Ashnak

The village of Ashnak is the new homeland of people from Sassoun in 1915-23, after the Armrenian Genocide. This village seems to be a small model of the Sassoun province of Western Armenia, housing people displaced from about 35 villages of Sassoun. Later, some of them moved out of the village to other places. About 18 villages of the former Sassoun are represented in Ashnak.

Ashnak village is one of the largest villages of Talin region. The residents of the village came from about 35 villages of Psank, Khut-Brnashen, Talvorik, Kharzan regions of Sassoun, as well as from Mush and Khnus. Some of these names of the former regions of Sassoun became the names of the neighborhoods of Ashnak village (for example, Talvorik neighborhood, after the most famous region of Sassoun).

It is 5 km from the village of Davtashen and 7 km from the village of Katnakhbyur.

The cemetery contains the ruins of an ancient church or a chapel, around it there are gravestones and khachkars of the 10-15th centuries. The famous Armenian writer Vrezh Israelian, a native of the village, is also buried there. (Khachkars are characteristic of Medieval Christian Armenian art. A khachkar, or cross-stone, is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, interlaces, and botanical motifs.)

• S Grigor Lusavorich chapel
• 🌍 Saint Karapet church. (updated Sep 2021)

• 🌍 Kevork Chavush House-Museum. The museum displays the history and culture of Ashnak and also presents the life and work of Kevork Chavoush, a leader of the Armenian national liberation movement, including his personal belongings. (updated Sep 2021)

• Saint Astvacacin church. (updated Oct 2021)

• Discover Sasun culture and cuisine in Noosh guesthouse. Born and raised in Ashnak, Ani Hovhannisyan decided to return to her hometown after her studies abroad with the goal of promoting and preserving the rich intangible and tangible resources of Ashnak, its people, culture, and history. In this village, Ani and her friend Gayane Malishenko opened a guesthouse and restaurant named Noosh (“almond” in Armenian) after the 23 almond trees in their garden. They renovated and decorated the garden to create a beautiful outdoor restaurant. You will have a chance to discover the tradition cuisine, especially participating in cooking class of klulik. If you time it right, you may catch performances of qochari, yarkhushta, and other traditional dances while you enjoy a delicious meal. (updated Oct 2021)

• 🌍 Noosh Guesthouse, 15th street 1st alley, House 2, ☏ +374 98 93 15 99, +374 55 88 95 54, nooshguesthouse@gmail.com. (updated Oct 2021)