Goris ( hy, Գորիս) is a town and the centre of the urban community of Goris, in Syunik Province at the south of

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

. Located in the valley of the Goris (or Vararak) River, it is 254 km from the Armenian capital

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

and 67 km from the provincial capital

Kapan Kapan ( hy, Կապան) is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative center of the urban community of Kapan Municipality, Kapan as well as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji River ...

. Goris is the second-largest city in Syunik in terms of population. During the 2011 census, it had a population of 20,591, down from 23,261 reported in the 2001 census. However, as per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Goris was 20,300. Goris is the seat of the

Diocese of Syunik Diocese of Syunik ( hy, Սյունյաց թեմ ''Syunyats t'em'') is one of the largest dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the Syunik Province of Armenia. It is named after the historic province of Syunik; the 9th province of th ...

of the

Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...

. Goris is considered one of the most important historical and cultural sites of Armenia. It is often regarded as the cultural center of Syunik. Because of this, it is a favored

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

for both local and foreign travelers and has a large number of hotels and inns. Following the administrative reforms in 2016, the community of Goris was enlarged to include the surrounding villages of Akner, Bardzravan, Hartashen,

Karahunj Karahunj ( hy, Քարահունջ) is a village in the Goris Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. Demographics Population The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population was 1,303 in 2010, up from 1,254 at the 2001 c ...

, Khndzoresk, Nerkin Khndzoresk,

Shurnukh Shurnukh ( hy, Շուռնուխ) is a village in the Goris Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. The village is located on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Following the end of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and the withdrawal of Armenian ...

Verishen Verishen ( hy, Վերիշեն) is a village in the Goris Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. Demographics Population The Statistical Committee of Armenia The Statistical Committee of Armenia ( Armenian: Հայաստանի վիճ ...

, and Vorotan.

Etymology

Throughout its history, Goris has been known as Kores and Gorayk. However, there are several explanations for the origin of the name. It is supposed that the name ''Goris'' is derived from the Indo-European prelanguage words "gor" (rock), "es" (to be), i.e. Goris/Kores meaning a rocky place. There was a dwelling in the ancient times in the same area of the town. The name Goris had many variants including: Goristsa, Kores, Gores, Gorayk, Goru, and Geryusy.

History

Ancient history and Middle Ages

The area of Goris has been settled since the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with ...

. Goris is likely first mentioned by name in the Urartian period. King Rusa I of Urartu, who reigned between 735 and 713 BC, left a cuneiform inscription where ''Guria'' or ''Goriaya'' is mentioned as one of the 23 countries conquered by him, which some scholars connect with Goris. During the Middle Ages, the settlement was situated in the eastern part of the present Goris, on the left bank of Goris river. It was called Kores and coincided with one of the villages of ''Goru'' and ''Gorayk'' mentioned by

Stephen Orbelian Stepanos Orbelian ( hy, Ստեփանոս Օրբելեան, originally spelled hy, Ստեփաննոս, translit=Stepʻannos, label=none; – 1303) was a thirteenth-century Armenian historian and the metropolitan bishop of the province of Syu ...

in his 13th-century work ''History of the Province of Syunik''. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, Syunik along with the rest of the historic territories of Armenia suffered from the Seljuk, Mongol,

Aq Qoyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu ( az, Ağqoyunlular , ) was a culturally Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two tribal confederations: Akkoyunlu (W ...

and Kara Koyunlu invasions.

Persian rule

At the beginning of the 16th century, Syunik became part of the Erivan Province within the

Safavid Persia Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

. The current spelling of the name was first mentioned in 1624, in a manuscript by a certain Barsegh Yerets. In the 17–18th centuries the princes Melik Husenyans ruled the region around Goris. At the beginning of the 18th century, the region was the centre of the Armenian liberation campaign led by David Bek against

and the invading Ottoman Turks. In 1750, the region became part of the newly formed

Karabakh Khanate The Karabakh Khanate was a semi-independent Turkic Caucasian khanate on the territories of modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan established in about 1748 under Iranian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas. The Karabakh Khanate came under ...

. At the beginning of the 19th century, many territories of Armenia, including the region of old Kores of Syunik, became part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

as a result of the

Treaty of Gulistan The Treaty of Gulistan (russian: Гюлистанский договор; fa, عهدنامه گلستان) was a peace treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and Iran on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan (now in the Goranboy Distr ...

signed on 24 October 1813 between Russia and

Qajar Iran Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

following the Russo-Persian War of 1804–13.

Russian rule

Հին Գորիս - Old Goris (մինչև - until 1898)

Under Russian rule, the town of Goris (then called Gerusy) was founded in 1870 to become the centre of

Zangezur uezd The Zangezur uezd was a county (''uezd'') of the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire with its administrative center in Gerusy (present-day Goris) from 1868 until its formal abolition and partition between the Soviet republics of Armeni ...

within the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire. In 1876, by the initiative of the ''uezd'' governor Staratsky, the recommendation of Prince Manuchar-Bek Melik Huseinyan and using a city plan designed by a German architect, the construction of new Goris was completed near the old town of Kores. By the end of the 19th century, the economic and cultural life of the town had greatly improved.

