GEOGRAPHER'S TRAVEL PHOTOS

Martuni

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Martuni is a small town near the border of Lake Sevan in the southern part of Gegharkunik Province.

We didn't stay in Martuni for a long time. We just had a walk on the streets, tried to visit the church (which was closed) and watched cows that seemed to be everywhere in the town. Locals apparently had fun looking at tourists taking photographs of their town and insisted to be photographed themselves too.

Apart from many other Armenian towns and cities, Martuni has kept it Soviet name. It comes from a Soviet hero with Armenian background, Alexandr Myasnikyan, whose nom de guerre was 'Martuni'. Previously the town has been called with names such as Mets Kznut, Karanlug and Nerkin Karanlukh (or Nerkin Gharanlugh, Nizhniy-Karanlug).