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Gegharkunik Marz, is
dominated by Lake Sevan and the
watershed of the numerous streams that flow into it and out down
the Hrazdan River to
the Arax. The Marz also
includes the separate basin of the Getik
River, which flows N to the Aghstev and joins
ultimately the Kura river in Azerbaijan.
The Sevan basin is windswept, treeless and austere, but
with stunning skies, an ever-changing lake surface, and a rich
history. All around the
lake are the tumbled stone remains of Bronze and Iron Age
fortifications and towns, and little boulder clumps marking vast
fields of prehistoric burials with superb burnished pottery.
Among of them the most attractive are: the
cyclopean fortresses of Metsap and Tsamakaberd near Sevan,
Iron Age fort with
Urartian occupation and major Bronze Age cemetery as well as an
inscription of Arghishti I carved in the rock facing the lake in
Lchashen,
cyclopean
fortress of Heri Dar with a large tomb and two inhabited
caves in Artsvakar as well as Zhami Dar and Mrtbi Dzor
fortresses around Noratus,
the Early Iron
Age fort of Berdi Glukh
with large cemetery in Gavar,
cyclopean
building remains covering an area of 70 hectares near
Lanjaghbyur,
Kanagegh
medieval settlement with khachkars and a cyclopean fortress near
Karmirgyugh,
Sangyar
cyclopean fort occupying 40 hectares near Dzoragyugh,
natural bridge in
Tsakkar,
Ghrer Bronze Age burial
site near Lichk,
cyclopean
fort of Berdi dosh near Nerkin Getashen,
Iron
Age through medieval Alberd fort in and Berdi Glukh cyclopean
fortress near Geghhovit, boulders
carved on them faint outline maps of the major constellations,
dated to the 3rd millennium BC near Lernahovit,
Kyurdi
Kogh and Aloyi Kogh cyclopean fort ruins near Vaghashen,
cyclopean
fort ruins of Vanki Amrots and Iron Age graves near Astghadzor,
Urartian city of
Teysheba, (modernly Odzaberd or "Serpent Castle") and
cuneiform inscription of Rusa I (approx. 735-713 BC) near
Tsovinar,
Bruti Berd cyclopean
fortress near Artsvanist,
Berdidash cyclopean fort with two Christianized pagan
shrines, BA burials, Persian and Hellenistic period walled settlement
near Karchaghbyur,
cuneiform
inscription of Sarduri II of the 8th c. BC, cut in the on the N
edge of a huge Iron Age cyclopean fort near Tsovak, 6-4th
c. BC fort, Klor Dar cyclopean fort and Bronze Age settlement
near Akunk,
massive stone walls of an
Iron Age fortification, with shallow caves below in Ayrk,
Iron
Age fort near Tsovagyugh,
Iron Age cyclopean
fort of Mughani Khach near Getik,
cyclopean
fortresses near Artanish
and Dashti-ler fort
near Jil.
Lake Sevan enters recorded history with the
Urartians. King Rusa I seems to have conquered the Sevan basin and made it the
eastern frontier of the kingdom of Urartu sometime around 720
BC. A number of boundary
markers of Artashes I written in Aramaic, the Middle Eastern lingua
franca, show the presence of the Arsacid dynasty in
Hellenistic times. In
medieval times, Gegharkunik was dominated by the Dopian clan.
Medieval period of the marz is represented by a number of
beautiful and architectually interesting monasteries, churches
and fortresses. S.
Tadevos the Apostle (Arakyal) church of the 7th c. in Ddmashen,
Sevanavank Monastery of
the 10th c. on the Sevan Peninsula, Ishkhanats
Amrots fortress of the 10thc. in Berdkunk, Hayravank
Monastery of the 9-12th c. in Hayravank, S.
Grogor Lusavorich church/Daputs Monasstery of the 9-10th c., S.
Astvatsatsin basilican church of the 9th c., the huge
medieval-modern cemetery with an impressive array of early
khachkars as well as evocative modern funerary statuary in
Noratus, the small domed S.
Astvatsatsin church of Hatsarat (built in 898) in Gavar,
S. Hovhannes church of
the 9-10th c. in Tsaghkashen, half-ruined
Astvatsatsin basilica of the 4-5th c. and S. Gevorg domed
church of 9-10th c. in Gandzak,
Illikavank or Paravi
Vank monastery of the 7th c. in Lanjaghbyur, the
ruines of Shoghaga Vank monastery of the 7-17th c. and Masruts
Anapat (hermitage of Masru) of the 9th c. in Dzoragyugh,
Grigor Lusavorich (of
the 9-10th c.) and the 16th c. s. Astvatsatsin churches in
Tazagyugh,
S. Astvatsatsin
church and 13th c. khachkars in and Tsaghkevank
monastery near Lichk,
9th
c. Kotavank
church near Nerkin Getashen, Poghos-Petros
and other old churches and khachkars in Astghadzor,
funerary
monument in Zolakar,Vanevan
monastery of the 10th c. in and Kolataki s. Astvatsatsin church
of the late 9th-early 10th c., as welll as Hnevank monastery of
the 10th c. near Artsvanist, 13-14th c. church in
Lchavan, Makenyats
Vank monastery of the 9-13th c. in Makenis,
13th
c. church in Khachaghbyur, early
20th c. S. Astvatsatsin church, built on earlier foundations and
fine khachkars with tombstones of the 16th c. burial ground
surrounding the church in Vardenis,
S. Astvatsatsin church
(dated 1181) and the Katoghike S. Gevorg church of the 13thc. in
Ayrk, large
three-aisle basilica of S. Astvatsatsin of the 7th c. in Sotk, famous
khachkar of 881 and 17th
c. church in Mets Masrik,
13-16th
c. khachkars in Kakhakn,
12-13th
c. church and khachkars in Pokr Masrik, ruines
of caravansaray in Pambak,
13th c. khachkars in
Chambarak,
Kotrats church
of the 11th c. in Ttujur,
ruins of the Old
Getik monastery of the 13th c. near Martuni,
10-13th
c. castle of Aghjkaberd near Aygut,
ruined chapels near
Shorzha are all recommended for a visit. At the time of the Russian conquest in 1828,
Gegharkunik’s population was almost entirely Muslim, much of
it Kurdish or Turkmen transhumant tribes. Many of the villages
on the N side of the lake were founded by Russian schismatics,
Molokans and their ecstatic offshoot the Priguni or
"Jumpers."
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