In the second half of the 12th century, the decline of the Seljuks allowed the Georgian Kingdom to strengthen, which extended its influence south towards the Armenian territories. By the end of the 12th century, the Armenian princely Zakarian (Zakarid) dynasty, which became the de facto ruler of united Georgia under the legendary queen Tamar …
Prior to his assassination, Caesar planned to march against Parthia and conquer it, like Gaul before it. He began his preparations. After the victory over the Republicans, the triumvirs decided to continue what they had begun. The campaign was entrusted to Marcus Antonius. However, Antonius would essentially fail the campaign. When the Romans reached the …
“And the Armenian, the naive Armenian, always remained faithful, was always devoted and sacrificed himself for the sake of others. Without worrying about his house, forgetting about his own troubles, he lived by other people’s interests. He left the ruins of his country to build other palaces. This is our disease. We do not know …
The first head of the Jerusalem Church was Apostle James. After the patriarchy of Jerusalem finally adopted the Chalcedonian dogma in the 4th century, an independent Armenian patriarchate was formed in Jerusalem. The first Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem known to us was Abraham, who, according to the Arab historian Zeki-al-Din, seeing the strengthening of the …
Armenian miniature and book art reached the peak of their development in Cilicia in the 13th century. The Cilician school was formed in the 12th century and existed until the 1480s. During this period, talented artists like Grigor Mlitsi, Kostandin, Vardan, Kirakos, Hovhannes, Toros Roslin, Grigor Pitsak, Sargis Pitsak, and Hovhannes Arkayeghbayr worked in the …
One of the oldest copies of the Armenian tricolor is preserved in the 1705 book of Karl Alardi. Israel Ori (1658-1711), a prominent figure of the Armenian National Liberation Movement of the 18th century, noted that this is the flag of the last Armenian state that had collapsed in 1375. The crossed swords symbolize that …
Below is the photo of a six-pointed star (a hexagram) made in metal and discovered in the tomb of a king in the Verin Naver necropolis. The photo was taken in the study of historian Hakob Simonyan, the head of the excavation of the entire complex of Verin and Nerkin Naver, a complex of ancient …
On the pediment of the Armenian Drama Theater in Yerevan, a bas-relief of King Artavazd II was carved in recognition of his achievements in the development of Armenian theatrical art. A son of Tigran II, Artavazd, according to Plutarch, wrote tragedies, odes, and historical narratives in Greek. In fact, Artavazd was the first Armenian playwright. …
Strabo (c. 64/63 BC – c. 24 AD). “Cyrus (Kur River) originates in Armenia, immediately enters the indicated plain, and, taking into itself Aragon (Aragvi) flowing from the Caucasus and other tributaries, pours into Albania along a narrow river valley. The abounding river runs between it [Albania] and Armenia through the rich pastures of the …
Below are photos of stone gravestones in the form of rams from the Armenian cemetery in Varzakhan. The photos are from the book “Armenia: Travels and Studies” by Henry Finnis Blosse Lynch (1862-1913), British geographer, traveler, Armenologist, son of explorer Thomas Kerr Lynch and his Armenian wife Harriet Taylor, the daughter of Colonel Robert Taylor, …
“…After two unsuccessful reigns, the Armenians recognized the son of their commander Baldwin, one of the descendants of the Rubenid dynasty, as the King of Cilicia. The new king, Kostandin IV, with all his great talents and with all the desire in the world, could not avoid the struggle with the Muslims who hated Christian …
The sword of Levon VI (sometimes Leo V or VI) Lusignan, the last king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, is now kept in the Mekhitarist Museum on the island of St. Lazzaro in Venice. Levon VI (1342 – November 29, 1393) was King of Cilician Armenia from the Armenian branch of the French noble …
In the 1040s, Armenia, as we have seen, fell under the rule of Byzantium. However, the Byzantine rule turned out to be short-lived. Soon, the Seljuk Turks from the Central Asian nomadic tribes appeared in Armenia, who in a short time took possession of its vast territories and created a major power. The Seljuk Turks …
The past existence of the Kingdom of Van was discovered thanks to Armenian historian Khorenatsi’s manuscripts, in which he referred to the kingdom as an Armenian state. An excerpt from “Armenia: Cradle of Civilization” by late oriental scholar David Marshall Lang, which was renamed (censored) “Armenia: Creator People” by Georgian editors and published in the …
Artistic woodworking is art with millennium-old traditions. It is said that in the country of khachkars, Armenia, the melody of the stone song is heard everywhere. Not only stones sing in Armenia but everything that the hands of true masters have touched. In addition to skilled stonecutters, for centuries, masterpieces have been created by other …
After the establishment of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century by Genghis Khan, the nomadic Tatar-Mongolian tribes inhabiting Central Asia undertook invasive campaigns against neighboring and distant countries. After several reconnaissance attacks, the 30,000-strong army of Mongols under the command of Chormagan was split into separate groups in the Mugan Plain. These groups attacked …
The Armenian town of Meghri is known for its old-fashioned hotels, vodka, as well as its wonderful fruits and vegetables, especially Meghri figs and yellow pomegranates. Atop the rocky Mount Meghri in the vicinity of the town are the ruins of the 10th-century fortress of Meghri. The fortress of Meghri was first mentioned in 1083. …
King Mithridates VI of Pontus, who conflicted with Rome and sought to oust it from Asia Minor, sent ambassadors to Tigran II with a proposal to conclude an alliance. The union with the powerful Kingdom of Pontus, which was enforced by the marriage between Tigran II and Mithridates VI Eupator’s daughter Cleopatra, was beneficial to …