Baghaberd (;) a fortress in the Dzork province of the historical Syunik province of Greater Armenia. It was one of the impregnable fortresses of the Syunik province, which, starting from the 4th century (until its capture in 1170), served as an important military stronghold, and during the period of the Kingdom of Syunik (970 – 1170), it was the main link in the military-strategic defense system of the capital city of Kapan. The fortress is currently located in the territory of Andokavan village of the Syunik region.
Baghaberd is mentioned in history under the names Baghats Fortress, Baghberd and Paghabert. References to the fortress are made by Shapuh Bagratuni (9th century), Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi (10th century), Vardan Areveltsi (13th century), Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi (13th century), and Stepanos Orbelian (13th-14th centuries).
Location It is one of the ancient fortresses of Armenia, which, thanks to its strong position, was famed since early times as an inaccessible fortress. In case of external dangers, Baghaberd frequently becomes a shelter for the inhabitants of the surrounding area. The significance of Baghaberd increases even more during the times of the Kingdom of Syunik, when, due to unfavorable political conditions, the immense riches and many thousands of manuscripts of the Tatev Monastery and other monasteries in the country were concentrated here. It is clearly visible from the ruins that Baghaberd had double walls with their towers. According to popular legends, a rather copious spring, which now emerges right on the bank of the Voghji River, was once channeled inside the fortress. Baghaberd (Fortress of Kapan) is a fortress located in the Dzork province of the Syunik province of historical Armenia. It is located to the west of the city of Kapan, on the highway leading to Kajaran, not far from the confluence of the Voghji and Geghi rivers. It sits on one of the mountain spurs precipitously descending from the Barkushat mountain range toward the left bank of the Voghjaget River, whose tongue-forming triangular plateau's vertical, inaccessible rocky cliffs are washed at the foot of the spur by the fast-flowing waters of the Voghjaget and its left-bank tributary, the Giratagh. The inaccessible rocky walls and the system of natural obstacles make the entire western section of the fortress site impregnable. Conditioned by the terrain, the fortress had predominantly one-sided construction. It is one of the major defensive structures of Armenia.
History For the location and orientation of the fortress, a plateau on the summit of a rocky spur surrounded by the bottomless gorges of the Voghjaget River was chosen, which, with its dominant position, had the opportunity to oversee the historical city of Kapan. According to the tradition reported by the historian Stepanos Orbelian (13th–14th centuries), Patriarch Baghak, one of the descendants of Sisak, receives the Dzork (Kapan) province as an inheritance, builds the Baghak’s Stone fortress, and fortifies the stronghold, naming it Baghaberd. As an impregnable fortress, it has been known since the 4th-5th centuries. The significance of Baghaberd increases especially during the 10th-12th centuries, in the period of the Kingdom of Syunik or Baghk.
Kapan becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Syunik when King Gagik I (989 - 1020)* campaigns against Syunik and captures the Vayots Dzor province, as a result of which the Kingdom of Syunik is confined within the borders of its southeastern provinces.Ստ. Օրբեյանը Կապանը նույնացնում է Բաղաբերգի հետ, սակայն այլ առիթով Կապանը և Բաղաբերդը նշում է իբրև տարբեր բնակավայրեր [«Պատմութիւն նահանգին Սիսական, արարեալ Ստեփաննոսի Օրբէլեան արքեպիսկոպոսի Սիւնեաց, ի լոյս ընծայեաց հանդերձ ծանօթութեամբ Կարապետ վարդապետ Շահնաղարեանց», Փարիզ, 1859 թվական, Էջ 12—13]։ Kapan was built in the section of the Voghjaget valley, with steep, forested gorges from the north, and the Arevik mountain range from the south (currently in the place called Tandzulendzh). The east-west axis of Kapan, along which stretched the Artsakh-Tatev-Meghri-Ortuat road passing through the river valley, was the only sparsely fortified direction of the city. The military strongholds built back in the early Middle Ages—Baghabegh in the west, Baghaku Kar (Baghak's Stone) in the southwest, Halidzor Fortress (17th century) in the east, and Kkots Kar in the northeast—made the eastern and western approaches of the city secure. The more extensive defense system consisted of fortresses and strongholds placed at certain distances from each other along all the roads of military significance leading to Kapan, which created a dense network of military strongholds around the city and formed an enclosed ring with a radius of approximately 10 km, in the center of which the administrative center was located.Այս ճանապարհների պաշտպանական հենակետերի մասին ավելի հանգամանալից՝ Ա. Ղարագյոզյան, Սյունիքի հարավ-արևմտյան մասի ճանապարհները [«Պատմա-բանասիրական հանդես, 1980, թիվ 2, էջ 263—265, նույնի՝ Բաղաբերդ («Սովետական Հայաստան», 1980, № 6, էջ 32—33], Հեղինակի կարծիքով Տաթև-Բաղաբերդ ճանապարհով են ներխուժել թուրք-սելջուկները և Կկոց քարը գրավելուց հետո տիրել Բաղաբերդին։ Նշենք, որ Բաղաբերդը փորձել են գրավել նաև հարավ֊արևմտյան և հարավ֊-արևելյան ուղղություններով, քանի որ պատմական տվյալները տեղեկացնում են, որ 1152 թվականին թուրք-սելջուկները գրավում են Շլորուտը (հարավ֊-արևևլյան ճանապարհ), 1166—1169 թվականներին՝ Գրհամը, Գեղին (արևմտյան ճանապարհ) և որից հետո միայն 1170 թվականին Կկոց քարը, այսինքն՝ Տաթև֊-Բաղաբերդ հյուսիսային ճանապարհի վերջին ռազմական հենակետը [«Պատմութիւն նահանգին Սիսական, արարեալ Ստեփաննոսի Օրբէլեան արքեպիսկոպոսի Սիւնեաց», ք-իֆլիս, 1910 թվական, էջ 335—336]
