One of the 7 Wonders of Armenia One of the beauties of Armenian nature is situated in one of the picturesque corners of nature at 3 km to NorthWest from the city of Sisian. This region is known for its wonderful monuments of nature, the treasure among which is Shaqe waterfall on the rivulet of Vorotan River.
To admire the beauty of this wonderful scenic view it is worth travelling to Syunik region – the most mountainous region of Armenia.
Certainly, the beauty of the waterfall is beyond doubts, but there is also an emotive story connected with the name of waterfall. Are you interested? Well, I am here to present the story. And so… Legend tells that in ancient times a beautiful young girl with black eyes and long curly hair lived in one of the mountainous settlements of Sisian. Her name was Shaqe. At that time Armenia’s adversary mongol-tatar troops invaded the region of Syunik. Being charmed with the beauty of Armenian highlands their commander expresses a desire to get married with the most beautiful girl of Armenia. He sends his servants to find the most beautiful girl of the region. So, travelling from village to village they saw Shaqe. Being refused from the girl the servants decided to kidnap her.
What do you think happened then? An Armenian girl of freedom-loving spirit couldn’t become the captive of the commander of the Armenia’s enemy. And she escaped…
Running to the gorge of Vorotan River Shaqe noticed the invaders pursuing her, and then suddenly saw the cliff in front of her. To get rid of pursuit she threw herself to the gorge making a decision to live free in people’s memories forever.
This is merely a beautiful and touching story of how the waterfall was named in honor of Shaqe, but today we can notice the magnificent look of the waterfall to see its waters rushing down constantly. This scene will for a long time remind us about the beautiful girl – Shaqe. The massive waters of this picturesque waterfall, rushing down from the height of 18 meters, resemble Shaqe’s long beautiful hair falling on her shoulders. People always try to find edges of comparison between the real world and the legends having deep roots in the history. Perhaps you will also notice that similarity. As you throw a sudden glance to the precipitating waters of Shaqe waterfall, the figure of the same beautiful girl with her long curly hair appears in front of your eyes. Precipitating to the gorge of Vorotan River, waterfall merges with the canyon making a magical and mysterious unity. It is not in vain that the waterfall of Shaqe is considered to be “one of the 7 wonders of Syunik”. It is equally beautiful in every season of the year and it is often compared with the most beautiful waterfall of the world – Victoria Falls.
The region of Syunik has been always attracting people’s attention from the ancient times. People were coming here from different corners of the country to have a rest in the arms of gorgeous nature. The nature is truly unique in Syunik region, the natural treasures of which are Shaqe waterfall and gorge of Vorotan River.