Artaxata

Artashat

Արտաշատ
View of Khor Virap Monastery. The hill where the monastery was built is the location of ancient Artaxata (near the village of Lusarat)
Artaxata Shown within Armenia Show map of Armenia Artaxata Artaxata (Ararat) Show map of Ararat
Location	South of the modern town of Artashat, Ararat Province, Armenia
Coordinates	39°53′06″N 44°34′35″E / 39.88500°N 44.57639°E / 39.88500; 44.57639
History
Builder	King Artaxias I
Founded	176 BC[1]
Abandoned	7th century

Artashat (Armenian: Արտաշատ), Hellenized as Artaxata (Ancient Greek: Ἀρτάξατα) and Artaxiasata (Ἀρταξιάσατα),^[2] was a major city and commercial center of ancient Armenia which served as the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia from its founding in 176 BC to 120 AD, with some interruptions. It was founded during reign of King Artaxias I (Artashes), the founder of the Artaxiad dynasty. Its ruins are located in the Ararat Province of modern-day Armenia, on the left bank of the Araks River, at the site of the monastery of Khor Virap. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times from the 1st to the 5th centuries AD, before finally being abandoned.

The remains of the great walls of the city and some of its buildings are still visible today.^[3]