Masis Մասիս | |
|---|---|
 The centre of Masis with Saint Thaddeus Church | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Masis  Masis | |
| Coordinates:40°03′48″N44°26′27″E / 40.06333°N 44.44083°E /40.06333; 44.44083 | |
| Country | Armenia |
| Province | Ararat |
| Municipality | Masis |
| Founded | 1953 |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.7 km2 (2.2 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 854 m (2,802 ft) |
| Population (2022 census) | |
• Total | 20,081[1] |
| • Rank | Armenia: 15th |
| Time zone | UTC+4 |
| Area code | +374(236) |
| Website | Official website |
| Sources: Population[2] | |
Masis (Armenian:Մասիս) is a town and administrative centre of theMasis Municipality of theArarat Province ofArmenia, located on the left bank of theHrazdan River, 9 km southwest ofYerevan towardsMount Ararat. The town has a large railroad commodity station that serves Yerevan, and used to connect the capital city with theNakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic until the closing of the border withAzerbaijan.
Masis is one of the closest settlements to Mount Ararat andLittle Ararat. The mountains are visible from most of the areas in the town.
As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 20,215. As per the 2016 official estimate, the town has a population of 18,500. As of the 2022 census, the population of the town was 20,081 and is the biggest town in the Ararat Province.[1]
Masis (Մասիս) is the Armenian name for the peak of Mount Ararat.[3] TheHistory of Armenia derives the name from kingAmasia, the great-grandson of the Armenian patriarchHayk, who is said to have called the mountainMasis after his own name.[3]
Historically, the territory of modern-day Masis was included within theVostan Hayots canton of the historical province ofAyrarat ofAncient Armenia.
Masis originally consisted of three villages:Narimanlu,Zangibasar, andUlukhanlu. During the period of theFirst Republic of Armenia (1918–1920), the Turkic-speaking Muslim population of Zangibasar and other nearby villages, with the support of theAzerbaijan Democratic Republic,rebelled against Armenian authorities with the intention of attaching the area to Azerbaijan.[4] After issuing an ultimatum to the rebels to submit to Armenian rule, which was rejected, Armenian forces recaptured Zangibasar on 20 June 1920 and drove out some of the Turkic population of the village․[4] The Turkic population of Ulukhanlu, on the other hand, remained loyal to Armenian rule.[4]
Masis was officially founded by theSoviet government in 1953 asHrazdan, after the merger of the villages ofNarimanlu,Zangibasar, andUlukhanlu. In 1969 the settlement was renamedMasis to become the centre of the re-foundedMasis raion (formerly known asZangibasar raion form 1937 until it was abolished in 1953). Within 2 years, Masis was given the status of anurban-type settlement in 1971.
The settlement was developed as centre for agricultural products and light industries during the Soviet years. It gradually became home to many large firms including theAl. Miasnikian furniture factory, the Masis unit of the Yerevan carpet weaving factory, as well as branch of the Yerevan paper manufacturing plant.
After thedissolution of the Soviet Union, Masis was granted the status of a town within the newly-formedArarat Province, based on the new law of the territorial administration of the Republic of Armenia passed in 1995.
Masis is connected with a number of villages stretching up to theAras River at the border withTurkey. At nights, one can see the lights of many Kurdish villages on the slopes of Mount Ararat in Turkey.
Masis is located in theArarat plain on the left bank ofHrazdan River, 16 km southwest of Yerevan on the road to theancient city of Artashat. It has an average height of 854 meters above sea level.
Summer in general is short but hot in Masis, while winter is relatively long and very cold.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | 2,800 | — | ||
| 1926 | 2,098 | −0.99% | ||
| 1939 | 1,195 | −4.24% | ||
| 1959 | 3,138 | +4.95% | ||
| 1970 | 4,961 | +4.25% | ||
| 1975 | 8,142 | +10.42% | ||
| 1980 | 13,248 | +10.23% | ||
| 2001 | 21,376 | +2.30% | ||
| 2004 | 20,215 | −1.84% | ||
| 2022 | 20,081 | −0.04% | ||
| ||||
| Source:[5] | ||||
Masis has a 16th-century chapel named after Saint Thaddeus, and a 19th-century church known as the Holy Mother of God.
Currently, the town has a public library and a music school named afterArno Babajanian.
The World War II monument erected in 1983 is one of the main landmarks of Masis.
Masis has a railway station since the formation of the town. It used to connectYerevan withNakhchivan as well asIran during the Soviet era. However, after the dissolution of the USSR, the station was abandoned.
The M-2 Motorway that connects the capital Yerevan with southern Armenia, passes through the eastern borders of the town of Masis.
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The industrial district of Masis occupies the western half of the town. Unfortunately, most of the Soviet industry in Masis was abandoned after the independence of Armenia. However, Masis is currently a major centre for tobacco products in Armenia and Transcaucasia, with 2 giant manufacturers:Masis Tobacco factory (since 1999) andInternational Masis Tabak factory (since 2002).
It is also home to theGrand Master corrugated cardboard packaging manufacturing and label printing factory (since 1995),Masis Garun knitting factory (since 1995),Berma company for construction and building materials (since 1997),Masis Woodcraft factory (since 2004),Medical Horizons pharmaceuticals factory (since 2005),[6]Masis Woodworking Center, andSonomad plant for building materials .
Masis is home to the largest slaughterhouse in Armenia, theVoske Katsin Armenian-Iranian joint-venture.[7] It was founded in 2015 and became the first slaughterhouse in Armenia that provides its products with theHalal certification.[8]
As of 2017, Masis has 6 public education schools and 6 kindergartens. It is also home to the Masis State Agricultural College.
Masis FC represented the town in the domestic football competitions until 1994 when the club was dissolved due to financial difficulties.
The Masis Children and Youth Sports School named afterArmen Nazaryan was opened in September 2016.[9]
On March 28, 2017, the construction of a new sports centre was launched in the town of Masis, with the donation of the Adibekyan Family Foundation for Advancement (AFFA).[10] The centre which is set to be completed in June 2018 with a cost of US$2 million, will have fields for mini-football, basketball, outdoors sports, as well as a children's playground and a social family club.[11]
40°03′48″N44°26′27″E / 40.06333°N 44.44083°E /40.06333; 44.44083
