Name origin. The village of Lor was first mentioned in 839. History says that the village received its name in honor of the brave prince Lorik, who ruled the medieval principality of Syunik.
From the written sources of the time, it is known that the prince was very respected among his people. He managed to fill the region with temples, developing culture and art.
Heroically fighting during one of the bloody battles, the prince was killed. It is remarkable that he was buried far away from his principality. This was done so that the enemies could not desecrate his grave. Today, there is a small chapel and khachkars from white and black tuff on the burial site, erected by Prince Vorotshakh in 1271.
An unusual find
The village of Lor still keeps many secrets. One of them was solved by the local historian Morus Asratyan in 1950. He conducted some research and found a grave of a child of a princely family.
There are suggestions that the boy was related to the Orbelian family, which also ruled the principality of Syunik at one time. This find is an evidence that at that time, Lor played a special role in Armenia.
Shrines of Lor
Lor is rich in ancient churches and khachkars. Particularly notable is the 1666 church of St. Gevorg. It is located in the center of the village, but unfortunately, it has been abandoned for many years. According to local residents, the ringing of the bells of this church was so strong that it reached the neighboring settlements.
Another, no less known local temple is the church of St. Hovhannes. Unlike St. Gevorg, it is located far from the village and has no structural eye-catching features. Near the church is a small spring popularly called “ktsu jur”. People say that its water resembles mineral waters and has medicinal properties.
Great writers and poets of Lor
The inhabitants of this amazing land are exceptionally famous for their talent. One of them is an Armenian prose writer Axel Bakunts (Ակսել Բակունց), whose story “Khonar Aghchik” became a national treasure of the Armenian literature. Some say that it is based on real events related to the personal life of the writer.
Axel Bakunts was originally from Goris, but he moved to Lor in 1915. There, he began teaching in a local school. Lately, a school in honor of Bakunts has been built in the village.
Another famous inhabitant of Lor was poet Hamo Sayan (Համո Սահյան). Despite the fact that he left Lor in his childhood, his heart always stayed with his native village: “I do not live in Lor, but I live with it.”
Residents of the village, both old and young, know almost all of his poems by heart. And today, the house-museum of the poet is the pride of the village. Every year on his birthday, the residents gather in the museum and read his wise poetry to honor the memory of their famous countryman.
Red apples and famous vodka
Another attraction of the village is its red apples, “krmrkeni”. Allegedly, these apples are used in vodka production, which was in favor of Germans, Italians, and Russians in the Soviet years. Now, apple vodka in the village is a special delicacy. Not every young resident of Lor is able to make it in accordance to the recipe in the same way as it was done 50 and 100 years ago.
