Tigranakert in Artsakh: Witness of Rich Armenian Cultural Heritage

STEPANAKER (Panorama.am) — Excavations show that Tigranakert in Artsakh, founded in 1st century BC, existed until the 14th century. For preserving the rich heritage of the Armenian people, a cultural and historical natural reserve has been created in the territories in and around Tigranakert, which opens its hospitable doors to the curious visitors, says the video of The State System of NKR Government’s Department of Tourism and Historical Environment Protection.

The video demonstrates the natural peculiarities of Tigranakert and its surroundings. The authors of the video pay special attention to the river Khachen, whose waters for centuries irrigate the lands on the nearby plains adjusted for cultivation. The orchards in the territory of the natural reserve are especially singled out and described as “yielding in nothing to Eden.”

According to the video, this place was picked to construct the city due to the abundance of springs, called “the Royal springs,” which solves the problem of supplying drinking water to the city.

During the excavations, directed by Doctor of Historical Sciences Hamlet Petrosyan, the archaeologists were able to bring out almost 450-meter-long fortress walls from under the depth of the centuries and show the world one of the most beautiful cities of its time built with Hellenic technologies using the laying called “Tsitsernakapoch.”

The video also shows the museum where the artifacts found during the excavations are kept testifying the ancient history of Tigranakert in Artsakh and the material culture from prehistoric times till the 17th century.

The excavations in Tigranakert were initiated and financed by “Yerkir” UNGO in 2005-2006. In 2007, the NKR Government partly financed them and in 2008, all the expenses were covered by the NKR Government.