Mount Bardogh

Mount Bardogh is clearly seen from Armavir region of Armenia. We have admired the view of this mount many times from the top of Mount Arteni. When we traveled to Historical Armenia, on the way from Kars to Bayazet, everyone asked what kind of mountain it was. After knowing its name and history of the Mount Bardogh, many people wanted to climb it.

This time we became the first citizens of Armenia to set foot on the top of this mountain.

The road to Historical Armenia

Climbing Bardogh

The car reaches the settlement called Akoluk, which now is an Azerbaijani village. Most likely people do not live here in winter.

Akoluk village on the slopes of Bardogh

From the village to the top of the mountain there is only 300 m relative altitude. However, these 300 meters are the cliff, which everyone admires from afar. This is the most dangerous part of Bardogh. From the top of a mountain opens an incredible view of the Haykakan par (“Armenian dance”) mountain range and the Araks valley.

Mount Bardogh

Geography

Mount Bardogh is one of the most distinctive mountains of Haykakan par mountain range, with the height of 2562 m. Mountain has a volcanic origin and is rich with waters and flowers.

At different times, different peoples called it Bardogh, Bardugh, Bartogh, Mount Bartughyan, Tekelti, Takialti, Takialtu, Perili.

It starts from the Sinak peak of Haykakan par mountain range and stretches from the north-west to the north-east, the length is about 28 km, and ends with the pointed peak of the same name.

Koghbasar

Mount Bardokh is also known as Mount Koghb or Koghbasar. At the foot of the mountain there used to be a village called Koghb. Now on its place there is a Turkish town called Tuzluca, which means “salt mine”.

Village Koghb was famous with its salt mines. In the past Koghb was a part of Ayrarat region of the Kingdom of Greater Armenia.

Mount Bardogh

Martiros Koghbatsi

During the first invasion of Tamerlane in 1387, Martiros Koghbatsi with the brave men of the village set up a base on this mountain and heroically resisted the invaders.

“The Salt Road”

In Armenia, people mined salt since ancient times. Salt mines of Kaghzvan, Nakhchivan, Koghb were especially famous for their reserves and high quality of mining.

“The Salt Road” that is mentioned in Armenian manuscripts of the early middle ages, is associated with the Koghb mine.

From Koghb many roads stretched to different districts of Armenia and other countries. Through these roads, people transferred the salt. This road was called the Salt Road. Unlike the famous Silk Road, it did not pass through Armenia, but began on its territory, in the village of Koghb.

Starting from Koghb, the Salt Road passed through Yervandashat, then along the left valley of Akhuryan River it stretched to Bayandur-Aleksadropol (Gyumri)-Gorelovka-Bogdanovka (Ninotsminda). Here the road divided into two parts. One of them stretched to Tbilisi, the other one to Kutaisi.

The Salt Road was actively used until the beginning of the 20th century. It gradually lost its importance after the opening of the Yerevan-Tbilisi railway in 1902.

Salt from Koghb was exported to the Middle East and other territories through the Haykakan Par mountain range. One of its gorges was called the Salt Gorge.

According to the Treaty of Kars of 1921, Koghb went to the territory of Turkey.

Photos by Tigran Shahbazyan and Sipan Grig

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