m.
The area of the lake itself is 1240 sq. km, its basin is about four times larger - 4850 sq. km. There are 2 cities, two villages, about 100 villages, where more than 250,000 people live.
Panoramic viewFlora and fauna
The flora and fauna of this corner are quite diverse: about 1600 species of plants and trees grow here, almost 20 species of mammals live here, but especially many birds. These are stone gray partridge, mallard, ruddy gulls, gulls, and during the migration period pelicans, flamingos, mute swan, screamer swan, cormorants and others rest on the lake - up to 180 species in total, some of them nest.
Sevan is the only fishing region of the republic where valuable species of fish are bred - varieties of trout, pike perch, khramul, barbel, whitefish brought from Ladoga and others. Trout, which was called the "prince-fish" (ishkhan), is now listed in the Red Book, its population is artificially maintained in 4 hatcheries.
Endemic species of fish live in the lake: Sevan beglu (barbel), Sevan khramulya, Sevan trout (ishkhan). The latter was previously represented by 4 subspecies (today the winter bakhtak and bodzhak subspecies have become extinct); is endemic to Sevan, but its existence is threatened by competing fish species introduced or introduced into the lake from other places. These are: anadromous whitefish, which was brought from Ladoga and Peipus lakes, silver carp and narrow-clawed crayfish.
On the shore of the lake, fish farms were created for the artificial reproduction of ishkhan. While the ishkhan is under the threat of extinction in Sevan, it seems to have taken root perfectly in Lake Issyk-Kul, where it was brought from Lake Sevan.
The lake is an important center of the population of the Armenian gull, the number of which here reaches 4000-5000 pairs. Other birds stopping at the lake are the American swan, lesser white-fronted pochard, red-nosed pochard, white-eyed pochard and black-headed gull.
Sevan National Park
In the basin of Lake Sevan, the Sevan National Park was created in 1978. It includes four nature reserves and ten sanctuaries. In total, including buffer zones, 150,100 hectares are protected by the park, of which only 24,800 hectares are land surface. Sevan National Park is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Nature Protection and research work is actively carried out on its territory, mainly to preserve and restore the ecosystems of Lake Sevan.
View of Lake SevanTourists
Tourists can travel around Sevan in different ways: by bicycles, motorcycles or cars along the ring road or by rowing and sailing boats along the coast. The length of travel by any means around Sevan is now at least 200 km.
Lake Sevan is known for its cultural monuments and recreational resources located on the coast: mineral springs, clean air, beautiful nature. An artificial forest grows on the shore of the lake (pine, broad-leaved species and sea buckthorn).
Sevan is not only a protected area, but also a recreation area. In specially designated places for recreation, built modern hotel complexes, cottages, with all the necessary infrastructure. There are about ten types of beaches around Sevan, some of them are wild, and some are equipped, there is also a common city beach.
With the rise in the level of Sevan, of course, part of the traditional sandy and pebble beaches were covered with water, but new ones appeared. There are plenty of water activities in Sevan, these are pedal boats, yachts, catamarans, boats and pleasure boats, water trampolines, surfing.
The active bathing season is approximately two months - July and August, the water warms up to 19-20 degrees. However, we must not forget that the mountain sun is quite insidious and can burn your skin in a matter of hours, for this reason it is necessary to observe safety measures, use special creams, cover the body with a cloth under the open sun. In many hotels, there are separate large pools for fans of warm water.
Recently, Sevan is not only a place for eco-tourism and beach recreation, but also a ski resort. On the mountain to the north of the lake, a new, modern cable car was opened, with the Akhtamar hotel. From the top of the mountain, unforgettable panoramas of the mountain lake open up.
Lake Sevan in literature
In 1928, the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky, who visited Armenia and saw Sevan for the first time, said:
“Yes, amazingly beautiful! It seems that the mountains embraced and guarded the gorge with love and tenderness of living beings. The air is unusually clean and transparent and seems to be painted in a blue, softly shining tone. Softness is the predominant impression. The deep channel of the gorge is filled with silence, the greenery of the gardens ... and, as it were, everything quietly floats towards the direction of Lake Sevan. Southern Transcaucasia stuns with the diversity and richness of its colors. This valley is one of the most beautiful.
