Vorotnaberd (; also Davit Bek's Castle) is an important fortress along a ridge overlooking the
Vorotan gorge
A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...
, between the villages of
Vaghatin and
Vorotan in the
Syunik Province
Syunik (, ) is the southernmost province of Armenia. It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital and larg ...
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 ...
. Vorotnaberd is above sea level.
Vorotnaberd Altitude and Location
/ref>
History
Vorotnaberd was destroyed multiple times by foreign invasions. In 1104 (possibly in 1219 as well) Seljuk-Turks attacked the fortress and the nearby monastery of Vorotnavank northwest. Ivane Zakaryan liberated the structures from enemy hands and gave control of Vorotnavank and Vorotnaberd to Liparit Orbelian of the Orbelyan family. Repairs were made to the nearby monastery during this time to make it functional once again.
Other foreign invasions included the Mongol-Tatars
The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, extending northward into parts of t ...
(in 1236?) and later Timur Lenk
Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeated ...
in 1386 where his army lay siege to the fortress. An underground passageway connected to Vorotnavank and the Vorotan River was used during 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 ...
s by invading armies.
In 1724 Davit Bek
Davit Bek or David Beg (; died 1728) was an Armenian military commander and the leader of an Armenian rebellion against the invading Ottoman Empire and implanted Safavid Muslim tribes in the mountainous region of Zangezur (today the Armenian pro ...
took control of Vorotnaberd from Melik Baghri. This incident led people living in the region to call the fortress by the name "Davit Bek's Castle".
Architecture
The fortress is in ruin.
Gallery
Vorotnaberd 7.jpg
Vorotnaberd 2.jpg
Որոտնաբերդ 16.jpg
Vorotnaberd 8.JPG
Vorotnaberd 4.jpg
Vorotnaberd 5.jpg
Vorotnaberd 6.jpg
References
*
*
External links
Armeniapedia.org: Որոտանաբերդ (Article in Armenian)
{{Castles in Armenia
Archaeological sites in Armenia
Castles in Armenia
Forts in Armenia
Tourist attractions in Syunik Province
Buildings and structures in Syunik Province