Gürpınar (, ) is a municipality and district of Van Province, Turkey.Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023. With an area of , Gürpınar is the second-largest district of Turkey, after Karaman District. Its population is 31,865 (2022).
The town Gürpınar is located south of the provincial capital Van. The district has several places of historical interest. The current mayor is Hayrullah Tanış from the Justice and Development Party (AKP). The current kaymakam Fatih Sayar was appointed in August 2019.
Name The area's old Armenian name is Hayots Dzor (, meaning "Valley of the Armenians"). Its Kurdish name is Payizava; however, the Armenian-derived Xawesor is also used. The titular village of Gürpınar itself was also known to Armenians as Kghzi (, meaning "island", due to it being surrounded by the Shamiram Canal).
History
In Armenian mythology, Hayots Dzor is the valley where the Armenian progenitor Hayk defeated the army of the invading Babylonian king Bel and constructed a fortress (Haykaberd) nearby.
In the Middle Ages, the area was a part of the Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan, ruled by the Artsruni dynasty of Armenian kings.
The village of Kghzi had 241 Armenian and 11 Kurdish inhabitants in 1909 (the wider region of Hayots Dzor was home to about 10,000 Armenians before the Armenian genocide). The Armenian population was massacred or displaced during the Armenian genocide; some of the inhabitants managed to flee and settle in Eastern Armenia. Historical places Hoşap Castle Çavuştepe, Urartian castle Surp Marinos Monastery Menua Canal
Composition There are 79 neighbourhoods in Gürpınar District:Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
Akbulut Akdoğu Akpınar Alnıak Arındı Aşağı Kaymaz Bağrıyanık Beşbudak Bölmeçalı Bozyiğit Bükeç Çakınlı Çatakdibi Çavuştepe Çepkenli Cevizalan Çörekli Cumhuriyet Dağseven Değirmendüzü Dikbıyık Dolaylı Doluçıkın Elaçmaz Erkaldı Geçerli Geziyurt Giyimli Gölardı Güleçler Günbaşı Hacıköy Hoşab Işıkpınar Kalkanlı Kapçık Karakoç Kılıçtutan Kırkgeçit Koçgüden Koyunyatağı Kuşdağı Mollahüseyin Murataldı Oğuldamı Ongun Örmeli Ortaköy Otbiçer Öveçli Özlüce Parmakkapı Sakalar Sapakonak Savacık Sevindik Sıcaksu Sütlüce Taşdöndüren Taşlıyazı Tepegören Topçudeğirmeni Topsakal Topyıldız Tutak Tutmaç Üçdoğan Üçgen Umut Uzungedik Yalınca Yaramış Yatağan Yedisalkım Yolaşan Yoldüştü Yukarı Kaymaz Yurtbaşı Zernek
References
External links Gurpinar district governor Gurpinar Municipality