About the beauty of Lake Sevan, the classic of Armenian literature Avetik Isahakyan said:
“Sevan is so beautiful that a person wants to drown in it.”
Sevan has always inspired poets and writers, many of them dedicated their poetry to him. Here is how the Armenian poet Gevorg Emin described Sevan:
"Before meeting you,
I have loved for a long time
The mirror shine of your water
In the frame of old mountains
Your gray boulder and first flowers
Springs on a quiet shore
About them happened many times
I repeated your story
Me your daughter Zangu.”
In Armenia there is a unique alpine lake Sevan. It is very popular with tourists, and all guests visiting this country definitely want to admire its unprecedented beauty. The peculiarity of the lake is that the water in it is fresh. The inhabitants themselves call it "blue-eyed", because of the incredible play of blue and blue colors, smoothly turning into azure shades.
Often, the play of the sun's rays on the surface of the water creates the feeling that this is "a piece of heaven on earth" (this is how enthusiastic tourists speak of it).
The lake appeared, according to geologists, 25,000 years ago and has a tectonic origin.
Geography and climate
The height of Sevan is 1916 m above sea level, the dimensions reach 35 km (width) and 75 km (length). Mirror area 1914 sq. km. Conventionally, Sevan is divided into two parts - Big and Small. The depth of the first reaches 50 m, and the second 100 m, and it has very strong undercurrents. Oddly enough, 28 different streams, springs and rivers flow into the lake, but only one large river, Hrazdan, flows through the whole of Yerevan, and, subsequently, unites with the border river Araks.
From the fauna of the lake, the “prince-fish” or the Sevan trout (the second name is Ishkhan) is well known. The latter is considered a special delicacy - it has a "competitor" - Sig fish, which was brought in 1920 from Lake Ladoga. We should not forget about the crayfish of Sevan, the taste of which is known far beyond the borders of Armenia.
It should be noted very severe local climatic conditions. In twenty minutes here you can see a thunderstorm, the sun, a rainbow, fog and hail. Although the main factor to which special attention should be paid is ultraviolet radiation. In Sevan, the sun is very "evil" and protective equipment (creams and sprays) practically do not work here. Burns can be obtained even while sitting under an awning. 
Information for tourists
The swimming season itself is very small (from mid-July to early September), but despite this, the rest here leaves an unforgettable experience. It gets quite chilly at night, but the sight of a thousand reflected wobble stars and the sound of the surf make you forget about it completely.
The lake is surrounded by three huge mountain ranges, which, like caring guardians, watch over its peace. Only they failed to save Sevan from the officials. In the mid-30s, it was decided to build a canal for a hydroelectric power station, and, due to the powerful outflow of water, the level began to drop very quickly.
As a result, the only island in Sevan turned into a peninsula. The 9th century monastery of Sevanavank, located on the shore of the lake, played a special role in the spiritual and historical life of the Armenian people. At the moment, the monastery has a theological seminary, opened after the collapse of the communist government. 
As time has shown, many guests who have been here forever take away a piece of this "azure paradise" in their hearts. Lake Sevan is definitely worth a visit and it will leave unforgettable impressions for many years to come!
On the banks of Sevan, there are several more Armenian monasteries of varying degrees of antiquity: Ayrivank on the western slope and the Vanevan monastery in the village of Artsvaninst. You should not bypass your attention and several cemeteries of khachkars (khachkar literally from Armenian - “stone cross”).
When to go?
You can come to Lake Sevan for swimming for a short period in July and August. There is always a slight coolness on the shore of the lake, even in the hottest weather. That is why the locals appreciate the rest in Sevan during the hot months of summer. In winter, the climate is unfavorable, usually below zero temperatures, but the lake itself is sometimes not covered with ice at all. Landscapes in Sevan are beautiful in all seasons.
How to get from Yerevan to Lake Sevan?
