Дерево спарапетов в Иджеване, Natural monument near Aknaghbyur, Tavush Province, Armenia

The Vardan Mamikonyan Oak is a fallen giant Quercus iberica oak near Aknaghbyur village in Tavush Province, within a 0.1-hectare protected zone. Before it was struck by lightning and collapsed in November 1975, it stood about 50 metres tall, with roots rising some 3 metres above the ground. A cold spring flows beside the trunk, and a 1301 khachkar brought here in 1996 stands nearby.

The oak takes its name from Vardan Mamikonian, an Armenian military commander from the 5th century who resisted Persian rule. This connection links the tree to a pivotal moment in Armenian history and defense against foreign dominion.

The site has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries, tied to Vardan Mamikonian, who planted the oak before the Battle of Avarayr in 451. A khatchkar dated 1301, commissioned by a man named Avetis, was brought here in 1996 from Verin Danaghran near Ijevan. A cold spring flows beside the fallen trunk.

The fallen oak lies near Aknaghbyur village in Tavush Province, close to the left bank of the Aghstev River, with a cold spring right beside it. The protected zone covers 0.1 ha. The site is reached by road from Ijevan; the terrain is uneven around the trunk and roots, so sturdy footwear helps.

The oak fell during a thunderstorm in November 1975, after standing for about 1,500 years. Its roots once rose some 3 metres above the ground, and the tree was around 50 metres tall in the 1960s and 1970s. A khachkar dated 1301, commissioned by a man named Avetis, was brought here in 1996 from Verin Danaghran near Ijevan.