Lori Fortress () is an 11th-century Armenian fortress located near the
Lori Berd village in
Lori Province
Lori (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia (country), Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. ...
,
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 ...
. The fortress was built by
David Anhoghin to become the capital of
Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget in 1065.
The Lori Fortress was the site where the Georgian king
Giorgi III of Georgia trapped and besieged his rebellious nephew,
Demna of Georgia in 1177.
The fortress was captured by the
Mongol
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...
commander Chagatai the Elder in 1239.
As of 2024 there are restoration works going on to preserve the fortress. They are estimated to be finished after the several years. Fortress walls, two bath houses and a civic building which once served as a church are planned to be restored.
Description and landmarks
The fortress is built out of black tuff stone and is located on a mountainous plateau situated 1490 metres above the sea level, which lies on the intersection of Urut and
Dzoraget rivers. There were once approximately 10.000 inhabitants living in the fortress. The following structures are located in it:
Bathrooms
The fortress has two bathrooms, a larger one and a smaller one. They had a heat room, bathroom and a fitting room. The bathrooms also had a dome, which served for lighting and ventilation with clay pipes installed into city walls ensuring the system of water irrigation.
Civic house
The remaining civic house had a 14 x 12 layout and 5 doors. The main purpose of it remains unknown, but it was turned into the religious building later on: first into the mosque (in 14th and 15th centuries), then into the church in the 18th century.
Gallery
File:Lori Berd, Armenia, 2016-09-30, DD 70.jpg, Lori Fortress view during the day
File:Lori berd fortress 005.JPG, Khachkar near the Lori fortress
File:Պարիսպ,11-14 դդ.jpg, Walls of Lori fortress
File:Մուտք, 11-16 դդ.jpg, Entry in Lori fortress
File:Fortress of Lori by ArmAg (6).jpg
File:Lori Berd, Armenia, 2016-09-30, DD 63-65 HDR.jpg, Ruined Armenian church inside the fortress
File:Krepost-Lori-Berd-i-kan (1).jpg, Bridge leading to the fortress
See Also
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Kiurikian dynasty
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Tashir-Dzoraget Kingdom
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Armenian architecture
Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenians, Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many o ...
References
*
Notes
External links
About Lori FortressArmeniapedia.org: Lori Berd
Archaeological sites in Armenia
Castles in Armenia
Forts in Armenia
Buildings and structures in Lori Province
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