Ararat (Armenian: Արարատի մարզ) is one of the provinces (marz) of Armenia with capital in Artashat. It is in the south of the country, bordering Turkey and Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. It surrounds an exclave of Azerbaijan, which is currently occupied by Armenians.

Artaxata (Արտաշատ in Armenian, translit. Artashat), a city on the Araks River in the Ararat valley, founded by Artaxias I in 166 BC. Strabo and Plutarch described it as a large and beautiful city, terming it as the "Armenian Carthage". Artaxata was a large center of Hellenistic culture in Armenia, the first theatre in Armenia was built in the city. Artaxata remained the principal political and cultural center of Armenia until the 5th century, the city of Dvin became the new capital of Armenia in the 7th century. It is the site of the modern city of Yerevan.

Artaxata was founded around 190 BC by Artashes (Artaxias) I at the entrance to the plainlands of the River Araxes, at a point where the watercourse forms a near peninsula. The site is said to have been chosen and developed on the advice of Hannibal:

Marble statue of a woman found in Artaxata."It is related that Hannibal, the Carthaginian, after the defeat of Antiochus by the Romans, coming to Artaxias, king of Armenia, pointed out to him many other matters to his advantage, and observing the great natural capacities and the pleasantness of the site, then lying unoccupied and neglected, drew a model of a city for it, and bringing Artaxias thither, showed it to him and encouraged him to build. At which the king being pleased, and desiring him to oversee the work, erected a large and stately city, which was called after his own name, and made metropolis of Armenia." (Plutarch's Life of Lucullus)

Tigranes II was defeated by Lucius Lucullus in 68 BC at the Battle of Artaxata, and the city remained a hotly contested military target for the next two centuries. Artaxata was occupied by Syrian legions under the Roman general Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo in AD 58 as part of the short-lived first conquest of Armenia, and destroyed in AD 163 when Statius Priscus reconquered Armenia.