Sakhurak 1

Name: Sakhurak 1
Monument type: Stele
Region: Ararat Province
Periods: Prehistoric

Name: Sakhurak 1

Other nomination: Azhdaha-Yurt

Monument type: Vishapakar (dragon stone)

Province/ Community: Geghama Mountains, Ararat (province), Goght (nearby community in Kotayk)

Type: Fish-type

Material: Light gray porous basalt with lichen.

Preservation:

Monument. Fine (fully preserved – the small part of the tail is broken: based on the book, it lies next to the main part of the stone in Mar and Smirnov’s pictures. The same pictures show that the stone was turned by Mar and Smirnov, resulting in a small oblong pit: now it is in the same position as in the above mentioned pictures).

Image. Good (all the details are preserved).

Context. Good (it’s in the original place).

Size: 475x55x35 cm (without the broken tail section, which should be about 35 cm).

Original Location: Azhdaha-Yurt (nowadays it is called Kati punkt – the Milk Point).

Current location: In the original location

Coordinates: N 40.127532°, E 044.882773°

Altitude: 2505 m

Era and chronology: Middle and Late Bronze Ages, XXIV-XIII centuries BC.

Sakhurak 1: The Enigmatic Fish-Type Dragon Stone

Perched at an impressive altitude of 2,505 meters, Sakhurak 1 stands as a sentinel to the heavens. As you allow yourself to be transported by the enigma and mystique of this treasure, you’ll come to understand what makes it so unique.

Indeed, Sakhurak 1 is no ordinary relic; it is a Vishapakar, a dragon stone, a type of monument found exclusively in the Armenian highlands. Much like the revered cross-stones, these dragon stones are an endemic phenomenon deeply woven into the tapestry of Armenian culture.

This phenomenon, unique to the region, has captured the fascination of archaeologists worldwide, and it will surely captivate you as well.

Sakhurak 1, also known as Azhdaha-Yurt, proudly stands in the heart of the Geghama Mountains, nestled within the ancient province of Ararat and the quaint community of Goght.

Carved from light gray porous basalt adorned with the soft touch of lichen, this ancient fish-type dragon stone exudes an aura of mystique. Its significance extends beyond its material and size, for it represents an exceptional archaeological marvel.
Sakhurak 1 remained largely untouched by time, with only a tiny section of the tail being broken.

Sakhurak 1 offers a window into the distant past, dating back to the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, spanning from the XXIV to the XIII centuries BC. But it’s not just its age that captivates; it’s the traditional legends that surround dragon stones. These monuments are steeped in symbolic weight, their name intertwined with ancient and contemporary legends of the Armenian Highlands.

Dragons, the elemental characters of these legends, are linked with natural phenomena, particularly water. They are also associated with mountain-dwelling giants, adding to the allure of these dragon stones. Some suggest that the name may have originated from the statues’ sheer size, while others delve into allegorical interpretations of their iconography.

FACTS

❈ Sakhurak 1, perched at 2,505 meters, is a unique Armenian dragon stone in the Geghama Mountains, representing an exceptional archaeological marvel.

❈ This ancient monument dates back to the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, providing a window into a distant past from the XXIV
to the XIII centuries BC.

❈ Dragon stones like Sakhurak 1 are deeply woven into Armenian culture and are associated with legends of dragons and
mountain-dwelling giants.

❈ Sakhurak 1 remains remarkably well-preserved, with only a small part of its tail being broken.

❈ The enigmatic nature of these dragon stones has captured the fascination of archaeologists worldwide and is a symbol of
both ancient and contemporary legends in the Armenian Highlands.

🔍 Research history

It was discovered by N. Mar and Y. Smirnov expedition on July 19, 1909. According to the photographic records, the next visit was made in 1911 and 1912.

🧱 Archaeological context description

Immediate. The surrounding stones indicate that it was in a cromlech/platform.

Related. Other dragons, cromlechs.

🧩 Subsidiary usage

It was crucified. On the flat surface of the lower “belly” are carved an isosceles cross rising on a stem, two linear crosses and a partially legible inscription dating back to the XIII century. (Mar, Smirnov), XI century. (H. Petrosyan), XIV century. (A. Harutyunyan).

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🌍 Significance

Vishapakar (dragon stone) is characteristic only of the Armenian highlands and is an endemic phenomenon like khachkar. It appears at an altitude of up to 3200 m from the sea level, which is an exceptional phenomenon according to the world archeology.

📜 Traditional legends

Dragon stones carry a high level of symbolic weight. Their name is related to the ancient and new voluminous and similar legends of the population of the Armenian Highlands, where dragons are elemental characters associated with natural phenomena (especially water) and their regulation. Dragons are often associated with mountain-dwelling giants. On one hand the name could have arisen as a result of the size of the statues, and an allegorical interpretation of their iconography on the other hand.

📚 Sources

Literature

Barseghyan L.A. 1967, The “dragons” of the Geghama Mountains, Historical Journal 4, 181-188.
Karapetyan S. (ed.) 2014, Armenia. Illustrated album, Yerevan, “Zangak”, 89 pages.
Harutyunyan A. 2019, Lithographs of crossed petrified dragon stones, Bobokhyan A., Gilibert A., Hnila P. (ed.), Dragon on the border
of fairy tale and reality, Yerevan, Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, 504-517.
Petrosyan A., 2015, Thirty years later. Dragon stone carvings and the myth of dragon fighting, Petrosyan A., Bobokhyan A. (ed.),
Dragon quarries, Yerevan, “Science”, 13-52.
Marr N.Ya., Smirnov Ya.I. 1931, Vishaps, Leningrad, Ogiz, 108 p.
Piotrovsky B.B. 1939, Vishaps: stone statues in the mountains of Armenia, Leningrad, Armenian Branch of the
Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 40 p.

🕰️ Archive

Mar, Archive 25, pic. Q 560-6, Q 560-11; Khanzadyan, Archive 1, pic. 65 (drawing by L. Barseghyan), 66 (photo).
Mar, Archive 25 – Geghama Mountains, 1908-1912, 83 photographs, 21 negatives, Photo archive of the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the
Russian Academy of Sciences, fund 23 – N.Ya. Marr.
Khanzadyan, Archive 1 – Materials related to Vishapakars, 1967-1987, 152 photos, 3 drawings, 1 map (in Armenian, Russian and English), “Service for the
Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum Reservations” SNCO E. Khanzadyan fund, Maps: Hamlet Sargsyan’s personal archive (Institute of
Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia), Yerevan.