Syunik (, ) is the southernmost
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 is bordered by the
Vayots Dzor Province to the north,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
's
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (, ) is a landlocked country, landlocked Enclave and exclave, exclave of the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. The region covers Official portal of Nakhchivan Autonomous RepublicNakhchivan Autonomous Republi ...
exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
to the south. Its capital and largest city is the town of
Kapan
Kapan ( ) is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative centre of the Kapan Municipality and also as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji (river), Voghji River and is on the norther ...
. The
Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population was 141,771 in the 2011 census, down from 152,684 at the 2001 census.
Etymology
Syunik was one of the 15 provinces of the
Kingdom of Armenia. The early Armenian historian
Movses Khorenatsi connected the name of the province with
Sisak, a descendant of the legendary Armenian patriarch
Hayk and supposed progenitor of the ancient
Siunia (or Syunik) dynasty, which ruled Syunik from the first century BC.
However, historian
Robert Hewsen considered Sisak to be a later eponym. Historian Armen Petrosyan suggested that Syunik is derived from name of the
Urartian sun god Shivini/Siwini (itself a borrowing from the
Hittites
The Hittites () were an Anatolian peoples, Anatolian Proto-Indo-Europeans, Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia. Possibly originating from beyond the Black Sea, they settled in mo ...
), noting the similarity between the names and the high number of sun-related placenames in the historical Syunik region. At various times, the region of present-day Syunik was also known by other names such as ''Syunia'', ''Sisakan'' and ''
Zangezur'' (or ''Zangadzor''
). The region of Syunik geographically was called ''Siounia Caucasiana'' in the 5-6th century by the
Ravenna Cosmography.
Geography

Syunik is located between the
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (, ) is a landlocked country, landlocked Enclave and exclave, exclave of the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. The region covers Official portal of Nakhchivan Autonomous RepublicNakhchivan Autonomous Republi ...
of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
from the west, and districts of
Lachin,
Qubadli and
Zangilan of Azerbaijan from the east. It was bordered on the east by
Kashatagh Province of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic between 1992 and 2020. The
Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia forms its northern border, while
Aras River at the south separates Syunik from
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. Syunik covers an area of 4,506 km
2 (1740 sq. mi.) (15% of total area of Armenia), making it the second-largest province in Armenia after Gegharkunik in terms of the total area.

Historically, the current territory of the province occupies most of the historic
Syunik province of Ancient Armenia.
Syunik is a mountainous region, mainly covered with thick green forests. The
Zangezur Mountains occupy most of the territory of Syunik.
Mount Kaputjugh with a height of 3905 meters (12,812') and Mount Gazanasar with a height of 3829 meters (12,562') are the highest peaks of the province.
Many of the forests in Syunik are protected by the government, including the
Arevik National Park, the
Shikahogh State Reserve, the Boghakar Sanctuary, the Goris Sanctuary, the Plane Grove Sanctuary, the Sev Lake Sanctuary, and the Zangezur Sanctuary.
Major water basins include the rivers of
Vorotan,
Voghji,
Sisian,
Meghri and
Vachagan. Summer temperature can reach up to 40 °C (104 °F), although the average temperature is around 22 °C (72 °F), while in winter it may reach down to -12.5 °C (9.5 °F). Its border with Nakhchivan to the west is defined by the Zangezur Mountains.
The Meghri mountain ridge at the extreme south of Armenia used to be home to the
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
Caucasian leopard. However, only one was detected by
camera trap between August 2006 and April 2007, and no signs of other leopards were found during track surveys conducted over an area of . The local prey base could support 4–10 individuals, but
poaching and disturbance caused by livestock breeding, gathering of edible plants and mushrooms, deforestation and human-induced wildfires are so high that they exceed the tolerance of the leopards. During surveys in 2013–2014, camera traps recorded leopards in 24 locations in southern Armenia, of which 14 are located in the Zangezur Mountains.
History
Kingdom of Armenia
Inscriptions found in the region around
Lake Sevan attributed to King
Artaxias I confirm that the
historic province of Syunik was part of the
Artaxiad Kingdom of Armenia during the 2nd century BC.
