HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
DALMA CANAL
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.
