Yervandakert

The city of Yervandakert was founded by the king of Armenia Yervand II in the IV century BC. e. It was a fortress and was located on the opposite bank of the Araks river from Yervandashat . Ervandakert was connected to the capital of Armenia by a stone bridge. ^[one]

I am pleased to tell you about the wonderful dakert Ervandakert, which was arranged by the same Yervand with grace and splendor. He populates the middle part of the vast valley with people and builds up with amusing eyes buildings, bright as the apple of an eye. The settlement is bordered by fragrant flower beds, like a pupil — the entire circumference of the eye. Abundant vineyards are like a circle of thick beautiful eyelashes. The arched arrangement (lands) of the northern side is truly comparable to the high brows of a pretty maiden. The evenness of the fields on the south side resembles the smoothness of beautiful lanitas. The river, with banks rising like lips, forms, as it were, two petals of lips. And this so magnificent area seems to be staring unblinkingly at the royal residence towering above everything ^{[Kom 1]} . Truly fertile and regal dastaker!

- Movses Khorenatsi / 42 On the zerarkert named Yervandakert / History of Armenia

By the king of Armenia, Trdat, the district, together with the city of Yervandashat and the fortress of Yervandakert, were transferred to the possession of the representative of the Armenian princely family Arshavir Kamsarakan ^[2]

The Armenian historian of the XVII century Arakel Davrizhetsi in his work “Book of Stories” notes that during the period of Shah Abas Yervandakert was called Agjakala ^[3] . According to ESBE , the preserved ruins of the fortress were present at the site of the settlement. In addition, the inscriptions on the surviving tombstones indicated that Ervandakert was still inhabited in the 15th century, and was called Marmet ^[1] . According to the “Geographical and Statistical Dictionary of the Russian Empire”, Yervandakert was located in the area of ​​the village of Kara-kala . In addition, the dictionary noted that in two places the remains of the fortress wall, erected from hewn pink stone and black basalt, were preserved ^[4] .

Initially, Ghevond Alishan suggested that Yervandakert was located on the left bank of the Araks near Yervandashat, then in his next localization, Alishan suggested a more remote location of the city. In turn, Babken Arakelyan localized the city in a gorge on the left bank of the Akhuryan River near the Iron Bridge erected in the 20th century. The medieval Armenian chronicler Movses Khorenatsi, speaking of the city, mentions a place called Marmet . Felix Ter-Martirosov notes that the toponym Marmet in ancient times meant big water . According to him, Araks, flowing from east to west, rests here at the foot of Mount Kokhb (near the village of Kokhb ), on which there is a medieval castle ^{[Kom 2]} , then the river turns north to merge with the Akhuryan river. Here in spring, the water level rises significantly and the area begins to be a large lake ( large water ), on the left bank of which there is a large valley surrounded by mountains from the north. Agreeing with the first localization of the Alishan settlement, Ter-Martirosov also places the city here on the left bank of the Araks, just west of Yervandashat ^[5] .

1. ↑ Yervandashat, the capital of Armenia
2. ↑ as Felix Ter-Martirosov notes, the castle was erected on the site of the former fortified palace of Tsar Yervand)