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
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Bjni, Armenia
References
Further reading
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External links
Bjni FortressAbout 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