You can go to Lake Sevan from the northern bus station in Yerevan. Bus number 259 runs from the center to this bus station. From the bus station you take a minibus to the city of the same name Sevan, or to Dilijan or Ijevan. Drive an hour and a half. The city of Sevan is not located on the lake itself, you have to walk or look for a taxi. In summer, you can also take the Yerevan-Sevan train. Travel is cheap, but trains move slowly and their schedules are inconvenient.
Taxi from Yerevan is always the most expensive, but the most comfortable type of transport (about 7000 drams one way). By taxi, on the other hand, it is possible to drive through the sights of Sevan for several hours with a visit to Sevanavank, Hayravank, Norutus.
A mutant fish appeared in the legendary Lake Sevan. This news scared tourists, fishermen and scientists. Newspapers and bloggers in online communities write about it, and it is discussed at academic councils.
The author of the sensation is the former director of the Sevan National Park. He explains that it's all about bad ecology. It's time to save the lake. The arguments are convincing, but there is one “but”. There is a lot of talk, but no one has seen the strange fish itself. The correspondent reports MTRK "Mir" decided to go in search of a lake monster.
Algae, household garbage and occasionally fish - that's the whole underwater world of Lake Sevan. But only at first glance. A lake security inspector sets out on a boat in search of a mysterious mutant fish. On the surface of the water - plastic bottles. A sure sign that there are nets in the water. Poachers have been here, because fishing in Sevan has been banned for many years.
“Well, what mutants, look, nets have been set up since the night, and here are tiny crucians. Two kilograms - no more. We go out to the lake every day, but we haven’t seen any mutants,” Senior Inspector Artak Sargsyan admits.
The author of information about the appeared mutants is Gagik Sukhudyan, the former director of the Sevan National Park. After the appearance of information on the Internet, he immediately became famous. Journalists literally line up to record an interview with him.
“We acted very badly with Sevan, so fish with kohak heads appeared there, with a mucous membrane, this is a kind of slap in the face for us,” Sukhudyan said.
If you believe his stories, then the mutant fish should have the head of a khramul and the body of a crucian. The whole fish should be covered with dense mucus with a pungent odor.
Sevan fishermen perceived the news of the mutants that appeared unequivocally: someone really does not want tourists to come to them in Sevan, so they are spreading rumors about the lake monster. Fishermen assure that recently in Sevan only an unknown small fish that feeds on crucian caviar has begun to come across. Ichthyologist Norik Badalyan explains that this fish is the Amur chebachok. “Probably, the fishermen threw it into the lake, and it began to spread,” Badalyan explains the unusual catch.
He doesn't believe in the lake monster either. Norik Badalyan has been working in Sevan National Park for 45 years. Conducts research with employees every day. Industrial waste is not dumped into the lake, the transparency of the water is high, there is nowhere for mutants to come from.
On the other hand, environmentalists do not exclude that strange fish may well appear in such water. It's time to save the lake.
It all started back in the late 1930s, when the waters of Sevan began to be used for the construction of powerful hydroelectric power stations and for irrigation. As a result of giant construction projects, the water level in the lake has dropped by almost 20 meters. Two species of endemic trout have disappeared. Now the most important thing is to save the largest reservoir of drinking water in the South Caucasus.
To speed up the work on cleaning the bottom of Sevan, the government bought a special watermaster excavator - a special excavator - for 600 thousand euros.
In order to clear the forest that remained under water, special military equipment is used. First, with the help of a watermaster brought from Finland, trees and shrubs are cut under water. Then, with the help of military equipment, the waste is carried ashore.
Another problem is sewage. There are four cities and almost 40 villages along the entire perimeter of Sevan. The government decided: if urgent action is not taken, then there will be no fish left in the lake at all.
“First, we built collectors around the cities, which will flow into three treatment plants. Already at the stations, two stages of cleaning will be carried out - mechanical and biological. At the end of next year, we plan to hand over the facilities,” Andranik Engoyan, a representative of the construction company, explained.
The room of the young scientist Vahan Davtyan looks more like an alchemical laboratory. He shows how the waters of Sevan can be purified. An alternative method involves the use of a natural absorbent - zeolite. Millions of tons of this rock were found in the north of Armenia. “We propose to create a cascade at the mouth of the rivers flowing into Sevan, where we will place zeolites that can be changed every day, fortunately, there are many reserves of this ore in Armenia. There are already investors for this project,” explains environmental engineer Vahan Davtyan.