The first dynasty to rule Syunik was the
Siunia dynasty, beginning in the 1st century. The first known ''
nakharar'' ruler was Valinak Siak (c. 330) and his successor was his brother Andok or Andovk (Antiochus, c. 340). In 379, Babik (Bagben) the son of Andok, was re-established as a ''nakharar'' by the
Mamikonian family. Babik had a sister called
Pharantzem who had married the
Arsacid Prince Gnel, nephew of the Armenian King
Arsaces II (Arshak II) and later married Arsaces II as her second husband. Babik's rule lasted for less than ten years and by about 386 or 387, Dara was deposed by the
Sassanid Empire.
Valinak (c. 400–409) was followed by Vasak (409–452). Vasak had two sons: Babik (Bagben), Bakur and a daughter who married Vasak's successor, Varazvahan (452–472). Varazvahan's son Gelehon ruled from 470 to 477, who died in 483. Babik (Bagben) the brother of Varazvahan became the new ''nakharar'' in 477. Hadz the brother of Gelehon died on 25 September 482. The Syunik Province was later governed by Vahan (c. 570), Philip (Philipo, c. 580), Stephen (Stephanos, c. 590–597), Sahak (Isaac, c. 597) and Grigor (Gregory, until 640).
Medieval Syunik

A dynasty was formed, governed by a branch of the
Bagratuni, with minor vassal princes from one or more previous dynasties.
Vasak III (c. 800) suffered an assault from the
emir
Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...
of
Manazkert, Sevada. He established a garrison in
Chalat, in the district of
Dzoluk. He then called for help from the Persian revolutionary chief
Babak Khorramdin, who married a daughter of the king.
After the death of Vasak III in 821, Babak inherited the country that revolted against him. Babak suppressed the revolt but was harassed by both Muslims and Armenians. Finally, he abdicated and the children of Vasak, Philip and Sahak, regained power. Philip controlled over eastern Syunik, including the cantons of the ''Vayots Dzor'' and ''Baghk''. Sahak governed the western canton of Syunik, known as ''Gegharkunik''.
In 826, Sahak allied with his ancient enemy – Sevada, the Qaisite emir of Manazkert – against the governor of
Caliph
A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
, but he was defeated and died in
Kavakert. His son
Grigor-Sufan succeeded him as prince of Western Syunik. In the Eastern region, Philipo died on 10 August 848. He was succeeded by three children (
Babgen,
Vasak-Ichkhanik and
Achot) that ruled jointly. Babgen fought with Grigor-Sufan and killed him (sometime in 849–851) but Babgen died shortly after (851) and Vasak-Ichkhanik (Vasak IV) followed him. Vasak-Ichkhanik had peaceful relations with
Vasak-Gabor, who had ascended to the throne of Western Syunik, replacing his father Grigor-Sufan.
Nerseh Pilippean, brother of Babgen, directed (822–23)
an expedition to
Aghuania defeating and killing the prince
Varaz-Terdat II (of the Persian dynasty
Mihrakane of Aghuania) in Morgog. A general sent by the
Caliph
A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
,
Bugha al-Kabir, destroyed Armenia and Aghuania in these years and sent a detachment to Eastern Syunik where was governing Vasak IV with his brother Achot. The people of Syunik were sheltered in the fortress of Balq, but Vasak fled to Kotaiq, and was pursued to the region of
Gardman on the eastern border of
Lake Sevan. Gardman's prince (ichkhan) Ketridj or Ketritchn betrayed him and delivered him to Bogha (859). Achot was also seized (859). But Bogha invaded Gardman and imprisoned Kertridj. He then went to Outi where he captured the prince of
Sevordiq, Stephannos Kun.

The
Caliphate tried to control all these regions, and for this reason, Bogha decided to repopulate the city of
Chamkor in the
Kura River with Muslims. Chamkor, being near
Barda and
Ganja, was intended to act as a regional monitoring post. By order of the new Caliph in 862, the imprisoned princes were to be released and allowed to return to their former domains on the condition of becoming Muslim. (However, they all abandoned Islam after their return.)