Brief independence (1918-21)

With the establishment of the Republic of Armenia in 1918, Goris was included within the Zangezur ''gavar'' ("district"). However, after the fall of the First Republic of Armenia in 1920, the 2nd Pan-Zangezurian congress held in Tatev on 26 April 1921 declared the independence of the self-governing regions of Daralayaz (modern-day

Vayots Dzor Province Vayots Dzor ( hy, Վայոց Ձոր, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan to the east. It cove ...

), Zangezur, and parts of

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is m ...

under the name of the Republic of Mountainous Armenia (''Lernahaystani Hanrapetutyun''), with Goris as its de facto capital city. However, the self-proclaimed republic had a short life. The

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

conducted massive military operations in the region during June–July 1921, attacking Syunik from the north and east. As a result of fierce battles, the Republic of Mountainous Armenia capitulated on 13 July 1921, following Soviet Russia's promises to keep the mountainous region of Zangezur as part of

Soviet Armenia The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

Soviet rule

Under

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

rule, Goris served as the regional centre of the Zangezur region of

. With the establishment of the Goris raion in 1930, the town became the regional centre of the newly founded district. During the 1950s, the economy of the city was boosted with the construction of many hydroelectric power plants in the area. Several new industrial firms were opened, and many modern residential districts were founded. In 1967, Goris State Institute of Pedagogy was opened as a branch of the

Armenian State Pedagogical University Khachatur Abovian Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) ( hy, Խաչատուր Աբովյանի անվան հայկական պետական մանկավարժական համալսարան, ՀՊՄՀ), is a state university and higher educa ...

based in Yerevan. In 1970, Goris was granted the status of a "city of republican subordination" of the

Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

Post-independence

After the independence of Armenia, Goris was included within the newly formed Syunik Province as per the 1995 administrative reform. In 2006, the Goris State Institute of Pedagogy was restructured and turned into

Goris State University Goris State University (GorSU) (Armenian: Գորիսի պետական համալսարան) is a university in Goris, Syunik Province, Armenia. With 4 faculties, it is the largest university in Syunik Province. It provides degrees in Philology, H ...

to become the largest educational institute of Syunik. As a result of community mergers in 2016, the municipality of Goris was enlarged to include 9 of its nearby villages. In September 2022, Goris as well as several other Armenian towns, including Vardenis ( Gegharkunik Province), Jermuk (

) and Sotk (Gegharkunik), came under attack by Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Many residental houses were damaged as a result of the shelling; people were displaced from their homes.

Geography and climate

Goris is situated in the valley of Goris River, also known as Vararak River. The valley is surrounded with the

Zangezur Mountains The Zangezur Mountains ( hy, Զանգեզուրի լեռներ or Սյունյաց լեռներ, az, Zəngəzur dağları) are a mountain range that defines the border between Armenia's southern provinces of Syunik, Vayots Dzor, and Azerbaija ...

. The town has an average elevation of 1,385 metres above sea level. The surrounding mountains are famous for their medieval cave-dwellings carved out of the soft rock in the southern and eastern parts of the town. The Goris Wildlife Sanctuary is situated at the southeast of the town at a height ranging between 1400 and 2800 meters above sea level, covering an area of 18.5 km².

Caucasian grouse The Caucasian grouse or Caucasian black grouse (''Lyrurus mlokosiewiczi'') is a large bird in the grouse family. It is closely related to the black grouse (''L. tetrix''). Description As with many gamebirds, the cock (male) is larger than the h ...

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

and

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is k ...

are among the notable animals in the sanctuary. Located in a temperate and mild

highland climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions of ...

zone, the weather of Goris is characterized with mild snowy winters and hot summers. The average temperature in January is –1.3 °C and +19 °C in July. The annual precipitation level is between 500 and 600 mm.

Demographics

Population

Currently, the residents of Goris are entirely

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...

. However, the population suffered gradual decline since the collapse of the Soviet Union. By the end of the 19th century, 74.6% of the population in Goris were ethnic Armenians as per the

1897 census The first general census of the population of the Russian Empire in 1897 ( pre-reform Russian: ) was the first and only nation-wide census performed in the Russian Empire (the Grand Duchy of Finland was excluded). It recorded demographic data as ...

. The figure grew after the Sovietization of Armenia to reach up to 98.1% in the 1926 census. According to the 1917 publication of the ''Caucasian Calendar'', Goris in 1916 had a population of 2,201, including 1,724 Armenians (78.3%), 202

Shia Muslims Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...

