ArmInfo.The Armenian government will allocate more than 450 million drams for the strengthening and repair work in the Amberd fortress. This was stated in a statement by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (MECS) in response to videos about the destruction of the fortress that were distributed on the Internet.
As noted in the statement by the MECS, the restoration work will be carried out within 5-6 years. About 50 million drams will be allocated annually for the implementation of the project. The start of the program will begin this week. Before the start of the work, cleaning work is being carried out inside the castle. "Entrance to the castle will be partially restricted, about which additional information will be provided," the statement by the department says.
The historical complex of Amberd, consisting of a 7th-century castle and an 11th-century church, is located at an altitude of 2,300 meters, on the slope of Mount Aragats, at the confluence of the Arkashen and Amberd rivers.
According to one version, the castle got its name precisely because of its location high in the mountains: "amperi berd" means "fortress in the clouds". It is assumed that the castle was founded by the Kamsarakan princes as their summer residence. Three centuries later, these possessions passed to the powerful princely family of Pahlavuni. In 1026, the Church of the Holy Mother of God was built on the territory of the castle. Above the doorway on the inside, you can still see an inscription indicating that the customer of the temple was the famous military leader Vahram Pahlavuni. Subsequently, the Amberd fortress was bought by the Armenian rulers of the Bagratuni dynasty, who turned the castle into the main outpost of their kingdom.
