Tigranakert of Artsakh

For other uses, see Tigranakert (disambiguation).

Tigranakert of Artsakh
The wall ruins of Tigranakert
Location:	Martakert Province, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (de-facto) Agdam Rayon,  Azerbaijan (de-jure)
Coordinates:	40°03′55″N 46°54′21″E / 40.06528°N 46.90583°E / 40.06528; 46.90583Coordinates: 40°03′55″N 46°54′21″E / 40.06528°N 46.90583°E / 40.06528; 46.90583
Built:	1st century B.C.
Governing body:	Government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Location of Tigranakert of Artsakh in Azerbaijan

Tigranakert (Armenian: Արցախի Տիգրանակերտ, Arts'akhi Tigranakert) is a former Armenian city dating back to the Hellenistic period. It is one of several former cities in the Armenian plateau with the same name, named in honor of the Armenian king Tigranes the Great (r. 95–55 BC),^[1] although some scholars have posited that this particular Tigranakert may have been founded by Tigranes the Great's father, Tigranes I (r. 115–95 BC).^[2] It occupies an area of about 50 hectares and is located in the province of Martakert in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), de jure Aghdara in the Azerbaijan, approximately four kilometers south of the Khachenaget River.

History

Archaeologists date the foundation of Tigranakert to a period in the 80s BC, during the reign of King Tigranes the Great.^[3] After the demise of the city in the early Middle Ages, the name "Tigranakert" was preserved and used continuously in local geographic lore as Tukrakert (Տըկրակերտ) and Turnakurt (Տըրնակուրտ).

Excavations

Excavations at Tigranakert began in March 2005, when it was first discovered, and are currently ongoing under the directorship of Dr. Hamlet Petrosyan of the Armenian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography. Archaeologists have uncovered two of the main walls of the city, as well as Hellenistic-style towers and an Armenian church dating to fifth to seventh centuries.^[3] In 2008, the excavation team began to face funding issues, although the authorities of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have promised to allocate 30 million drams to continue further research.^[1]

In June 2010, a museum dedicated to the study and preservation of artifacts unearthed from Tigranakert's ruins was opened on the territory of the former city of Aghdam (which lay in ruins today).^[3]

Gallery

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  Ancient church ruins near Tigranakert.

See also

• Tigranakert (Silvan)
• Tigranes the Great

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Harutyunyan, Arpi. "Research in Ruins: Tigranakert project threatened by lack of finances." ArmeniaNow. April 11, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
2. ^ Hewsen, Robert H. (2001). Armenia: A Historical Atlas. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 73, map 62. ISBN 0-2263-3228-4. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Museum at Ancient Ruins of Tigranakert Opens in Nagorno-Karabakh." Asbarez. June 8, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.

External links

• Tigranakert of Artsakh: (Armenian), (Russian).
• Zareh Tjeknavorian (Director) (2007). Tigranakert: An Armenian Odyssey. Yergir Union and Naregatsi Film Center. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PENAfitgLsg. 
• Tigranakert of Artsakh on CNN