Nor Hachen
Coordinates: 40°18′07″N 44°34′59″E / 40.30194°N 44.58306°E
| Nor Hachen Նոր Հաճըն | |
|---|---|
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Nor Hachen | |
  Nor Hachen | |
| Coordinates: 40°18′0″N 44°34′48″E / 40.30000°N 44.58000°E | |
| Country | Armenia |
| Province | Kotayk |
| founded | 1953 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gagik Matevosyan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,920 m (6,300 ft) |
| Population (2011 census) | |
| • Total | 9,307 |
| • Density | 4,000/km2 (10,000/sq mi) |
| Website | Official web |
| Sources: Population [1] | |
Nor Hachen (Armenian: Նոր Հաճըն), is a town in the Kotayk Province of Armenia, founded in 1953. The town is located on the right bank of Hrazdan River, to the west of the Arzni canyon, on the immediate proximity of the Arzni-Shamiram canal.
Nor Hachen is bordered by the Arzni village and the town of Byureghavan from the east, the village of Nor Geghi from the north, the village of Nor Artamet from the west and the village of Getamej from the south. The Yeghvard training airfield is located to the west of Nor Hachen.
The town has a population of 9,307 as per the 2011 census.
History
The geographical location of present-day Nor Hachen corresponds with the location of the historical Kotayk canton of the Ayrarat province of the ancient Greater Armenia.
In 1953, a small settlement was founded near the village of Arzni to accommodate the workers of the nearby hydro power plants, mainly the Arzni Hydro Power Plant which was opened in 1956. Subsequently the settlement became popularly known as "Silovoy" (the Russian naming of the power generator of the plant). With the establishment of the "Sapfir" stone-processing factory in 1958, along with many other industrial plants, a planned urban settlement was developed in the area of Silovoy settlement. During the 1960s, the new settlement was named Nor Hachen (New Haçin) in memory of the Armenian town of Hachen in Cilicia (nowadays known as Saimbeyli in modern-day Turkish Republic).[2]
Between 1988 and 1990, 374 Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan were resettled in Nor Hachen.
Nor Hachen used to be a major industrial centre within the Armenian SSR. However, after the independence of Armenia in 1991, very few industrial plants have survived in the town.
The town is home to the "Lori" diamond-processing plant since 1992. The other; "Shoghakn" diamond-processing plant was closed in 2007.[3]
Culture
Nor Hachen has many cultural institutions, including a central library, a school of arts opened in 1968 and a house of culture opened in 1971.
In 1973, a memorial to the Haçin resistance was erected in Nor Hachen. It was designed by architect Rafael Israelyan. The memorial is home to the museum of "History of the Armenians of Cilicia". Every year, on the 2nd Sunday of Octoeber, Armenians from all over the world -mainly descendants of the historical town of Haçin- are gathered in Nor Hachen to commemorate the 1920 Hachen Resistance.
The town has 1 nursery school, 4 primary schools and 1 high school.
Sport
Hachen FC was a football club from Nor Hachen, used to play their home games at the Hachen City Stadium of 5,000 seats. The club was dissolved in early 1997 due to financial difficulties and is currently inactive from professional football.
Gallery
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Memorial to the Haçin resistance in Nor Hachen, erected in 1973
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The statue of Metsn Murad
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Surp Amenaprkich (Holy Saviour) Church
