Aragats Alpine Sanctuary

Aragats Alpine Sanctuary is one of Armenia's 26 state sanctuaries, a 300-hectare protected area set on the Aragats massif between 3200 and 3500 meters. It was established in 1959, in Aragatsotn region near Aparan.

The reserve was created specifically to protect Kari Lake, a glacial lake, and the alpine meadows around it.

The sanctuary lies in Aragatsotn region near the town of Aparan, on the Aragats massif, roughly 38 km north-northwest of Yerevan as a straight line.

At 3200–3500 meters, snow cover lingers far longer here than in the lowlands, so conditions at the lake and meadows shift sharply with the season.