Sacred tree

Once upon a time Skhtorashen village was lively, full with people. Nowadays it is almost abandoned and the lush vegetation of Karabakh takes over the sites where some decades ago were standing houses. War and political uncertaintly have left heavy toll on this gorgeous land.

Not far from the village stands silent witness – giant tree. This plane-tree, reportedly, is more than 2,000 years old and has seen a lot during its long life. According to stories this tree – Tnjri – has been visited by many famous people – such as inventor of Armenian alphabet Mesrop Mashtots (the 5th century AD), first Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi (the 5th century AD), musician and poet Sayat-Nova (the 18th century).

Tree is sacred to local people and traditions prohibit to do any harm to Tnjri. Not always this veneration is good for tree – there are left countless inscriptions in the giant hollow, often there have been left burning candles in the hollow.

Unfortunately more than once there have been attempts to incinerate the tree in the past but nevertheless it lives. For a while there was hired a guard to protect Tnjroi.

Largest plane-tree in the world?

Circumference of the tree is very large – 27 m. It is not known to Wondermondo whether this is measured at the base of Tnjri or at the classic 1.3 m height. One source (In Russian: Anokhin G.I., 1999., Three fates) states that circumference at the base is 31.5 m, thus it is possible that 27 m are measured at the breast height.

Height of Tnjri is very impressive – 54 m. Tree has a hollow with area of 44 m², the projection of foliage on the ground is 1,400 m² large.

Between the roots of this tree starts Tengru spring – main supply of water to Skhtorashen village. Tengru in Armenian means “remote water”.

Tnjri was declared to be the largest and oldest tree in former Soviet Union. Most likely it is the largest plane-tree in the world.

It is known that some time ago there was a larger one: in the last century there existed giant plane-tree in Turkey, Büyükdere village which, reportedly, had 32 m circumference – but no trace of this tree remains.

Tnjri is included in the following list:

Tnjri on the map

Location, GPS coordinates:	39.7045 N 46.9406 E
Categories:	Trees
Values:	Biology, History
Rating:
Where is located?	Asia, Azerbaijan, Yukhari-Karabakh, Khojavend Rayon, Skhtorashen (Şıx Dursun) village
Alternate names:	Skhtorashen plane-tree, Sose’s Tree, Qirmizi Bazar plane-tree, Karmir Shuka plane-tree, Krasnij Bazar plane-tree
Name in Armenian:	Տնջրի
Species:	Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis L.)
Circumference:	27 m
Height:	54 m

Landmarks of Azerbaijan

Few countries have such unusual, exotic landmarks as Azerbaijan. Here are found such natural and man made wonders as most of world’s mud volcanoes, natural eternal flames, town with 300 km long bridges and others.

Trees

Category includes some of the most impressive and interesting separate trees of the the world. Total number of tree species in the world still is a wild guess – may be 10,000 and may be 100,000 but most likely somewhere in between. Every month there are reported new tree species from the whole world, including the Western Europe.

Recommended books

Karabakh: The Secret Garden

A photographic portrait of the country of the impossible. A little known part of Armenia, Karabakh has been fought over for centuries. This lush, green mountainous region is made up of unexplored forests, timeless villages, and two cities that were once capitals in different ages. In short, a last, unforgettable paradise.

Ancient Trees: Trees That Live For 1,000 Years

Parker’s many beautiful, full-color images contribute a great deal, but what makes this book especially interesting is a discussion of the roles these trees have played through the ages in human religions, myths, economies, and everyday life.