The prince of Western Syunik, Vasak-Gabor, was married to a daughter of the Bagratid prince
Ashot the Great named Miriam and received the title of Ichkhan from the Syunik people – delivered to him by Ashot in name of the Caliph. His successor was his son, Grigor-Sufan II (887–909). The prince of Eastern Syunik, Vasak IV, died around 887 and was followed by his brother
Achot who died c. 906.
The son of Vasak IV, Sembat, that received the
fiefdom from Vayots Dzor.
Chahaponk (Jahuk) governed from 887 until sometime after 920. He revolted in 903 against the Bagratid
Sembat I, refusing to pay him taxes. Because of this, he was assaulted by the prince of
Vaspurakan, Sargis-Ashot. Sembat submitted, was forgiven and married to the sister of the prince of Vaspurakan, receiving the city and district of
Nakhchivan, which in 902 was upset with the
Kaysites or Qaisids.
A few years later, the prince allied with the emir of
Sadjid, Yusuf, against Eastern Syunik, which they invaded together. Sembat was sheltered in the fortress of
Erendchak (today
Alinja, northeast of Nakhchivan) and Yusuf remained owner of Eastern Syunik. Sembat requested refuge from his brother-in-law
Khatchik-Gagik, which was granted. In the same year (909), the prince of Western Syunik, Grigor Sufan II, submitted to the emir Yusuf in
Dwin. Only
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
movements and the withdrawal of the Sadjids permitted him to recover the throne sometime later. Sembat, with his three brothers Sahak, Babgen, and Vasak, governed again. Also in Western Syunik, Sahak, Ashot and Vasak, brothers of Grigor-Sufan II, were governing the country. After them the dynasty of Western Syunik became extinct and the territory was subsumed by the Muslims.

The eastern part remained divided: Sembat, which had the main title, governed the western part of the Eastern Syunik with the Vayots Dzor, bordered by Vaspurakan. Sahak governed the eastern part until the river
Hakar. Babgen governed the district of the Baghk, and Vasak (who died in 922) an indeterminate territory. Nasr, the emir of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
, captured territory through
perfidy against Babgen and Sahak in Dwin. After the invasion, Sembat unseated Nasr and obtained the freedom of his brothers. Sembat was followed by his son Vasak, and Sahak in turn by his son Sembat. Vasak received the royal title from the Muslims at the end of his reign, which lasted until 963.
The throne was inherited by his nephew Sembat (963–998) who was recognized as king by the emirs of Tauris and of
Arran. He was married to the princess of Aghuania,
Chahandoukht. At his death, he was followed by Vasak (c. 998–1019). Vasak was succeeded by two nephews (the children of his sister and a Prince Achot) called Sembat and Grigor (1019–1084). During his periods Syunik was vassal of
Great Seljuk Empire. Grigor was married with the princess Chahandoukht, daughter of
Sevada of Aghuania. The only successor to the two princes, was a daughter of Grigor's called
Chahandoukht. Rule passed to the prince of Aghuania,
Seneqerim Ioan who governed both territories from 1084 until his death in 1105. Seneqerim Ioan was followed by his son
Grigor of Syunik and Aghuania, who governed until 1166 when the country was conquered by the
Seljuq Turks. It was ruled by Seljuks of
Hamadan,
Atabegs of Azerbaijan,
Kingdom of Georgia,
Khwarezmshahs,
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...
,
Chupanids,
Jalayirids,
Kara Koyunlu,
Timurid Empire and
Aq Qoyunlu
The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two trib ...
successively before Safavid rule. It mostly had autonomous rule and was for some periods fully independent under the Armenian meliks
Later, the
Orbelian dynasty, one of whose members wrote an important history of the country, governed Syunik in times of
Timur (Tamerlan) as vassals.
Iranian rule
Between the middle of the 18th century and early in the 19th century, the Syunik was part of the
Karabakh khanate of the
Safavid Empire. It was also ruled by the Ottomans between 1578 and 1606 and again between 1722 and 1736.
By the beginning of the 18th century, Syunik was associated with the Armenian military leader
David Bek, who led the liberation campaign of the Armenians of Syunik against
Safavid Persia and the invading Ottoman Turks. David Bek started his battles in 1722 with the help of thousands of local Armenian patriots who liberated Syunik. The centre of David Bek's struggle was the
Baghaberd Fortress northwest of Kapan and
Halidzor Fortress southwest of Kapan where he died in 1728.