But scientists perceive the news about the possible appearance of mutants in Sevan, rather, with humor. Many even made a special trip to the lake.
The most futile attempts to catch the mutant fish in Sevan were not crowned with success. There are no fish here at all, Sevan fishermen say. They haven't gone fishing for a long time. If fish is found, then only in deep waters.
One thing is obvious: it will take a lot of time to clear Sevan. In two years, the treatment plants will be operational, and the zeolite purification project will be operational in five years. If only to be in time, otherwise the mutants will really start.
Source: mir24.tv/news/society/4319454
Armenia is located in the north of the Armenian Highlands (it refers mainly to the territory of Turkey, and also - partially - to Eastern Iran, Southern Georgia and Western Azerbaijan). From the point of view of the geological history of the Earth, this is a young upland, the ridges of which are characterized by alpine folding.
According to the Armenian Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth, 94% of all natural phenomena that formed the relief of Armenia were associated with earthquakes. According to the descriptions of these earthquakes in the sources of the last two millennia, they could reach 10 points on the 12-point MSK64 scale (Medvedev - Sponheuer - Karnik). The largest faults in the Armenian Highlands in Armenia include, in particular, the Pambak-Sevan intermountain fault, 376 km long. The bowl of Sevan, as the name implies, is directly related to it. It was filled as a result of tectonic processes about 250 thousand years ago after the volcanic eruptions of the Geghama Range. Flows of volcanic lava dammed the valley of the ancient river. Melt waters of glaciers and snowfields sliding down from the mountains rushed into the basin of the fault, and then river water. Two lakes formed nearby - Small Sevan and Big Sevan (in the modern version of the names). Until the beginning of the Holocene period (about 12 thousand years ago), they existed separately. Overflowing due to new volcanic eruptions, they joined through the strait.
Big Sevan and Small Sevan have different depths and bottom topography. If in the Small the depths are maximum - up to 83 m, and the relief has sharp depressions, then in the Bolshoi between the water surface and the almost flat bottom - no more than 30 m, respectively, and the water temperature there is always somewhat higher than in the Small, but on the other hand, the Small keeps the main lake water volume.
The historical synonym for the concept of Armenia is the concept of the country of Nairi. This name is found in cuneiform Assyrian texts of the 13th-11th centuries. BC e. So there is the name of the north of the Armenian Highlands, and a group of tribes of the state of Urartu, and Lake Van (“Nairi Sea”), the second largest lake after Sevan in the Armenian Highlands (now it is in Turkey). Some Western Assyriologists, with reservations, suggest that the word "Nairi" denotes the Hurrians, but there are no doubters in Armenia. After all, it has long been known that starting from the end of the II millennium BC. e. and up to IV-II centuries. BC e. Hurrians, Urartians and some other peoples of Western Asia participated in the formation of the Armenian ethnos. The last proof of this (a cuneiform inscription on a stone dated to the 9th century BC, in the Urartian language, where the word "sunia" - "lake" was present) was found just near Lake Sevan and became a priority compared to all previous etymological versions.
Prior to this, the name Sevan was most often associated with the name of the ancient monastery Sevanavank on its shore, literally it means “Black Monastery” (the walls of the monastery were built of dark volcanic tuff). There were also versions - more emotional, based on legends. According to one of them, however, very similar to the real story, the Armenians who lived on Lake Van had to leave it: they were driven out by the Turks. At first they liked the shores of the lake (Sevan), to which they came, but then one of them exclaimed: “No, this is not Van, this is a sowing (“black”) Van!” The settlers, as follows from the legend, apparently expressed their dissatisfaction with the cold mountain climate in this way, finding themselves in a new place in winter.
Transparent and pure water of Sevan has the properties of a mirror; on a clear day it is turquoise blue, and when the skies are covered with heavy clouds hanging low over the lake, it can seem just as dark and inhospitable. But in any weather, the landscapes of Sevan are mesmerizingly beautiful.
