Armenian Fortress of Lambron

Lambron (Լամբրոն Բերդ) is an Armenian fortress of the 11th century located near the city of Çamlıyayla in modern Turkey. It was the family fortress of the Hethumid dynasty, the Armenian royal dynasty of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.

In the first half of the 11th century, the loss of national statehood after the conquest of Armenia by Byzantium as well as the Seljuk invasion led to the mass migration of Armenians to Cilicia, where a new Armenian kingdom arose.

In 1073, the Armenian feudal Oshin and his brothers from Gandzak moved to an area in Cilicia, the governor of which was their friend Aplgharib Artsruni (Abelgharib of Tarson). The latter granted Oshin the fortress of Lambron (Armenian: Լամբրոն) in the mountains of Taurus which Oshin reclaimed from the Arabs. After settling in these places, Oshin, while remaining in service, gave rise to the locally famous princely family.

The period of the reign of the kings of Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia coincided with the Crusades. It was a period of rapid development of trade and crafts. A lot of Armenian monasteries were built, among which was the Skevra Monastery located near Lambron, where the final design of the Cilician miniature painting was completed at the end of the 12th century.

Like many castles of the Armenian kingdom in mountain landscapes, Lambron is a rocky fortress. It occupies an area of approximately 330 by 150 meters on top of a hill.

The fortress is divided into lower and upper chambers. The upper chamber is accessible either through a staircase cut in the rocks or a narrowly turning passage. Many structures in the inner chamber have turned into ruins, but the vaulted hall is still standing. Some of the buildings were heated with hypocausts.

by Aleksandr Bakulin

The Castles Of The Armenian Kingdom Of Cilicia