HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
THE ABU HAYAT CANAL (“CANAL OF LIFE”)
VIII century BC (782 BC) - XXI century
Founder։
King of Van (Urartu) Argishti I (786-764 BC)
The Canal originates near the Kanaker Hydroelectric
Power Plant (HPP), on the left bank of the Hrazdan River. It passes throughout
the entire city, from the Kanaker-Zeytun district, near the Institute of Fine
Organic Chemistry, along the slopes of Arabkir hills and “Haghtanak”
(“Victory”) park along the areas in the vicinity of Matenadaran. While reaching
the Getar, it passes the left-bank hillside through a special water pipe
descending with the minimum slope of the water flow to the artificial lake of
the present Lyon Park (formerly Vardavar, Comerit Union, Tokhmakhan Lake).
The Canal and the artificial lake were built by the
Urartian king Argishti I, the founder of Erebuni-Yerevan, to provide the
Erebuni fortress with water and irrigate the surrounding lands. The first
written information about the Canal refers to the XVI century. The Canal was
renovated twice during the Persian rule in XVII century. Perhaps at that time
the Canal had already been known as Abu Hayat (traditionally interpreted as “Canal
of life”).
According to tradition, after pretty Abu Hayat’s
suicide, her beloved Tokhmakh Khan threw himself
into this lake. Since then, the Canal has been named Abu Hayat, and the
artificial lake - Tokhmakhan․
In May 1877, the restoration of the Canal was
completed during the Tsarist period. It was expanded, lengthened, and extended
to the lake. A stone bridge was built across the river, and water from the
canal flowed through stone pipes.
After the establishment of the Soviet rule in Armenia,
in parallel with the construction of new canals, the old canals were also
repaired. During the renovation in 1922-1923, the Abu Hayat Canal was widened
three times, ramparts were strengthened, and 15 iron dams were built.
The Abu Hayat Canal joined the Mamri Canal near Sari Tagh
district. After the construction of the Kanaker HPP (1936), the forepart of the
Canal was removed and replaced by a canal taking water from the pressure basin
of this very HPP.
At the beginning of the 1950s, the Canal’s section
passing through Marshal Baghramyan Avenue was covered, and the water, passing
through the 800 m tunnel, spilled into the lake. The Canal had been shortened
because of the construction undertaken during the 1960s and currently does not
reach the lake. It had about 15 km length. The throughput is 0.2 m3/sec.
The Abu Hayat Canal is one of the oldest structures of the water supplement system of old Yerevan and proves the high level of development of watercraft in the Van (Urartu) kingdom.
“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO
Yerevan Municipality
