Kapan, Syunik Province, Armenia

🇦🇲 Kapan is a town in south-east Armenia, serving as the administrative centre of the urban community of Kapan as well as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji River and is on the northern slopes of Mount Khustup.

Kapan is the largest town in the Syunik province as well as the entire region of southern Armenia. It is located in the eastern part of Syunik, within the narrow valley of the Voghji River with a length of 13 km (8 mi) from the east to the west, at the south-eastern slopes of the Zangezur Mountains, between the Bargushat and Meghri ridges.

The town is about 80 km (50 mi) north of the Iranian border. With a height of 3201 meters, Mount Khustup is the highest peak of the region. The elevation of Kapan is 750–1050 meters above sea level, with an average height of 910 meters. Two tributaries of the Voghji River, Vachagan and Kavart, flow through the town.

The historic part of Kapan is located around 10 km (6 mi) km west of the modern-day town. As one of the historic settlements of Armenia, Kapan and the surrounding areas are home to many heritage monuments of Armenian architecture, including: • Baghaberd Fortress of the 4th century, also known as the castle of Davit Bek. • The medieval bridge of Kapan dating back to 871. • Tatev Monastery of the 9th century, founded in the place of an ancient tabernacle well known in ancient times. • Vahanavank Monastery of the 11th century. • Halidzor Fortress of the 17th century.

Economy Kapan is struggling to cope with the realities of post-Karabakh war and post-Soviet society. However, there are signs of growth and development. Kapan is primarily a mining centre, hence its Qajar era Persian name of معدن (Ma'dan, meaning "mine").

Kapan has been a major centre for the production of many non-ferrous metals. The Kapan mining company is currently owned by Chaarat plc, a British company. It is currently working the Shahumyan deposit and produces around 65,000 ounces of gold equivalent in copper and zinc concentrates per year.

Kapan is home to many industrial firms. The largest firms are the "Kapan CH.SH.SH". for building materials founded in 1947, the Kapan machine tools plant founded in 1972, the Sonatex knitting factory founded in 1985, and Marila LLC for meat and dairy products founded in 2010.

Tourism is growing in the region of Kapan. The nearby cableway of the Wings of Tatev connecting Halidzor village with the Tatev Monastery has greatly contributed in the development of the sector. Many hotels and mountain resorts are set to open in the near future, while the upcoming opening of the Syunik Airport of Kapan will increase tourist access. Ark Ecological NGO, headquartered in Kapan, has been working on the development of ecotourism in the Syunik region since 2013, and is currently building hiking trail infrastructure to connect Kapan and the Tatev Monastery.