page_title: Khosrov Forest State Reserve
section_title: Cultural heritage
hierarchical_section_title: Khosrov Forest State Reserve / Cultural heritage
caption_attribution_description: Հայերեն: ԱՄՐՈՑ «ԿԱՔԱՎԱԲԵՐԴ» («ԹԱԹՈՒԼԻ ԲԵՐԴ») This is a photo of a monument in Armenia identified by the ID 3.98.6/1
context_page_description: Khosrov Forest State Reserve, is a nature reserve in Ararat Province of Armenia. The reserve is one of the oldest protected areas in the world having a history of about 1700 years. It was founded in the 4th century by the order of Khosrov Kotak, King of Armenia who gave it his name. It was founded to improve the natural climatic conditions of adjacent territories of Artashat – the capital city of Armenia of the given period and the newly established city of Dvin to ensure conservation and enrichment of flora and fauna species; serve as a ground for royal hunting, military exercises and entertainments.
  This area was designated as a state reserve in September 1958 and covers around 23213.5 ha at elevations from 700 to 2800 m above sea level. The Khosrov reserve protects juniper and oak forests from Tertiary Period, arid associations of semi-desert and phrygana landscapes and other Mediterranean relict plant ecosystems as well as the genetic fund of rare animals and plants adapted to the reserve conditions. It also includes wetlands of international importance.
context_section_description: Khosrov Forest State Reserve is the reserve of national and historic significance. Besides being the oldest preserved flora and fauna museum in Armenia, the next peculiarity of the reserve is its rich historical and cultural heritage. The cozy corners of the Khosrov Forest keep the first human cultural development imprints, engraved rock images, traces of ancient civilization, archaeological monuments and sites of historic and cultural great value.
  The area is closely linked with the history of Armenian nation and glorious episodes of historical past starting from the periods of polytheistic pagan and Hellenistic culture. The reserve preserves ancient cultural amenities, historical-architectural monuments, unique plant and animal species, splendid diversity of scientific landscapes. In the historical past, the present territory of the reserve was included in Ayrarat State of Mets Hayk Kingdom. In the Middle Ages the state was one of the densely populated and lively areas. It was the area of central provinces Ayrarat and Syunik of Ancient Armenia (Great Hayq as per 7th century map), the residences of kings – capital Dvin and Artashat, the residence of Catholicosate (Havuts Tar) – the supreme patriarch of all Armenians, as well as the arena of historical events. It was also the place where famous personalities of religious and secular life, such as Grigor Lusavorich (240–326), Grigor Magistros (11th century), Gevorg Marzpetuni (10th century) and others lived and acted. The Silk Road passed through the reserve territory. The evidences of the historical past – preserved or partly destroyed remnants of secular and spiritual structures (fortresses, castles, churches, cross-stones, remnants of abandoned villages, grave-yards and others) together with the natural peculiarities of the area make Khosrov Forest reserve more famous and attractive. There are various ancient, natural monuments and other natural reserves located in and in the neighbourhood of the reserve for tourists and visitors to see and they are worth seeing. Among them include the: Aghjots Vank, Kakavaberd, Havuts Tar, Garni Gorge, Garni Temple and others.
  Totally 312 monuments are registered in the territory of Khosrov Forest State Reserve that are silent witnesses of the past.;
  29 monasteries, churches, chapels
  19 settlements
  castles
  222 cross-stones and gravestones
  40 other medieval monuments, which are mostly tumbled-down
  Havuts Tar Monastic complex monastic complex is located to the east from Garni, on top of the mountain that is on the left bank of Azat River. The monastic complex was one of the remarkable religious and cultural centers of Medieval Armenia. In 1013, Grigor Magistros constructed St. Amenaprkiche (St. Rescu) church in this complex referred to the Early Middle Ages. The rise of Havuts Tar was during the XII-XIV centuries and was destroyed by a big earthquake in 1679.
  Astvatsatur catholicos renovated the monastery in the XVIII century. Havuts Tar consists of two monument-groups located approximately one hundred meters far from one another. The main church (XIII century) of the western monument-group is cross-shaped inside and rectangular outside and has prayer houses at 4 corners. It was constructed with diverse color scheme using reddish local tuff stone and the walls are rich of carved texts . The cupola and the roof are destroyed. In 1721, Astvatsatur catholicos began the construction of St. Karapet church, which was left unfinished due to the invasion of the Lezgins. According to a legend, the name of Havuts Tar, that means bird flight, is linked / connected to the Armenian priest who healed Lenk – Temur that attacked Armenia. For payment, he asked the invader to release as many prisoners as could enter the Church, and when the prisoners entered the church, the priest converted them into birds. The monastery has also the name of St. Rescue, as here was the remarkable holy crucifixion rescue cross-stone.
  Havuts Tar was a cathedral, had its special diocese, which also included the city of Yerevan which means that the head of Havuts Tar at the 
caption: Kakavaberd
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