Two roads passed through the north of Baghaberd. One of them came from the direction of Barkushat and Achen and stretched toward Arevik and Goghtn. The other originated right from Baghaberd and stretched toward Tatev. Two other roads—one from the west, the other from the southwest—were also part of Kapan's defense system. Along the Tatev-Baghaberd road, the fortresses of Tsur, Berd-Aveladasht, Tandzavayr, Gandzaberd, Achaghva, Kkots Kar, and Baghaberd were located; the western road was guarded by the Geghi and Zeva fortresses; the southwestern one by Shlorut; and the southeastern one by the Gohar, Krnas, Berdaqar, and Halidzor fortresses. The strongholds of military significance placed along the road leading from Kapan to Baghaberd formed the capital's monocentric defense system. It consisted of a main militarized center, around which units of various defensive purposes spread out as additional, completing elements.Տ,՝ Մ, Սահակյանը Սյունիքի մայրաքաղաքն անվանում է Կապան-Բաղաբերդ [Տ. Մ. Սահակյան, Սյունյաց թագավորության հիմնումը և նրա քաղաքական դերը XI դարում (ՊԲՀ, 1966 թվական, թիվ 3, էջ 223)] When the defense system of the capital city of Kapan was being created, all favorable physiographic conditions were taken into account. The river valleys, mountain ranges, plateaus, and gorges, together with the military construction structures, created a dense, impregnable protected zone, which, in its turn, was connected with other defense systems formed in the provinces of Goghtn, Arevik, and Kovsakan from the south, and Chahuk, Tsghukk, and Haband from the north. Before being established as the main center of the monocentric defense system of the city of Kapan, Baghaberd had been the inaccessible fortress of the world of Syunik and served as a military stronghold—a place for temporary shelter and refuge during various political clashes.Ա. Զարյան, Որոտնաբերդ-Որոտնավանք պաշտպանական համակարգը «Լրաբեր հասարակական գիտությունների», 1986 թվական, թիվ 10, էջ 61]
"Shapur, the son of Hormizd, again conducted a mobilization of the entire multitude of the army of Persia, the land of the Aryans, that is, Khorasan, and went to wage war against Baghaberd; but due to the strength of the place, he was unable to do anything, because by rolling stones downhill from the fortress, they were destroying everyone altogether".
"... in history it is often seen that when the inhabitants of the country wanted to flee, they would fortify themselves herein"
In the mid-4th century, Prince Andok of Syunik, by fortifying himself in Baghaberd—the safest place in Syunik—manages to successfully repel three assaults by the troops of the Persian King Shapur and subsequently depart from Baghaberd.
In the year 853, Bugha, after pillaging Dvin, campaigns against Syunik with the aim of capturing Prince Vasak (Vasak Ishkhanik) and his brother, Ashot, who fortify themselves in the impregnable fortresses of Baghk.Թ. Խ. Հակոբյան, Սյունիքի թագավորությունը, Երևան, 1966 թվական, էջ 122
"But many of the lord-governors, having turned to and gathered in the impregnable fortress of Baghk, escaped from the hands of the oppressors."
In the 10th century, Bishop Hakob of Syunik "rebels" against the supremacy of Catholicos Anania Mokatsi and finds refuge in Baghaberd, where he lives for 10 years until his death. Subsequent information about Baghaberd refers to the period of the Kingdom of Syunik. During the reign of the kingdom, the fortress gains a more important significance and forms a part of the defense system of the capital city of Kapan. In 1103, the Seljuk Turks, under the leadership of Emir Chortman, capture Kapan through treachery, while the attempts to capture Baghaberd end in failure.Ստեփանոս Օրբելյան, Սյունիքի պատմություն, թարգմանությունը, ներածութունը ե ծանոթագրությունները Ա. Ա. Աբրահամյանի, Երևան, 1986 թվական, էջ 86
"... in the year 552 (1103), when suddenly, while the citizens were in carelessness, the Lord delivered up Kapan city, which was impregnable by men; and the accursed Chortman, because of his malice, at an unexpected hour poured down upon the city..."
"... but against the fortress they were able to undertake nothing; instead, they departed."
After the destruction of Kapan, Baghaberd becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Syunik. If prior to the Kingdom of Syunik, Baghaberd had served as an impregnable shelter where large military units could reliably take refuge from the enemy, then during the period of the kingdom, the fortress becomes the royal seat and, through the defense system of around a dozen surrounding fortresses, becomes the most impregnable stronghold of Syunik. After the destruction of Kapan, the immense riches and manuscripts of the Tatev Monastery and the kingdom are concentrated here.Բաղաց (Կապանի) թագավորությունը իր տիրապետության տակ ուներ 43 բերդ, 48 վանք և 1008 գյուղ [Ղ. Ալիշան, Սիսական, էջ 333—335]
"... and because of its impregnable strength, they had accumulated there the holy relics, books, and church vessels from all the monasteries; and even more so, the countless and peerless holy relics and vessels of the church of Tatev—the wealthy and rich see—crosses and reliquaries of gold and silver, and adorned with precious stones and infinite pearls, and many testaments [manuscripts] which in number were more than 10,000, which they had stored there."
The historian Vardan has accounts attributed to the 10th century regarding Baghaberd, who, on the occasion of the founding of Vahanavank by Vahan, the son of Prince Jevansher of Syunik, writes:
"... Lord Vahan of Baghk, son of Prince Juansher, who built the most splendid sanctuary, the monastery of Hovhannes, at the foot of the inaccessible fortress of Baghk."
On the occasion of the construction of Vahanavank, Kirakos Gandzaketsi also mentions Baghaberd.