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Bjni Fortress () is a medieval Armenian fortress located in the village of Bjni in the Kotayk Province of
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
. It sits upon the top and along the sides of a mesa that divides the village nearly in half. The larger portion of which is located west of the mesa and curves south, while a smaller portion is east. The walls of the fortress may only be seen from the western side of the village, and are easiest reached via a narrow dirt road that forks (take the left fork) and goes up the side of the hill past some residences. Bjni Fortress is above sea level.


History

The fortress of Bjni was built in the 9th to 10th century by the royal Pahlavuni family of the Bagratuni dynasty. The commander of Bjni, lord Vasak Holum Pahlavuni (the Pahlavid) reconstructed the fortress. The 12th century Armenian historian Matteos Urhayetsi wrote in part 1 of the "Chronicle" covering the late 10th to early 11th centuries, of the invasions of mercenary Turkish soldiers of the Daylamis at Bjni in 1021 who went to raid and plunder villages and towns. Vasak and his men became furious and pursued the enemy forces into battle near the Kasakh River killing 300 of them and causing the rest to flee. After becoming exhausted from the fighting, Vasak left the battle to find a place to rest at a mountain called Serkevelo. One of the villagers who had fled the scene, saw the commander asleep and struck him with a heavy blow. He then threw Vasak from one of the high rocks, killing him. During the years 1387–88 the Turko-Mongol conqueror Timur Lenk destroyed the village of Bjni and most likely the castle as well. In manuscripts written by Thomas of Metsoph from the late 14th to mid-15th century, he left an account of Timur's invasions stating that,


Site

Portions of the exterior fortification walls at Bjni have survived and follow the sides of the mesa. At the
plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...
, there are sections of battlements that remain in relatively poor condition. Traces of where the foundations of structures had once stood are indicated by depressions in the ground at various areas. There is also the stone foundation of a church of the 5th century, a
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
structure that is still partially standing (currently being rebuilt as of 2009), two cisterns one with the remains of intact vaulting, and a covered passage that led to the river in the event of a
siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
.


Gallery

Bjni Fortress at Bjni 13.JPG, General view Բջնի Պահլավունիների ամրոց 01.jpg Bjni Pahlavuni fortress (74).jpg, Walls of fortress Bjni Fortress at Bjni 08.JPG Bjni Fortress at Bjni 39.JPG Bjni Fortress at Bjni 15.JPG Bjni Fortress at Bjni 20.JPG Bjni Fortress at Bjni 34.JPG Bjni Fortress at Bjni 29.JPG Bjni Pahlavuni fortress (13).jpg Bjni Fortress at Bjni 31.JPG Pjni Fortress 03.jpg Pjni Fortress 05.jpg Pjni Fortress 06.jpg Bjni Fortress Wall.JPG, One of the original standing walls of the castle Bjni Pahlavuni fortress (14).jpg, inside the fortress Bjni Pahlavuni fortress (15).jpg Bjni Pahlavuni fortress (16).jpg Bjni Fortress (general view) 10.jpg Bjni Fortress (general view) 18.jpg Bjni Fortress (general view) 19.jpg Ամրոց15.JPG, General view in snow winter Ամրոց17.JPG Բջնի Պահլավունիների ամրոց 04.jpg Եկեղեցի Սբ. Խաչ3.JPG, St. Xach church


See also

* Bjni, Armenia


References


Further reading

* * *


External links


Bjni Fortress

About Bjni Fortress


{{Castles in Armenia Archaeological sites in Armenia Castles in Armenia Forts in Armenia Tourist attractions in Kotayk Province Buildings and structures in Kotayk Province