Halidzor Fortress
Encyclopedia
The fortress of Halidzor is located along a hill overlooking the Voghji River to the north, near the village of Kapan
(1 km southwest) in the Syunik Province of Armenia
.
During the 18th century, the famous Armenian military commander and liberator David Bek
and his chief lieutenant and successor Mkhitar Sparapet
used the site as their main headquarters as well as an administrative center for Syunik in their fight against the forces of the Ottoman Empire
. In 1723/27, Bek along with 300 other soldiers, 13 bishops, and three priests defended the fortress in a seven day siege
from an invading army of 70,000 Ottoman Turks. The defensive nature of the location gave Bek's soldiers an advantage when fighting the enemy, but the siege left the defenders of the fortress weary with little food. Feeling that they were trapped and outnumbered he led a suicidal charge down the hill that terrified the invading army. The Turks hastily fleed the area purportedly leaving 12,000 enemy soldiers dead on the field below.
David Bek later died at the fortress after coming down with an illness in 1728. Oral tradition tells that after his death, an elderly bishop from Tatev
came and held a very large funeral service in his honor. Bek is reputedly buried in the cemetery just outside of the fortress walls. The tombstone is said to have a single flower carved on its underside so that the enemy would not recognize that it is the leader's final resting place.
After David Bek's death, the Ottoman army captured Halidzor and notified the defenders that they would take control of the fortress but leave the battalion and residents unharmed. The priest (Der Avedis) wanted solely to negotiate with the Turks, but Mkhitar Sparapet who was now in command of the fortress and the priest together went to negotiate. When they opened doors to the fortress, some of the defenders were slain.
site plan. Within the walls of the fortress are the remains of the church of S. Minas and a chapel as well as the foundations of what had once served as dwellings and other structures. Two arched portals lead into Halidzor from the exterior fortification walls to the north and the south. At the southwestern corner of the fortified wall is a tower and from the north to the east there is a terrace.
A secret tunnel once ran 500 meters to the Voghji River to allow its inhabitants access to fresh water in the event of a siege (one of the reasons Bek's men were able to stand their ground rather than surrender during the siege by the Turks). It is now covered, and sections of the tunnel are in ruin.
The church situated at the eastern side of Halidzor is a vaulted hall type structure constructed from large stones in the form of rubble masonry
. At either side and adjacent to the apse
are sacristies. At the north and south walls of the building are the remains of two-storied portico
s. The main church of S. Minas is built in a similar architectural technique as the construction of the other church. The eastern yard of the church has been widened.
In 2006 restoration and reconstruction work began at Halidzor and ended as of 2010.
Kapan
-Notable landmarks:*Vahanavank monastery*Baghaberd and Halidzor Fortresses.*Tatev Monastery - This monastery, situated northwest of Kapan was founded in the ninth century in the place of an ancient tabernacle well-known in ancient times...
(1 km southwest) in the Syunik Province of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
History
Halidzor was originally built in the 17th century to serve as a nunnery. It later served as a fortress for the Melik Parsadanian family for a short time.During the 18th century, the famous Armenian military commander and liberator David Bek
David Bek
David Bek was an Armenian military commander and one of the most prominent military figures of the Armenian liberation movement of the 18th century against the forces of Safavid Iran and the Ottoman Empire...
and his chief lieutenant and successor Mkhitar Sparapet
Mkhitar Sparapet
Mkhitar Sparapet was an 18th century Armenian national hero and participant in the struggle for preserving the Armenian heritage in the Zangezur region of Transcaucasia. He was instrumental in David Bek's victories over the forces of Safavid Iran and the Ottoman Empire in Armenia's Zangezur region...
used the site as their main headquarters as well as an administrative center for Syunik in their fight against the forces of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. In 1723/27, Bek along with 300 other soldiers, 13 bishops, and three priests defended the fortress in a seven day siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
from an invading army of 70,000 Ottoman Turks. The defensive nature of the location gave Bek's soldiers an advantage when fighting the enemy, but the siege left the defenders of the fortress weary with little food. Feeling that they were trapped and outnumbered he led a suicidal charge down the hill that terrified the invading army. The Turks hastily fleed the area purportedly leaving 12,000 enemy soldiers dead on the field below.
David Bek later died at the fortress after coming down with an illness in 1728. Oral tradition tells that after his death, an elderly bishop from Tatev
Tatev
The Monastery of Tatev is a 9th century Armenian monastery located in the Tatev village in Syunik Province in southern Armenia. The term "Tatev" usually refers to the monastery. It stands on a plateau on the edge of the deep gorge of the Orotan River...
came and held a very large funeral service in his honor. Bek is reputedly buried in the cemetery just outside of the fortress walls. The tombstone is said to have a single flower carved on its underside so that the enemy would not recognize that it is the leader's final resting place.
After David Bek's death, the Ottoman army captured Halidzor and notified the defenders that they would take control of the fortress but leave the battalion and residents unharmed. The priest (Der Avedis) wanted solely to negotiate with the Turks, but Mkhitar Sparapet who was now in command of the fortress and the priest together went to negotiate. When they opened doors to the fortress, some of the defenders were slain.
Architecture
The walls of the fortress are laid out in an irregular quadrangleQuadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
site plan. Within the walls of the fortress are the remains of the church of S. Minas and a chapel as well as the foundations of what had once served as dwellings and other structures. Two arched portals lead into Halidzor from the exterior fortification walls to the north and the south. At the southwestern corner of the fortified wall is a tower and from the north to the east there is a terrace.
A secret tunnel once ran 500 meters to the Voghji River to allow its inhabitants access to fresh water in the event of a siege (one of the reasons Bek's men were able to stand their ground rather than surrender during the siege by the Turks). It is now covered, and sections of the tunnel are in ruin.
The church situated at the eastern side of Halidzor is a vaulted hall type structure constructed from large stones in the form of rubble masonry
Rubble masonry
Rubble masonry is rough, unhewn building stone set in mortar, but not laid in regular courses. It may appear as the outer surface of a wall or may fill the core of a wall which is faced with unit masonry such as brick or cut stone....
. At either side and adjacent to the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
are sacristies. At the north and south walls of the building are the remains of two-storied portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
s. The main church of S. Minas is built in a similar architectural technique as the construction of the other church. The eastern yard of the church has been widened.
In 2006 restoration and reconstruction work began at Halidzor and ended as of 2010.