The Vorotan (Armenian: Որոտան) or Bargushad (Azerbaijani: Bərgüşad) or Bazarchay (Azerbaijani: Bazarçay), is a river in Transcaucasia that is the largest right tributary of the Hakari river.[1] The river originates in the mountains of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar District and flows into Armenia's Syunik Province. It then flows through Armenia for 119 kilometres (74 mi) in a generally south-easterly direction. The river then enters Azerbaijan again, flowing for 43 km (27 mi) through the districts of Qubadli and Zangilan. The lower section of the Hakari, from its confluence with the Vorotan until its confluence with the Aras river, is sometimes considered to be part of the Vorotan.[2][3][4]

Vorotan Bargushad, Bazarchay
The Vorotan in Sisian
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Location
Countries	Armenia and Azerbaijan
Physical characteristics
Mouth	Hakari
• coordinates	39.2037°N 46.7170°E / 39.2037; 46.7170
Length	162 km (101 mi)
Discharge
• average	21.5 m3/s (760 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Hakari→ Aras→ Kura→ Caspian Sea

Course of the river

The river mostly flows through mountainous country and in several places has formed deep canyons. The towns of Sisian and Qubadli lie along its course. Six kilometers from Sisian, the river forms a waterfall — the "Shaki Waterfall" (Armenian: Շաքիի ջրվեժ) — that is 18m high.[5] The river forms a natural monument — the "Devil's Bridge" — near Tatev Monastery. There are mineral pools at the base of the travertine arch.

Damming the river

During the Soviet period, three reservoirs forming the Vorotan Cascade were constructed. They supply Armenia with hydro-electric power and water for irrigation. To increase the volume of water in Lake Sevan, a 21.6-kilometre (13.4 mi) tunnel was constructed to abstract some of the Vorotan's waters and divert them to the lake.[6] Begun during the 1980s, work was stopped in 1988, when only 18 km (11 mi) had been completed, because of the outbreak of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The Armenian government finally completed the Vorotan tunnel in 2003. Prior to this, a second tunnel — "Arpa–Sevan" — was completed in 1981.[7] This diverts some water from the Arpa River for Lake Sevan. The waters coming through the two tunnels has resulted in the lake's water level rising. In 2007 it was reported that the water level had risen by 2.44 metres (8.0 ft) in the previous six years.[8]

Gallery

• 
  Shaki Waterfall
• 
  The "Devil's Bridge" natural arch near Tatev Monastery
• 
  The base of the "Devil's Bridge" 1 km from Goris
• 
  Natural arch near Karahunj village on the Goris-Kapan highway above the river
• 
  The Vorotan flowing through Qubadli District

References

На других языках

[de] Worotan

[it] Vorotan

[ru] Воротан