Imperial Russian rule

Following the
Russo-Persian War of 1804–13, Syunik -along with the rest of
Karabakh Khanate- passed into
Imperial Russian possession, officially signed in the
Treaty of Gulistan in 1813. The khanate was abolished by the Russian government in 1822. The region was divided between the
Erivan Governorate, and
Baku Governorate (known as ''Shemakha Governorate'' until 1859). When the
Elisabethpol Governorate was established in 1868, the region became part of the
Zangezursky Uyezd, with its administration based in the town of
Geryusy starting from 1870.
According to the official census of the Russian Empire in 1897, the total population of Zangezursky Uyezd was 137,971, with 51.6% of them were Caucasian Tatars and 46,1% were Armenians.
[Audrey L. Altstadt. The Azerbaijani Turks: power and identity under Russian rule. Hoover Press, 1992. , ]
The beginning of 20th century saw an outbreak in ethnic tensions between the Armenian and Tatar populations in the Caucasus, culminating in the
Armenian-Tatar massacres. Clashes occurred in Nakhchivan and Sharur-Daralgez uyezdy of the Erevan gubernia and in
Zangezur, Shusha and Javanshir uezdy of Elizavetpol gubernia in 1905. According to Armenian sources 128 Armenian and 158 Azerbaijanian villages were "pillaged or destroyed"
while the overall estimates of lives lost vary widely, ranging from 3,000 to 10,000, with Muslims suffering higher losses. During these events, the Armenians of Syunik were massacred "without distinction of sex or age" by Azeri forces, and children were mutilated.
Tensions were accelerated with the collapse of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. The region fell under the authority of the Special Transcaucasian Committee of the
Russian Provisional Government and subsequently the short-lived
Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. When the TDFR was dissolved in May 1918, Zangezur,
Nakhchivan, and
Nagorno-Karabakh became heavily contested between the newly formed and short-lived states of the
Republic of Armenia and the
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. At the time, Syunik had an Armenian majority of 350,000 and a Muslim population of 180,000. According to
Thomas de Waal, the dispute over Syunik resulted in the displacement of region's Caucasian Tatar minority through direct military action by Armenian guerrilla commanders
Andranik,
[ Thomas de Waal. ''Black Garden: Armenia And Azerbaijan Through Peace and War''. New York: New York University Press, pp. 129. ] Rouben Ter Minassian and later
Garegin Nzhdeh.
Republic of Armenia

Between 1918 and 1920 Syunik was included in the short-lived
Republic of Armenia. After the Sovietization of Armenia, Syunik became the main centre of the resistance against the Bolsheviks, thus becoming part of the unrecognized
Republic of Mountainous Armenia. The city of
Goris became the capital of the unrecognized state, and
Garegin Nzhdeh was chosen as prime minister and minister of defence. Later, in July,
Simon Vratsian took the office as prime minister while Nzhdeh became the governor and the general commander. Nzhdeh actively engaged in expelling the 3/5th
Azerbaijani population of Zangezur.
Between April and July 1921, the Red Army conducted massive military operations in the region, attacking Syunik from the north and east. After months of fierce battles with the Red Army, the Republic of Mountainous Armenia capitulated in July 1921 following Soviet Russia's promises to keep the mountainous region as a part of Soviet Armenia. After the conflict, Garegin Nzhdeh, his soldiers, and many prominent Armenian intellectuals, including leaders of the
Republic of Armenia, crossed the
border
Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...
into the neighbouring city of
Tabriz in Persia. Thus, Syunik became part of the
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic in July 1921.
Soviet Syunik
Armenian forces eventually secured the region but their efforts were in vain when the
Bolsheviks, successful in the
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
, pushed deep into the Caucasus. Syunik was one of the last major holdouts of the independent Armenian state whose leaders were eventually expelled by incoming Soviet authorities to Iran. During
Sovietization, Syunik became part of Soviet Armenia, while the two other disputed territories, Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh became part of Soviet Azerbaijan. It then became part of Armenia under the
Transcaucasian SFSR and part of the
Armenian SSR in 1936. Under Soviet rule, Syunik suffered a devastating earthquake in April 1931, leaving 80% of its villages destroyed. A subsequent earthquake hit the region in May during the same year, destroying 27 of 38 villages in the
Sisian district.