Lake Sevan in the Armenian Highlands consists of two parts - Big Sevan and Small Sevan. They are connected by a 5-kilometer strait between the Ardanish and Noradus peninsulas. Under water, the Shorzhinsky shaft of rapids passes through it. The southern and eastern shores of Sevan are flat and wide, the northern and northeastern shores are narrow, indented with small bays and rocky. The lake is surrounded by the ridges of the Lesser Caucasus: from the west - Geghama, from the north-west - Pambak, from the east - Sevan and from the south - Vardenis.
"Ishkhan" ("prince") is one of the Armenian names for the Sevan trout. The population of this fish is an indicator of the ecological state of the lake. In other words, what is good for Ishkhan is good for Sevan too.
The history of the use of Sevan water by man is very dramatic. In 1923, plans were drawn up to use the lake in the Sevan-Hrazdan irrigation and energy complex. Waste tunnels were created at a depth of up to 40 m, the bed of the Hrazdan deepened and widened. By 1937, this project began to take on a real form, several hydroelectric power stations were built on the river.
They really gave a powerful impetus to the Armenian economy, but at what cost! It was planned that the level of the lake would gradually decrease by 55 m, and the area would be reduced to 299 km 2, and it would remain only in the place of Small Sevan. The drained bottom of the Big Sevan was supposed to be planted with trees. After the Great Patriotic War, work resumed and was completed in 1949. In the next decade, the realization of a natural disaster came.
The level of the lake, the main reservoir of fresh water in the republic, dropped by a meter every year, the decrease was 13 m. The Hrazdan hydroelectric power station could not meet the republic's need for electricity, and the water taken was wasted irrationally. Eutrophication began - the periodic accumulation of organic matter and, as a result, the “blooming” of the lake, because of which the entire ecosystem of Sevan began to collapse, and the quality of the water deteriorated sharply. And even seedlings of pine, beech and oak that began to grow on the former bottom in places (far from everywhere) did not brighten up the depressing picture.
In 1981, a project was launched to transfer water from the Vorotan River to the lake along a 48.3 km long canal and to Vorotan from the Kechut reservoir on the Arpa River (the length of this canal is 21.7 km), but in 1988 the construction of the canal Vorotan - Sevan was suspended due to lack of funds (completed in 2003). And here are the figures for 2000: from 1936 to 2000, the water level in the lake dropped by 19 m, and the area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir decreased by 12%. In the same year, the Armenian government, relying on the opinion of scientists, developed a serious program to save Sevan, and it has already borne fruit. In 2006-2010 the water level, including thanks to special tunnels, began to rise by an average of 25-35 cm per year. At the end of 2010, the lake level was 1899.7 m above sea level. According to forecasts, by 2031 it will reach 1903.5 m. But it is too early to calm down. Sevan's serious problems are pollution with sewage and heavy metals, swamping, reduction and modification of the ichthyofauna and, finally, poaching.
The same ishkhan (gegharkuni), listed in the Red Book of Armenia, and its subspecies, the summer bakhtak, regularly appears on the "black" fish markets, although it is threatened with complete extinction: out of its four subspecies, two - winter bakhtak and bodzhak - have almost disappeared, and if they are found, it is extremely rare, only where the remains of the former spawning grounds in the mouths of the rivers have been preserved after the descent of the water.
Special fish farms have been created for ishkhan. As another measure to save the species, the fry have been released to where they are doing well. Other endemic species of fish also live in Sevan: Sevan beglu (barbel) and Sevan khramulya. The endemics brought from Lake Ladoga and Lake Peipsi are crowded by whitefish, silver carp and narrow-clawed crayfish. It became clear that the fragile world of the Sevan ichthyofauna needs to be regulated on a scientific basis.
The birds of Sevan were more fortunate - thanks to the national park of the same name created in 1978, the structure of which includes four reserves and ten sanctuaries. The Armenian gull nests here (up to 5000 pairs), the "migratory" birds of the park - the American swan, lesser white-fronted duck, red-nosed pochard, white-eyed pochard, black-headed gull. After the water level began to rise in Sevan, white and red herons, loaf ibises also began to nest here.
general information
Lake in Armenia, one of the largest alpine freshwater lakes in the world.Administrative affiliation: Gegharkunik region.
