Ashtarak

Ashtarak Աշտարակ
From top left: Ashtarak town • Ashtarak bridge of 1664 Karmravor Church • Saint Marianeh Church • Surp Sarkis Church House-museum of Perch Proshyan • the statue of Nerses Ashtaraketsi
Seal
Ashtarak Աշտարակ
Coordinates: 40°17′51″N 44°21′42″E / 40.29750°N 44.36167°E / 40.29750; 44.36167
Country	Armenia
Marz	Aragatsotn
First mentioned	9th century
City status	1963
Government
• Mayor	Armen Antonyan
Area
• Total	7.5 km2 (2.9 sq mi)
Elevation	1,110 m (3,640 ft)
Population (2011 census)
• Total	18,834
• Density	2,500/km2 (6,500/sq mi)
Time zone	AMT (UTC+4)
Postal code	0201-0205
Area code(s)	(+374) 232
Website	Official website
Sources: Population

Coordinates: 40°17′51″N 44°21′42″E / 40.29750°N 44.36167°E / 40.29750; 44.36167

Ashtarak (Armenian: Աշտարակ), is a town in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, northwest of the capital Yerevan. It is the administrative centre of the Aragatsotn province. Ashtarak is an important crossroad of routes for the Yerevan–Gyumri–Vanadzor rectangle.

The town plays a great role in the national economy as well as the cultural life of Armenia through several industrial enterprises and cultural institutions. It has developed as a satellite town of Yerevan. The nearby village of Mughni is part of the Ashtarak municipality.

As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 18,834. However, as per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Ashtarak is 18,000.

The name of "Ashtarak" is the Armenian word for tower or fortress. However, according to linguist Grigor Ghapantsyan, the name of Ashtarak is derived from Ishtar (Ashtar); the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility. Contrary, the latest historical researches proved that the name of Ishtar was never used in the Armenian mythology during the ancient times. Instead, the goddess of fertility was known as Shardi or Sardi in the ancient kingdom of Urartu, and later became to be known as Astghik among the Armenian monks.