As an administrative unit, modern-day Syunik was divided into the raions of Meghri, Kapan, Goris and Sisian.
Despite the region's troubled early years in the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, it gradually began to recover with much of the area's infrastructure rebuilt and improved. During the Soviet era, Syunik was noted as a source of metal and ore production. However, the region was shaken by the renewal of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh with neighbouring Azerbaijan. In 1987–1989, the remaining Azeri inhabitants fled the region as a result of interethnic violence. This exodus of Azeri population made Syunik and Armenia, in general, more homogeneous.
Independence of Armenia
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Syunik has been a constituent part of the Republic of Armenia. After the independence of Armenia, the 4 rayons of Soviet Syunik were merged during the 1995 administrative reform to form the Syunik Province with the town of Kapan as the provincial capital.
Being the republic's southernmost province, it has gained a strategic and economic importance for Armenia. The border with Iran enhanced the export of vital energy resources from Armenia to Iran and other regions. Recently, a new 140-kilometer-long
Armenia-Iran pipeline has been opened, projected to supply Armenia with up to 1.1 billion m
3 of gas per year until 2019, when the target of the supply is expected to rise to 2.3 billion m
3 annually."
The new pipeline attracted Armenia's northern neighbor Georgia, seeking to lessen its dependence on energy from Russia.
In 2000, an old cemetery was found between the villages of Kornidzor and Khndzoresk near Goris. It was built during the
Kara Koyunlu rule.
As a result of the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, the territories to the east of Syunik, which had been under Armenian control since the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War, came under Azerbaijani control, lengthening the province's border with Azerbaijan and creating fears about the province's security.
In one border settlement in Syunik,
Shurnukh, 12 houses came under the control of Azerbaijan after being found to be located on the Azerbaijani side of the border.
Additionally, several parts of the important highway between Goris and Kapan came under Azerbaijani control.
The ninth point of the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement that ended the 2020 war stated that "All economic and transport connections in the region shall be unblocked. The Republic of Armenia shall guarantee the security of transport connections between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to arrange unobstructed movement of persons, vehicles and cargo in both directions." The president of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev insists that this means that Armenia is obligated to provide a "corridor" to Azerbaijan through Syunik and threatened to establish the "corridor" by force if Armenia does not oblige.
Prime minister of Armenia
Nikol Pashinyan rejected this, arguing that the ceasefire agreement does not call for a corridor through Syunik but for the general opening of transportation routes between the two countries.
Starting on 12 May 2021, Azerbaijani forces crossed several kilometers into Armenian territory in Syunik and occupied the area around
Lake Sev in Syunik, precipitating a
border crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On 10 November 2021 it was announced the alternate Goris-Kapan highway completely within Armenia's borders was completed.
Demographics
Population
In 1989, the Syunik Province (then part of the
Sisian,
Goris,
Meghri, and
Kapan
Kapan ( ) is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative centre of the Kapan Municipality and also as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji (river), Voghji River and is on the norther ...
districts in 1930–1995)
had a population of 141,501. 66,170 or 46.76% of which was urban, divided into Goris (23,795) and Kapan (42,375), and 75,331 or 53.24% were rural, distributed into the districts of Sisian (29,768), Goris (17,979), Meghri (14,341), and Kapan (13,243).
According to the 2011 official census, Syunik has a population of 141,771 (69,836 men and 71,935 women), forming around 4.7% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 95,170 (67.13%) and the rural is 46,601 (32.87%). The province has 7 urban and 102 rural communities. The largest urban community is the provincial center of Kapan, with a population of 43,190. The other urban centres are Goris, Sisian, Kajaran, Meghri, Agarak and Dastakert.
With a population of 2,661, the village of
Shinuhayr is the largest rural municipality of Syunik.
Ethnic groups and religion
Syunik is almost entirely populated by ethnic Armenians who belong to the
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...
. The regulating body of the church is the
Diocese of Syunik, currently headed by Rev. Fr. Zaven Yazichyan. The Saint Gregory Cathedral of
Goris is the seat of the diocese.
