HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

8th–7th centuries BC

Constructed during the Kingdom of Van (Urartu), in the 8th century BC, the canal was built to irrigate the gardens near the city of Teishebaini (Karmir Blur). In the Middle Ages, due to disruptions, it ceased to function. In 1815, the last Persian governor (sardar) of Yerevan, Hossein Qoli Khan, ordered the canal to be restored and incorporated it into the general irrigation system.

A legend about Dalma has been preserved, which also explains the origin of its name. Hossein Qoli Khan summoned all skilled craftsmen of the khanate and ordered them to find the source of the ancient canal. Their attempts were unsuccessful. The angry khan ordered their execution, then summoned craftsmen from Maku, Tabriz, and Isfahan. They discovered traces of the ancient canal and, after day-and-night work, opened and cleaned its blocked source and restored the damaged sections. The canal was named Dalma (Deolme), meaning “dug out” or “excavated.”

The canal originates from the right bank of the Hrazdan River, from the same water intake located 1 km downstream from the Kanaker HPP, where the Mamur Canal also begins. It passes through the Ajapnyak and Malatia-Sebastia administrative districts, irrigating the Dalma, Sebastia, Malatia areas, and the vineyards near the beginning of the Etchmiadzin highway.

Part of its route passes through rock-cut tunnels, the smaller of which is 27 m long, and the larger (near the Hrazdan Bridge) is 440 m long. In ancient times, the rock-cut section had vertical shafts every 20 m for cleaning and removing blockages. These shafts are now closed, and a roadway runs above them. The tunnel widths and heights vary between 1 and 4.5 m. The canal was restored in 1923 and 1930–1938. In the early 1960s, some sections were reinforced with concrete to prevent possible collapses.

The Dalma Canal is one of the oldest irrigation structures in the Ararat valley and testifies to the high level of hydraulic engineering development during the Kingdom of Van.