The Halidzor Fortress – Syunik, Armenia

The Halidzor Fortress is located in the Syunik Province, Armenia, on the right bank of the Voghji River. The fortress was built in the first half of the 17th century to serve as a nunnery. It soon for a very short time became the family residence of Melik-Parsadanyans who have been the most important princely family in the territory of Kapan.

The first representative of the Parsadanyan dynasty has presumably been a prince named Dzagik. Grand Armenian commander Davit Bek has also been a member of this family.

The Halidzor Fortress is surrounded by a powerful wall with numerous towers. Before the fortress stood the copper smelter of the Parsadanyan dynasty. The layout of the fortress has been quadrangular in accordance with the terrain. The Halidzor Fortress housed a large church built from untreated basalt. Two-level structures in the southern and northern ends of the fortress have been used to throw projectiles at enemy troops.

In the 18th century, David Bek converted the Halidzor monastery into a fortress. Thanks to its impregnability, it became the administrative center of Syunik and even served as the hub of the Armenian government.

Although David Bek had converted the monastery into a fortress in connection with the Armenian liberation movement, the Halidzor Fortress continued to serve as a religious center. During a 1727 attempt of the Turkish army to seize Halidzor, even the nuns of the monastery fought against the invaders. All in all, the thought-out defense and complex position of the fortress allowed Davit Bek to successfully resist the numerous assaults of the Turkish army.

Halidzor Berd Syunik Province Kapan