Administrative divisions
As a result of the administrative reforms took place on 24 November 2015, 17 June 2016 and 9 June 2017, Syunik is currently divided into 8 municipal communities (''hamaynkner''), of which 5 are urban, and 3 are rural:
File:455 La ville de Goris.JPG, Goris
File:Kajaran.jpg, Kajaran
File:Kapan general view.jpg, Kapan
File:Meghri.jpg, Meghri
File:Sisian general.jpg, Sisian
File:Gorayk 2505.jpg, Gorayk
File:Shinuhayr village and Vorotan canyon view - panoramio.jpg, Shinuhayr
File:Tegh.jpg, Tegh
File:Трасса Север-Юг. Армения. Национальный парк Аревик.jpg, National park "Arevik"
File:Сюник 2023.5 13.jpg, Near Alidzor
Culture
Fortresses and archaeological sites
Near the village of
Angeghakot in the
Sisian Municipality is located the
prehistoric site of
Godedzor that goes back to about 4000 BC.This was an important centre for
obsidian trade in Syunik obsidian. It had links with the sites located as far as
Lake Urmia in Iran such as
Yanik Tepe and
Dalma Tepe.
The sites of interest in this area include,
*
Zorats Karer prehistoric archaeological site, is believed by many scientists including
Paris Herouni and Onik Khnkikyan to be a prehistoric astronomical observatory,
[Paris Herouni, Armenians and Old Armenia, Yerevan, 2004.]
*
Baghaberd fortress of the 4th century,
*
Vorotnaberd fortress of the 5th century,
*
Meghri Fortress of the 11th century,
*
Halidzor Fortress of the 17th century,
* the artificial caves of
Khndzoresk.
Churches and monasteries

* Surp Hovhannes Monastery of 691 of
Sisian.
*
Tatev monastery of the 9th century.
*
Vorotnavank monastic complex of the 10th century.
*
Vahanavank
Vahanavank () is a 10th-11th century Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Apostolic cathedral located approximately 5 kilometers west of the town of Kapan in the Syunik Province of Armenia, situated at the foot of Tigranasar mountain along the rig ...
monastic complex of the 10th century.
*
Bgheno-Noravank monastery of the 11th century.
*
Tatevi Anapat monastic complex of the 17th century.
Transportation
Economy
Agriculture
Around 74% (3,336 km
2) of the total area of the province are
arable lands, out of which 13.2% (440 km
2) are ploughed.
The rural population is mainly involved in agriculture and cattle-breeding. The province contributes 6.5% of the annual agricultural product of Armenia. The main crops are grains, dry grains, potatoes and vegetables.
The village of
Angeghakot has
fish farming ponds, while the village of
Achanan is home to a poultry farm.
Industry

Syunik is among the main contributing provinces in the industrial sector of Armenia. It has a share of 17% of the annual total industrial product of Armenia. The economy is of the province is mainly based on the industrial sector, including mining, building materials production and food-processing. The prospect of a
uranium mine being exploited by the Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation (Rosatom) in the village of
Lernadzor.
* The province is home to many of Armenia's largest mining operations including the
Kapan mine and
Kajaran Mine operated by the
Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine since 1951, based in Kajaran.
[''The Specter of Uranium Once Again Hangs Over Syunik''](_blank)
Hetq Online, 10 November 2008. The town of Kajaran is also home to the "Danesia" company for roofing sheets founded in 2000.
* Kapan is home to a number of industrial firms operating in the industrial district of the town. The largest firms are the "Kapan CH.SH.SH." for building materials founded in 1947, the Kapan machine tools plant founded in 1972, the "Sonatex" knitting factory founded in 1985, and the "Marila LLC" for meat and dairy products founded in 2010.
* Goris is home to the
Vorotan Hydropower Plant opened in 1989 and considered one of the main providers of electrical power in Armenia. Other large industrial firms in Goris include the "Vosmar" company for
asphalt concrete and crushed stone founded in 2002, the "Goris Gamma" for electronic devices founded in 2003, and the "Goris Group" for bottled spring water founded in 2005.
* Sisian is home to the "Sis-Alp" dairy factory founded in 2007, the "Bazalt-M" building materials production plant founded in 2009, and the Sisian ceramics plant operating since 2014.
