Hankavan Hydrological Sanctuary

Hankavan Hydrological Sanctuary is a protected zone in Kotayk region, set on the slopes of the Tsaghkunyats mountain range where the Marmarik river begins, at elevations between 2000 and 2800 meters. It was established in 1981 and covers 9,350 hectares — a large designation for what is, at its core, a narrow mission.

That mission is water, not wildlife or scenery: the reserve exists specifically to keep the underground basins that feed the area's mineral springs free of disturbance. It's a designation built around hydrology — the slow movement of water through the mountainside toward the springs it eventually feeds.

The sanctuary lies in Kotayk region, roughly 56 km north of Yerevan in a straight line, on the upper reaches of the Marmarik river.