Project on preservation of Karmir Blur to be submitted by Government in the near future

PanARMENIAN.Net - Accompanied by Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan, Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosya and Doctor from Erebuni Museum Gagik Gurdjian, Premier Tigran Sargsyan Tuesday visited the ancient site of Karmir Blur (red hill) to conduct a discussion on arranging the maintenance and preservation of the monument.



Early this year, Armenian Government's control service found out that 40 hectares of the territory was covered by construction waste, while 1.5 hectares formed part of the nearest graveyard.



Dr. Gagik Gurdjian briefed to Premier on the problems and current state of Karmir Blur. Mr. Sargsyan, for his part, said that Government will soon submit the program aimed at the maintenance and development of the historical site. «We must be able to elaborate a strategy enabling us to preserve the historical heritage, making it a tourist attraction site,» he said.



The program also envisages construction of a road along the border of ancient settlement.



Karmir Blur is a hill located on the left bank of Hrazdan river. Archaeologists have found here remains of Teishebaini, an ancient town-castle (VII-VI centuries B.C.) belonging to Urartian kingdom. In the VI century B.C., the castle was seized and burnt.



The historical site of Karmir Blur forms part of Erebuni museum. The excavations conducted here by renowned archaeologist Boris Piotrovsky from late 1930s till 1971 helped reveal items dating from the VII century B.C., i.e. the second period of Vienna Kingdom.