* The Meghri Cannery founded in 1930, and the Meghri Road-building enterprise for asphalt and concrete production founded in 1997, are also among the major industrial firms of the province. Meghri used to have a large wine factory during the Soviet years.
* The Agarak Copper-Molybdenum mine complex produces copper and molybdenum concentrate through bulk-selective flotation recovery of molybdenum and copper minerals. It was fully acquired by "GeoProMining" company in 2007.
* The village of Shamb is home to the "Tatni Mineral Water Factory" founded in 2010, while
Norashenik is home to the Freedom Distillery for fruit vodka products opened in 2014.
Tourism

Tourism is among the developing sectors in the economy of Syunik. The towns of Goris and Kapan have a large number of different levels of hotels and inns.
The cultural heritage, as well as the natural beauty of the region attract many local and foreign tourists especially in the summer period. The
Wings of Tatev ( ''Tatevi tever'') cableway, operating since 16 October 2010 between
Halidzor and the
Tatev monastery, is the longest reversible
aerial tramway
An aerial tramway, aerial tram, sky tram, cable car or aerial cablecar, aerial cableway, ropeway, téléphérique (French), or Seilbahn (German) is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary cables for support, with a third movin ...
built in only one section, and holds the record for ''Longest non-stop double track cable car'' with the length of .
Many forests and woodlands of Syunik are among
the protected areas of Armenia such as the
Arevik National Park and
Shikahogh State Reserve. The province has also the wildlife sanctuaries of Boghakar, Goris, Sev Lake, Zangezur and the Plane Grove of Shikahogh river.
Other touristic destinations of Syunik include the
Mount Khustup and the
Shaki Waterfall.
Education
Syunik is home to the
Goris State University operating since 1967 in the town of Goris.
Branches of the
Yerevan State University,
National Polytechnic University of Armenia and Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography are also operating in the province.
As of the 2015–16 educational year, Syunik has 119 schools.
Sport
Football is the most popular sport in the province.
FC Gandzasar Kapan represents Syunik at the
Armenian Premier League
The Armenian Premier League (, known as the Armenian Fastex Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the top association football, football competition in Armenia. From 1936 to 1991, the competition was held as a regional tournament within th ...
.
Gandzasar Stadium in Kapan is the largest sports venue of Syunik. Minor stadiums also exit in Meghri, Goris and Sisian.
In 2013, FC Gandzasar Kapan opened its state-of-the-art
training centre to become the only football training academy in southern Armenia. The centre has several full-sized football pitches including one with
artificial turf.
Previously,
FC Zangezour of
Goris was another important football team in the province. However, the team was dissolved in 1997 due to financial difficulties.
Notable people
*
Aram Manukian, statesman, founder of the
Republic of Armenia
*
Aksel Bakunts, novelist
*
Versand Hakobyan, oligarch and politician
*
Sero Khanzadyan, novelist
*
Baghdasar Arzoumanian, architect
*
Oksen Mirzoyan, weightlifter, Olympic and World champion
Gallery
File:Stone Pyramids in Goris.jpg, The "stone-pyramids" of Goris
File:Զանգեզուրի արգելավայր 1 (3).JPG, Zangezur Sanctuary
File:Shaki Waterfall.jpg, Shaki Waterfall
File:KapanGareginNzhdeh.jpg, Monument to Garegin Nzhdeh and mount Khustup near Kapan
File:2014 Prowincja Sjunik, Krajobraz widziany z drogi M2 pomiędzy Goris a Szaki (05).jpg, The landscape as seen from the M-2 Motorway between Goris and Shaki
See also
*
Injevar
*
Jibillu
*
Kaler, Armenia
*
Kefashen
*
Kavart
*
Pirdaudan
Pirdaudan (also, Pirudan and Pirdoudan) is a town in the Syunik 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 bor ...
*
Siunia dynasty
*
Syunik (historic province)
*
Kingdom of Syunik
*
Vank
*
Verin Hand
*
Verin Vachagan
References
;Notes
;References
External links
Syunik portalKhustup TV of Syunik
Syunik Tourist GuideSyunik at Armeniainfo
{{Authority control
Provinces of Armenia