Akhtala Fortress: Location
The Fortress of Akhtala is located in the village of Akhtala in Lori Province. Note that the village is rather quiet and the number of inhabitants is approximately 2800.
Akhtala Fortress: General and Brief History
The Fortress of Akhtala was built in the tenth century by Gurgen (Kyurikeh) Bagratuni. It was erected on a large promontory.
The deep and rocky canyons around the fortress used to serve as a natural barrier. The considerably accessible areas were protected by towers and gates. The only entrance to the fortress is from the north. The entrance was protected by a three-floor conical tower, which had a circular layout, and gates. The tower, which dates back to the 13th century, is built into the fortress walls.
The fortress is made of bluish basalt.
Akhtala Fortress: Climate
Weather plays a crucial role in visiting a particular site, since bad weather can simply make you give up on plans, while you are not in Armenia forever. So as usual, the best time to visit a foreign country is in summer, especially if your travel destination is Armenia. As for visiting Akhtala Fortress, you should know that the climate there is usually subtropical. In general, summers are dry and cool, while winters are mild.
Akhtala Fortress: Getting There
First off, it will take more or less four hours to get there. If you don’t have a car, then consider taking a bus or a taxi. Note that, there is no any bus that will take you directly to the fortress. You will have to take two buses. The first one will take you to Vanadzor from Khorenatsi Street. Afterward, you can either take a taxi from Vanadzor or a bus that goes to the village of Akhtala.
If the stops and the vehicle changes do not appear convenient for you, especially if you are going to be on the road for four hours, then take a taxi. It will cost you around 15000 Dram (approximately $37).
Akhtala Fortress: Inside
As you go through the fortress you will note the magnificent Monastery of Akhtala, which is perhaps one of the most outstanding architectural structures in all Armenia. The monastery was built in the times of the Armenian Renaissance.The monastery’s main church is Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother). The church includes frescoes, which add to the overall interior of the church and make it astounding. The frescoes depict scenes from the New and Old Testaments. To get a clearer idea of how impressive those frescoes are it should be said that at first they came with such vivid colors that the priest who could see that the colors distracted people’s attention from the Mass, ordered them to be covered with lime.
Lastly, the naming of the fortress and the monastery is believed to have Turkic origin and to be first mentioned in 1438. On this score, Akhtala means “white glade.”
