The “Machen Jyur” Spring of Togh

Historical Overview

Historical information about the spring is missing. According to the Certificate of Preservation of Monuments of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Artsakh Republic, it was built at the beginning of the 20^th century, but it may be older. In Togh and its surroundings there are a number of springs, the most famous of which are “Shenin”, “Salmanen” and “Kosen” springs (Ghahramanyan 2015, 134). Kosen or Kos, as well as Salmane springs are located outside the village; Shenin spring is located at the entrance of Togh melik’s palace. “Machen Jyur “ spring in the Artsakh dialect means water/spring inside or in the middle, as the spring is located in the central part of the old Togh.

Architectural-Compositional Description

The spring is built of limestone. It is a structure with a rectangular plan and a cubic volume, which includes the proper source and the water collecting bowl. The part of the fountain has the volume of an arched vault, the lower part of which has a built-in nave or drinker. The front and edge parts, the drinker and the opening of the bowl in the north-western part are built of hewn stone. The small opening leads to the water collecting bowl to be cleaned or repaired (fig. 1, 2). There was an inscription under the arch, which is now illegible because it is plastered. The spring is 5.9 meters long, 4.7 meters wide and 3.1 meters high.