Joscelin II of Edessa (1113 – 1159) was the last ruling count of the county of Edessa. He was the son of Armenian princess Beatrice and Count Joscelin I. During the battle of Azaz in 1125, Joscelin was taken hostage by Muslims. Soon, through the efforts of the King of Jerusalem Baldwin II, he was …
Tigran Yervanduni was the son and heir of Yervand I Sakavakyats (“short-staying”, reigned in 570-560 BC). Tigran reigned in 560-535 BC. He was a hunting companion to the founder of Achaemenid Persia Cyrus the Great. Tigran was the one to kill the king of Media Azhdahak. During his reign, the territory of Armenia also spread …
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was a feudal kingdom that existed from 1080 to 1375. The inhabitants of Cilicia were very freedom-loving and only nominally obeyed the Persians, Seleucids, and from 63 BC the Romans. The Romans kept in submission only the plain of Cilicia. The Cilicians have always been distinguished by their courage and …
In the Armenian pantheon, Tir was a god of writing, sciences, arts, a scribe of the chief deity Aramazd, and a diviner of fate. Tir brought dreams to people, revealing their future to them. In the temple of Tir (between the cities of Vagharshapat and Artashat), the priests interpreted these dreams. Besides, they taught sciences …
Oshakan is a village 3 km southeast of the town of Ashtarak. According to a legend, Noah and his family descended from the top of Mount Masis (Ararat) and saw Oshakan freed from the water. At its sight, they exclaimed “Oshakan,” which roughly translates as “Marvel for the eyes.” Located within the estates of Arshakids …
Here, it is necessary to at least briefly cover the strength of the Armenian army. It is only on the basis of its strength that we can get a true idea of the duration and continuity of the Armenian military traditions, as well as the influence that the Armenian army and its system of values …
Movses Kaghankatvatsi was a 7th-century Armenian historian and the author or editor of “The History of the Country of Aghvank.” This work tells about the historian’s native lands. “The History of the Country of Aghvank” is a unique work, in fact – it is the only source on the history of Caucasian Albanians. Kaghankatvatsi’s work …
Below are renders from a 3D reconstruction of the central quarter of the city of Tigranakert of Artsakh, the first city built in the territory of Artsakh. Recall that the Artsakh Tigranakert was founded in 77 BC by King of Greater Armenia Tigran the Great. The city existed for 1,500 years until the 14th century …
The illustration (14th century) above is from the Armenian translation of “Stories of Alexander the Great.” Most likely, the artist depicted Armenian cavalrymen. After the heroic resistance of the Armenian army in the Battle of Gaugamela and the defeat of the Macedonian army led by commander Memnon in Armenia, Alexander the Great ceased to attempt …
One theory claims that the most ancient centers of astronomical knowledge were the territories of Armenia and Asia Minor. Prominent historians and astronomers concluded that people who divided the sky into constellations have lived between 36 and 42 degrees of northern latitude. According to English astronomer Olcott, people who invented the ancient figures of the …
Vishaps in Armenian mythology were dragons, chthonic creatures. They were represented in a zoomorphic (most often in the form of a snake) or anthropomorphic appearance and personified thunderstorms, tornadoes, or thunderclouds. According to myths, the big Vishap absorbed the sun, causing an eclipse. Vishaps lived in high mountains, in large lakes, in the sky, in …
Mihr-Mher-Mithra is a god of heavenly light and sun and the son of Aramazd in the ancient Armenian pantheon. In ancient Armenia, a temple in Bagaharij (in the territory of modern Turkey), the Mheri Dur altar (“the door of Mher”) in the mountains near the city of Van, and also, apparently, the Garni temple were …
In the Bible, the area of Gamirk (Cappadocia) is referred to as Gamer/Gomer. Gamirk was conquered by the Armenians and annexed to the Armenian state by the legendary patriarch (nahapet) Aram Haykazyan, the son of Armagh and the father of Ara the Beautiful. Aram-nahapet, having accomplished many glorious feats and expanded Armenian possessions towards the …
It has long been known that history is written for the benefit of politics. Historical science could not develop freely under the harsh pressure of Bolshevik ideology. The doctrine that a “pre-Urartian” state hadn’t existed in Transcaucasia towered over official historiography. And the concept of Urartu completely swept away any idea of the existence of …
We present to your attention a German historical map drawn in 1865. The map, in particular, displays the region in 224-311. The state borders are visible on the map, including the border between Greater Armenia and Albania passing along the Kur River east of the Caspian Sea. South of the Araks River is Media Atropatene. …
The Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) Church is located in the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia, on a hill half a kilometer from the village of Areni, in the center of the ancient village of Arpa. Judging by the inscriptions preserved over the western entrance, this cross-domed church was built on the site of …
In the village of Troitskoye, Tselinny District, Kalmykia, the headman of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity Alexander Lobanov reported that the relics of the Holy Martyr Hripsime were discovered. “A month and a half ago, we discovered the relics of the Martyr Hripsime here. Thanks to the deed of this girl, Armenia was baptized. …
In the history of Armenia, there have been many betrayals. Let us give just one example from the history of the 5th century, which is when the Arshakuni dynasty fell. The last king of the Arshakuni dynasty was Artashes IV, the son of Vramshapuh. During the six-year rule of Artashes Arshakuni (422-428), the struggle between …