Artashat (Armenian: Արտաշատ; Hellenized as Artaxata: Greek: Ἀρτάξατα), is a city on Araks River in the Ararat valley, 30 km southeast of Yerevan. Being one of the oldest cities of Armenia, Artashat is the capital of Ararat Province. Modern Artashat is situated on the Yerevan-Nakhichevan-Baku and Nakhichevan-Tabriz railway and on Yerevan-Goris-Stepanakert highway. The name of the city is derived from Iranian languages and means the "joy of Arta". Founded by King Artashes I in 176 B.C., Artashat served as the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia from 185 BC until 120 AD, and was known as the "Vostan Hayots" or "court" or "seal of the Armenians."

Present-day Artashat is a mid-sized city and has a population of 25,300 people. It is located 5 km northwest from historical Artashat.

King Artashes I founded Artashat in 185 BC in the region of Vostan within the historical province of Ayrarat, at the point where Araks river was joined by Metsamor river during that ancient eras, near the heights of Khor Virap. The story of the foundation is given by the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi of the fifth century: "Artashes traveled to the location of the confluence of the Yeraskh and Metsamor [rivers] and taking a liking to the position of the hills [adjacent to Mount Ararat], he chose it as the location of his new city, naming it after himself." According to the accounts given by Greek historians Plutarch and Strabo, Artashat is said to have been chosen and developed on the advice of the Carthaginian general Hannibal:

Coordinates: 40°00′02″N 44°35′06″E / 40.00056°N 44.585°E / 40.00056; 44.585

Verin Artashat (Armenian: Վերին Արտաշատ; also, Artashat, Verkhniy Artashat, and Ardashar) is a village in the Ararat Province of Armenia. It sits adjacent to the ruins of the ancient city of Dvin.