Dastakert (Armenian: Դաստակերտ, also, Dastagird, Dastagir) (Persian and Urdu: داستاکرت) is a town in the Syunik Province (marz) of Armenia. It is located on a distance of 236 km south to the capital Yerevan and 127 km north-west to the city of Kapan. Dastakert was known as a town since 1951. The town is situated on the foot of the mountain Airy, at the root of the river Dastakert, on a height of 2050 meters above sea level. Dastakert was first mentioned as a village in the history by Stepanos Orbelian in 12-13th centuries. Dastakert forms an urban community (municipality). The National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia (ARMSTAT) reported its population was 303 in 2010, up from 287 at the 2001 census.
In 1951 Dastakert has gaind the status of town, and in 1952 the copper-molybdenum plant was built there. In 1968, during the Soviet heyday, there were 4000 residents in Dastakerd. After the copper-molybdenum plant shut its doors in 1975, the population has harshly declined, and all that remained from the town's boom period was only its status as an urban community. Nowadays, only 303 residents live in Dastakert. Most residents are refugees from Azerbaijan. 2-3 children are born in Dastakerd on a yearly basis.
Currently, 1 secondary school, 1 cultural centre, a musical school and a library are regularly operating in the town. There is a lithographic inscription 2 km north of the settlement on a rock called Vardapet-Stone.
Economy:
In 1995, the government of independent Armenia, reaffirmed the status of Dastakert as a town within the Syunik province. Only 8% of the town's residents have jobs, mostly in the post office, the municipality and the school. A branch of Zangezour copper-molybdenum plant with its ore-dressing mill was built on the base of the old copper-molybdenum plant of Dastakert.
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