Aghdzk

40°18′59″N 44°15′13″E / 40.31639°N 44.25361°E / 40.31639; 44.25361

Place in Aragatsotn, Armenia

Aghdzk Աղձք
Aghtsk
Aghdzk Show map of Armenia Aghdzk Show map of Aragatsotn
Coordinates: 40°18′59″N 44°15′13″E / 40.31639°N 44.25361°E / 40.31639; 44.25361
Country	Armenia
Province	Aragatsotn
Municipality	Ashtarak
Elevation	1,260 m (4,130 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	1,785
Time zone	UTC+4

Aghdzk (Armenian: Աղձք) is a village in the Ashtarak Municipality of the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It is home to the Arshakid Mausoleum, a large grave monument complex and basilica of the 4th to 5th centuries. King Shapur II of Persia exhumed the bones of the Armenian kings and took them to Persia symbolically taking Armenia's power. When Sparapet Vassak Mamikonian defeated the Persians and reclaimed the bones of the Arshakuni monarchs, he buried them at Aghdzk. Remains of the monuments and the basilica may still to be seen.

Aghdzk is the birthplace of Catholicos Komitas I of Armenia (6th century-628).

Gallery

Panorama view of Mount Ararat and the Ararat plain from Dzorap

Road map of Aghdzk and region
Arshakid Mausoleum
Entrance
Church ruins (7c.)
Entrance stairs
Right niche
Left niche

References

Aghdzk at GEOnet Names Server
World Gazetteer: Armenia^{[dead link]} – World-Gazetteer.com
Report of the results of the 2001 Armenian Census
Kiesling, Rediscovering Armenia, p. 16, available online at the US embassy to Armenia's website