Tigranakert () or Tigranavan () was an ancient Armenian city founded by
Tigranes the Great
Tigranes II, more commonly known as Tigranes the Great (''Tigran Mets'' in Armenian language, Armenian; 140–55 BC), was a king of Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Armenia. A member of the Artaxiad dynasty, he ruled from 95 BC to 55 BC. Under hi ...
, King 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 ...
in the 1st century BCE. It was one of four cities established by Tigranes the Great which carry his name.
The one at
Nakhchivan is said to have served as a residence for Tigranes' sister, Tigranuhi.
[Armeniapaedia: Nakhijevan - Third chapter Նախիջևան` Գլուխ երրորդ]
(in Armenian)
Etymology
The name Tigranakert consists of the name of
Tigranes the Great
Tigranes II, more commonly known as Tigranes the Great (''Tigran Mets'' in Armenian language, Armenian; 140–55 BC), was a king of Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Armenia. A member of the Artaxiad dynasty, he ruled from 95 BC to 55 BC. Under hi ...
with the Armenian suffix ''-kert'', meaning “made by”. Therefore, the literal translation of the city name is “Made by Tigran.” Additionally, the name Tigranavan comes from the same origin but instead uses the Armenian suffix ''-avan'', meaning town.
History
The location of Tigranakert of Nakhchivan has not yet been identified yet, but
Suren Yeremian
Suren Tigrani Yeremian (; ; – 17 December 1992) was a Soviet historian and cartographer who specialized in the study of the early history and geography of Armenia and the Caucasus. He devoted nearly thirty years of his scholarly efforts in ...
places its approximate location along the Vanandchay river, north of
Dəstə.
Movses Khorenatsi
Movses Khorenatsi ( 410–490s AD; , ) was a prominent Armenians, Armenian historian from late antiquity and the author of the ''History of Armenia (book), History of the Armenians''.
Movses's ''History of the Armenians'' was the first attempt at ...
writes about this in his book titled ''The History of Armenia'', that "... (Tigran) sends his sister Tigranuhi to Armenia as a king and in large numbers, the settlement that Tigranes built in his name, that is, Tigranakert, the provinces call for his service to put in. And the aristocratic class called the Vosta of those parts says that it originated from this generation, as if it were a royal generation."
Later, this settlement has been mentioned as a city since the 1st century, during the invasions of the Roman general Corbulo on the city of
Artashat
Artashat (), Hellenized as Artaxata () and Artaxiasata (), was a major city and commercial center of ancient Armenia that served as the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia from its founding in 176 BC to 120 AD, with some interruptions. It was fo ...
, due to the resistance organized by the Armenians.
In the Middle Ages, Tigranavan had a population of 500,000-600,000
Armenians
Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...
and occupied a
large area within its fortified walls.
See also
*
Goghtn Goght’n (; also mentioned in sources as Goght’an, , and alternatively transliterated as ) was a canton () located in the province of Vaspurakan in historical Armenia. Its borders roughly corresponded to the modern Ordubad Rayon of Nakhicheva ...
*
Armenians in Nakhchivan
*
Armenian Catholic Church
The Armenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic particular church ''sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church. It accepts the papal supremacy, leadership of the bishop of Rome, and is therefore in full communion with ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tigranakert
Culture of Armenia
Armenian Highlands