- Type
- Fortress
- Coordinates
- 40.1194°, 44.7231°
History
The fortress, also called Geghi or Kegh, appears in the early 10th century in the history of the chronicler John the Catholicos as a holding of the princely Bagratuni family. He relates how in 924 the Arab commander Beshir, beaten at Lake Sevan, marched on Kakavaberd and was driven off by a small band under Gevorg Marzpetuni; the depleted defenders and the people of nearby strongholds later abandoned their forts, which Beshir then occupied. The Pahlavunis held it in the 11th century, followed in the 12th–13th centuries by the Proshyan princes. It is last recorded in 1224, when the Armenian-Georgian commander Ivane Mkhargrdzeli sheltered here after losing a battle near Garni. The writer Muratsan retold the fighting of 924 in his historical novel "Gevorg Marzpetuni" in the late 19th century.
What to see
The fortress lies within the wooded Khosrov Forest nature reserve, and entering the reserve requires permission from its administration. It is reached on foot or by four-wheel drive from the Garni side and the village of Gilan, usually between spring and autumn. Cliffs drop away on three sides, while on the north-east stand walls over two metres thick with towers 8–10 metres high; within the walls lie a ruined church and the remains of other buildings.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q3192881
Popularity: articles about this site in 11 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).