Pemzashen

Coordinates: 40°35′36″N 43°56′24″E / 40.59333°N 43.94°E / 40.59333; 43.94

Pemzashen Պեմզաշեն
Pemzashen Պեմզաշեն
Coordinates: 40°35′36″N 43°56′24″E / 40.59333°N 43.94°E / 40.59333; 43.94
Country	Armenia
Province	Shirak
Government
– Mayor	Ananik Voskanyan
Population (2008)
– Total	2,646

Pemzashen (Armenian: Պեմզաշեն; formerly, Makhmudzhug, Mahmnutcuk, and Magmudzhuk) is a village in the Shirak Province of Armenia. During the Soviet era a sewing factory, construction materials plant, and a parts factory to supply hydro-electric stations were based out of Pemzashen. After the collapse of the USSR, most of the village's residents have found themselves out of work and many of the men have moved to Russia to find jobs. In the past 15 years, over 300 families have moved away from the village. There is also the problem of a lack of irrigation water for crops or household gardens, and the land around the village is not flat or fertile (due to no irrigation). Plans are currently underway to put in an irrigation system.

In the middle of village is a 7th century church adjacent to the foundations of a 5th century basilica. Just west of the village off of the main road leading from Pemzashen to Artik is Arakelots Vank of the 11th century. Along the road south to Lernakert, is also Makaravank built in the 10th to 13th centuries, with the church of Surb Sion of 1001. In the gorge below is a small church built on earlier foundations constructed in the 18th century with a hermits cell cut into the cliff face behind.

Gallery

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  Pemzashen Church of the 7th c.

References

• Pemzashen 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
• Kiesling, Brady (2005), Rediscovering Armenia: Guide, Yerevan, Armenia: Matit Graphic Design Studio 
• Brady Kiesling, Rediscovering Armenia, p. 77; original archived at Archive.org, and current version online on Armeniapedia.org.

External links

• Article: Pemzashen