(9.2%), and 196

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

(8.9%). Here is the population timeline of Goris since 1870:http://armstat.am/file/doc/99483273.pdf

Religion

The Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator in Goris is the seat of the

of the

. It was constructed between 1897 and 1904. After being consecrated by Catholicos

Mkrtich Khrimian Mkrtich Khrimian or ''Mıgırdıç Kırımyan'' ( classical hy, Մկրտիչ Խրիմեան, reformed: Մկրտիչ Խրիմյան; 4 April 182029 October 1907) was an Armenian Apostolic Church leader, educator, and publisher who served as Ca ...

in 1903, the church was officially opened in 1904. In February 1921, the Saint Gregory Cathedral of Goris was the location where Garegin Nzhdeh was announced as the ''

Sparapet ' ( hy, սպարապետ) was a military title and office in ancient and medieval Armenia. Under the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia, the ' was the supreme commander of the kingdom's armed forces. During the Arsacid period and for some time afterwards ...

'' (commander) of the Armenian forces of the forthcoming Republic of Mountainous Armenia in a solemn ceremony. The church building served as a regional history museum during Soviet times.

Culture

The stone pyramids of Old Kores located to the east of the modern town are one of the most attractive sites in Goris. The old town is home to the 4th-century basilica of Saint Hripsime. The basilica was renovated during the 16th century. However it was closed during the Soviet period. It underwent major renovation in 2010 and was reopened to the public in October 2013. Goris is a prominent cultural centre in Syunik. It has a cultural palace, a public library and a dramatic theatre. The archaeological museum of Goris opened in 1948 is dedicated to the rich history of the Syunik region. The house-museum of writer Axel Bakunts has been operating in the town since 1970, while the Goris art gallery has been operating since 2001. Other museums in the town include the geological museum of Goris and the Local Lore Museum of Goris. Goris has a rich heritage in the music of Armenia and is a major centre for traditional musical instruments. It is the birthplace of the famous musician Gusan Ashot. The city of Goris is known for its carpets and has long had a rich carpet weaving culture. Goris and its surrounding villages are regarded as the centre of the Zangezur sub-group of the Armenian carpet. Goris is home to an annual mulberry festival which during the month of August.

Transportation

The M-2 Highway that connects the capital Yerevan with southern Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic passes through Goris. Since November 2021, the Goris-Kapan road that connects the town with Kapan and at some points crosses the de facto Armenia-Azerbaijan border has not been in use due to the establishment of Azerbaijani border controls on the road, with an alternative route going through Tatev being used instead. The

Goris Airport Goris Airport, also known as Shinuyar Airport or Shinuhayr Airport is located to the south of Goris, near the village of Shinuhayr, Syunik Province, Armenia. It has been closed since the collapse of the USSR in 1991. However, the Armenian governme ...

, is located 10 kilometers south of Goris, near the village of Khot. It has been closed since the collapse of the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nati ...

in 1991. However, the Armenian government plans on reconstructing the airport and opening it to public and private service by 2016. According to the central government, it is envisaged to operate starting from 2016. The airport will allow tourists to visit the Syunik region and

as well as the Tatev monastery and other summer resorts around the town.

Economy

Being home to many food-processing plants, the economy of Goris is mainly based on light industry. The town's home-made fruit vodkas are particularly good and famous. Goris is home to the Vorotan Hydropower Plant (opened in 1989), one of the main providers of electrical power in Armenia. Other large industrial firms in Goris include the road construction company Vosmar LLC (founded in 2002), the electronic device producer Goris Gamma (founded in 2003), and the Goris Group bottled spring water company (founded in 2005).

Education

Goris is an important educational centre in Syunik. It has 7 secondary schools, 2 intermediate colleges, 7 kindergartens, 2 sports schools, 2 music schools and 1 art school.

has been operating in the town since 1967. Branches of the State Engineering University of Armenia and Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography also operate in the town. Goris is also home to the Goris Kh. Yeritsyan State Agricultural College.

Sports

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

artistic gymnastics Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different apparatuses. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

are among the most practiced sports in Goris. The sports sector in the town is served by the Goris Children's and Youth Sports School (opened in 1951), the Goris Regional Children's and Youth Sports School (opened in 2006), and the Albert Ordyan Chess School. Zangezour Football Club represented the town in professional competitions from 1982 to 1997, when they were forced to quit due to financial difficulties. They played their home games at Goris City Stadium, winning first place in the

Armenian First League The Armenian First League is currently the second level football competition in Armenia after the Armenian Premier League The Armenian Premier League ( hy, VBET Հայաստանի Պրեմիեր Լիգա, known as the VBET Armenian Premier Lea ...

(2nd division) on 2 occasions.

International relations

Twin towns

Nesvizh,

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

Vienne, Isère Vienne (; frp, Vièna) is a town in southeastern France, located south of Lyon, at the confluence of the Gère and the Rhône. It is the fourth largest-commune in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture alongside La Tour-du- ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Notable people

* Axel Bakunts (1899-1937), Armenian novelist * (1907-1989), Armenian gusan * Sero Khanzadyan (1915-1998), Armenian novelist * Yuri Bakhshyan (1947-1999), Armenian politician * Guros (1905–1981), Armenian painter

References

External links

Goris official websiteGoris Press ClubTravel GuideSyunik Province official website
{{Authority control Populated places in Syunik Province Communities in Syunik Province Mountain resorts in Armenia Populated places established in 1870 1870 establishments in the Russian Empire