Other names(in ancient times): Armenian - Gelam, Gegamalich, Gegharkunik, Turkic - Gokcha.
Food: snow and rain, from underground sources.
The largest flowing mountain rivers: Vardenis, Martuni, Argichi, Astghadzor, Gavaraget, Tsakkar, Dzknaget. There are 28 rivers and streams in total.
Outflowing river: Hrazdan.
Nearest cities: Armenia - Sevan (23,200 people - 2008), Gavar (38,400 people - 2008), Kapan (40,000 people - 2009); Azerbaijan - Ganja; Iran - Merend.
Nearest airport: Zvartnots, in Yerevan (international).
Numbers
Altitude above sea level: 1914 m.Length: 78 km.
Width: 56 km.
Area: 1243 km2.
Max Depth: 83 m.
Average depth: 26.8 m.
Transparency: 4.5 m.
catchment area: 3647 km2.
Volume: 58 km3.
Climate and weather
Continental mountain.January average temperature: -8°C.
July average temperature: + 16°С.
Average surface water temperature in summer: +18…+20°С.
Average annual rainfall: 500 mm.
Despite the fact that the winter in Sevan is quite long, thanks to the springs gushing at its bottom, it does not freeze every year (and only partially), at temperatures below -20°C.
Economy
The city of Sevan has a railway and road transport hub, machine-building plants, the production of electrical insulating and building materials, and the food industry, but the enterprises do not operate at full capacity.Fishing and fish farming.
Service sector: tourism.
sights
■ Monastery Sevanavank. It was founded in 874 by the daughter of Ashot I Bagratuni - Mariam. In Sevanavank, there is a theological seminary named after Catholicos Vazgen I.■ Monastery Makenis(VII century), in it - the temple of Sub Arstvatsin (end of the IX century).
■ Hayravank Monastery, or "monastery-father" (IX-XII centuries).
■ Artsvanist village: Vanevan monastery (X c.).
■ Noratus village: complex (cemetery) of khachkars, Church of St. Grigor (X century).
■ Nerkin Getashen village: Kotavank monastery (IX c.), Ishkhanavank chapel, khachkars.
■ Lchashen village: a complex of archaeological monuments from the 3rd millennium BC. e. (ruins of the Urartian fortress of the 7th century BC, burial mound necropolis) to the Middle Ages.
■ City of Gavar(Nor Bayazet): the ruins of the Urartian fortress, the chapel of Surb Stepanos (IX century), the church of Surb Karapet (X century), the current church of Surb Astvatsatsin (1848).
■ Sevan National Park.
■ In the Geghama mountains- petroglyphs dating back to the Stone Age and Early Bronze Age, stone images of vishaps - deities guarding water, at the source of rivers and streams.
Curious facts
■ There is a legend that when the Ottoman Turks approached Lake Sevan, the Armenian king ordered to wear clothes and armor of warriors on the khachkars. The Turks were frightened, retreated and did not appear here again.■ In 2010, the article “Symbolism and craftsmanship of khachkars, Armenian stone crosses” was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Khachkar (translated from Armenian - “cross-stone”) is a stone stele with skillfully carved high reliefs and bas-reliefs. Most often, these are ornaments with a large cross inscribed in them, resembling a blossoming tree - as a symbol of new life. Another motif of khachkars is a pair of birds, most often doves, as symbols of the Holy Spirit and immortality. There are also whole stories in stone: the Armenian high priest Gregory the Illuminator, Tsar Trdat III, who imprisoned the Illuminator and killed the holy virgins Hripsime and Gayane, for which he and his retinue were turned into a herd of pigs, the prophet Daniel in a lion's den, three youths in a fiery furnace. There are about 900 khachkars on the banks of Sevan, they date back to the 9th-16th centuries. It is believed that khachkars were associated with funeral rites.
■ The last Sunday of August, since 1999, in Armenia is Lake Sevan Day. Ecologists and their volunteers from all over the country devote this day to cleaning up the lake shore.
