Located on a fortified rock east of the city of Van, Rusakhinili was the capital of the Kingdom of Van during its decline. Rusakhinili was built by King Rusa I (Armenian: Հրաչյա; Hrachya, Hrusha, or Rachea, Rusa is the generally accepted but distorted name) after Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III in 735 BC inflicted a decisive …
Traces of ancient human habitation were found in various regions of the Armenian Highlands. In Arzni and Nurnu, temporary settlements from the Neolithic era with stone tools were found. Additionally, dwelling caves were discovered in the Hrazdan Gorge and Lusakert. The oldest discovered stone tools are 800 thousand years old. Numerous rock paintings with hunting …
In the province of Kars, Historical Armenia, after the lowering of the water level in the Arpaçay reservoir, an ancient burial site with human remains from the period of the Kingdom of Van was discovered. Cultural heritage expert and historian Faruk Torunoglu said that the Akyaka-Arpaçay districts have a very ancient history. Torunoglu commented on …
Ancient cave tombs discovered in Lake Van During the expansion of the road in the province of Archesh, Historical Armenia, 2 tombs carved into the rock one kilometer apart were discovered. The age of the tombs is estimated to be about 3 thousand years. The region’s Department of Cultural Heritage is investigating these cave tombs. …
2750 years old Ayanis Fortress Excavations continue in the 2750-year-old Ayanis Fortress (Chavushtepe). The fortress was built by ruler of the Kingdom of Van Sarduri II in the province of Van, Historical Armenia. During the excavations, important artifacts have been discovered. Among them, a granary that had played an important role in the period of …
An ancient Hittite village in southeastern Turkey is under the threat of flooding due to the construction of a lagoon nearby. Dated back to the 13th century BC, this village is considered the oldest sculptural workshop in the world. The site of the village is also called the Yesemek open museum. The head of the …
The Turkish website “Gazeteduvar” mentioned several Armenian churches in Van province that were destroyed by thieves and abandoned. “Gazeteduvar” wrote: “St. Bartholomew, one of the Armenian churches in Van and a structure considered a center of spiritual tourism, has long waited for restoration. But so far, no steps have been taken, and the church continues …
In the Hayots Dzor (Gürpınar) district of the city of Van, the Armenian monastic complex Hogyats or Hogvots (Ter Mariam) is almost wiped off the face of the earth. According to a legend, the graves of Armenian King Trdat and his wife are located on the territory of the monastery complex. In the 4th century, …
Parandzem (4th century) was the wife of King Arshak II and mother of King Pap. She was the daughter of the influential Syunik prince Andovk from the ancient Armenian family of Syuni whose possessions were second only to the King’s in size. Andovk is known for his struggle against the Persian invaders. With the joint …
The sixth month of the Sacred Armenian calendar, the month of Sahmi, is considered the month of the harvest – the blessing of harvest and fertility. That is why this month’s zodiac signs are Hask (Հասկ, meaning “ear of bread” in Armenian) and Virgo. The most important holidays of the month of Sahmi are the …
If it were not for this 3000-year-old ancient figurine from the times of the Kingdom of Van, we would have never known what an Armenian forest bull looked like. The discovered 10 thousand years old bones prove that the basin of Lake Sevan used to be a dense forest, allowing these wonderful animals to freely …
The Asur Fortress in the district of Eğil (Akl or Angkh, formerly known as Angegh Tun in the province of Agdznik in Greater Armenia) in Diyarbakır Province was turned into a garbage dump, Akunq.net reports with a reference to Turkish media. According to the source, the Asur Fortress is at the mercy of fate. Since …
Horse archers were the best units of the army of Greater Armenia. In 336-337, the Armenian army led by King Khosrov II Kotak defeated the Huns and other allied nomadic tribes who invaded Greater Armenia. 4th century, archer of the Armenian Army, reproduction by P. Glodek Gevork Nazaryan
According to medieval Armenian historians, the Armenian army had units made up of female shooters who were experienced archers and snipers. One famous episode connected to Armenian female units dates to the 12th century. It is the story of Haytsemnik Anetsi, the commander of a detachment of Armenian women archers. Haytsemnik died in 1124 during …
This is the best (if not the main) symbol that the Armed Forces of Armenia should have. The arrow and bow since ancient times have symbolized the Armenian army and its founder Archer Hayk Nahapet. The eagle has symbolized the Armenian freedom-loving spirit of Haykazuni. Unfortunately, we do not study our symbols properly, and those …
Ceramics, ritual hearths, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic clay sculptures, as well as black-glazed vessels with depressed grooved ornaments are the main monuments of the so-called Shengavit culture (Shengavit, where a 4th-2nd-millennium BC settlement was discovered, is today within Yerevan). The drawings composed of depressed grooves with uneven width and depth on the ceramics haven’t been deciphered. …
The world according to Herodotus, 5th century BC – Armenia has a central position among the countries that existed at that time. Edited by Charles Muller, published in the Smith’s atlas, British Museum, London, 1874. Հայաստանը՝ աշխարհի կենտրոնում. մ.թ.ա. 5-րդ դար, ըստ հույն պատմաբան Հերոդոտոսի կազմված քարտեզի: Географическая карта мира по Геродоту, V век до …
In world history, at all times and in all wars, a country’s geographic location has played an exceptional and decisive role in the conduct of military operations. In this regard, the Armenian Highlands had a strategically special significance. Due to its physical and geographical conditions, Armenia has always resembled a giant natural fortress that dominated …