Dastakert (established in 1951, granted with the status of a town in 1995) is located 220 km south of the capital Yerevan, on the northern slopes of Bargushat, at an average height of 1900 meters above sea level.
Dastakert is the smallest Armenian urban community in terms of both population and area.
The total area of the town is 0.5 km². As of the January 1st 2017 census, the population of the town is 298.
Population of the town is engaged in cattle breeding and beekeeping. During the Soviet era, the mining industry was the leading branch of the economy; currently, people are working in order to reopen the copper and molybdenum mines.
Dastakert is currently home to a public education high school, a cultural centre, a music school, as well as a public library.
There is a lithographic inscription 2 km north of Dastakert, on a rock known by the locals as Vardapet, dating back to the 14th century.
Translated by Kristina Ghahramanyan
SYUNIK
