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103-602: The meliks of Karabagh each had their troops and military fortifications known as sghnakh s. They ruled on legal disputes within their territory and collected tax. The meliks of Karabagh saw themselves as the last bastion of Armenian independence in the region. After the conquest of Eastern Armenia by the Russian Empire, the meliks were generally not recognized as princes, but only as untitled nobles. Many of them, especially meliks from Karabagh, became Russian generals. The conquest of Armenia by successive foreign dynasties during

206-522: A de facto population of 211,828 according to the 2011 Armenian census. The largest settlements in the province are: Gavar (20,765), Sevan (19,229), Martuni (12,894), Vardenis (12,685), Vardenik (9,880), Yeranos (6,119), Chambarak (5,660), Lchashen (5,054), Tsovagyugh (4,189). Lake Sevan has the only beaches in Armenia. They are a popular destination for the Armenians. Sevan's beaches provide

309-599: A Frankish family who came to the Near East in the Crusades, once ruling over Cilicia and Cyprus, merged with the representatives of the west European royal dynasty of Savoy reigning in parts of Italy. The offspring of some nakharar houses founded new medieval Armenian aristocratic houses, such as the Cartozians , Proshians , Kyurikians , Orbelians , Hasan Jalalyans , Artsrunis and Tornikians among others. These dynasties played

412-664: A lesser extent, Syunik were fully autonomous and held executive, legislative, judicial, military, and fiscal authority over their territories. They issued their own decrees, ruled on legal disputes and criminal cases and collected their own taxes, from which they paid tribute to the Iranian shah. They were often responsible for maintaining more than one fortress, called sghnakh s. They had their own military forces consisting of one to two thousand infantrymen, although more troops could be raised in emergencies. A melik had his own banner ( droshak ), commander ( zoravar ), and his subordinates,

515-476: A major potential water resource in the 19th century. Its high altitude location relative to the fertile Ararat plain and limited energy resources attracted engineers to explore ways of usage of the lake's water. In his 1910 book, Armenian engineer Sukias Manasserian proposed using Sevan's water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. He proposed draining the lake by 50 m (160 ft). Major Sevan would completely dry out, while Minor Sevan would have

618-507: A sheep was also the house symbol of Bagratuni nakharardom. The dynastic emblem of the Cilician Armenian royal house of Lusignan (Lusinian) reflected west European heraldic influence and consisted of red lions and crosses on the yellow and blue background of the shield. The nakharar families of ancient Armenia were listed in the so-called Gahnamak s and Zoranamak s, which were the official inventories or registrars that were positioning

721-561: A significant role in the struggle for the liberation of Armenia and the revival of Armenian statehood. In the 13th century particularly prominent were the Mkhargrdzeli princes – brothers Zakare and Ivane – whose military strength and political influence in the united Armenian-Georgian state was so significant that they were de facto the fully-fledged rulers of the Armenian territories. The last strongholds of Armenian statehood were preserved by

824-482: A surface area of 240 km (93 sq mi). Manasserian's proposal was adopted by the Soviet authorities in the 1930s when, under Joseph Stalin , the country was undergoing rapid industrialization . Works on the project started in 1933. The riverbed of Hrazdan was deepened through excavation. A tunnel was bored around 40 metres (130 ft) under the lake's surface. The tunnel was completed in 1949 and thereafter

927-461: A system of nobility that was similar to the nobility of Cilicia. Members of the upper class of medieval Armenian society were known as nakharars ( Armenian : նախարար ) and azats ( Armenian : ազատ ), (also aznvakans ( Armenian : ազնվական )). The roots of Armenian nobility trace back to ancient tribal society, when the proto-Armenian tribes separated from the primordial Indo-European community and selected chieftain leaders for governing

1030-631: A unique experience within the landlocked country for Armenians. The beaches adjacent to hotels are usually privatized. Numerous beaches are located along the entire lake shore. The most popular of them is a 2.5-kilometre ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) stretch on the northern shore, extending northwest from the peninsula. Resorts include Harsnaqar Hotel, Best Western Bohemian Resort, and numerous smaller facilities. Activities include swimming, sunbathing, jet skiing, windsurfing, and sailing. The area also includes numerous campgrounds and picnic areas for daytime use. A less-developed beach destination stretches along

1133-462: Is 1,242 km (480 sq mi), and the volume is 32.8 km (7.9 cu mi). It is fed by 28 rivers and streams. Only 10% of the incoming water is drained by the Hrazdan River , while the remaining 90% evaporates. Sevan has significant economic, cultural, and recreational value. Its sole major island (now a peninsula) is home to a medieval monastery . The lake provides some 90% of

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1236-620: Is attested on an 8th-century BC cuneiform inscription by the Urartian king Rusa I , found in Odzaberd , on the southern shore of the lake. The historical Armenian name of the lake, attested in early medieval texts, is Sea of Gegham ( classical Armenian : ծով Գեղամայ, tsov Geghamay ). The historic Georgian name of the lake is Gelakuni (გელაქუნი), which is essentially the Georgian transcription of Armenian Gegharkuni . In classical antiquity ,

1339-610: Is considered one of the three great "seas" of historic Armenia . It is the only one within the boundaries of present-day Republic of Armenia, while the other two are located in Turkey and Iran, respectively. Lake Sevan is considered the "jewel" of Armenia and is "recognized as a national treasure" in the country. The 2001 Law on Lake Sevan defines the lake as "a strategic ecosystem valuable for its environmental, economical, social, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, medical, climatic, recreational, and spiritual value." Chardin in 1673 noted

1442-454: Is deeply rooted in the ancient kinship and tribal beliefs and totems of the Armenian clans. Although the information on Armenian heraldry is quite limited, nevertheless it is well known that the most common symbols were those of the eagle, lion, and mountain ram. For example, the coat-of-arms of the Artashesian dynasty consisted of two eagles with the symbol of sun in the middle. An eagle holding

1545-776: Is estimated, that due to climate change by year 2030, the outflow of the Arpa river will decrease by 22%. Since the water level in the lake did not rise as fast and as much, on 20 April 1981 the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union made a decision for the construction of the Vorotan–Arpa tunnel. This 21.6 km (13.4 mi) long tunnel was begun from the Spandarian Reservoir on the Vorotan River further south from Kechut. Due to

1648-587: Is mentioned to be ninety, yet at other times it reaches up to three hundred. Certainly, the number of the Armenian noble houses did change in the course of time as the aristocratic class was itself subject to flux. The first attested Armenian royal dynasty was the Orontids (Yervandunis) which was ruling Armenia as a satrapy of the Persian Empire in the 4th century BC. They are preceded by legendary or semi-legendary patriarchs of Armenian tradition, first recorded in

1751-537: Is open to descendants of old and new Armenian noble families, as well as to the foreign titled nobility that reside in Armenia and abroad, regardless their political or religious views, and age and sex. They conduct their activities in accordance with their Charters, the Constitution and legislation of Armenia, and international law. The main goals of these nobility unions are: Lake Sevan Lake Sevan ( Armenian : Սևանա լիճ , romanized :  Sevana lich )

1854-513: Is the Sevanavank monastery located on the peninsula, which was until the mid-20th century an island. Another prominent monastery at the western shore is Hayravank , and further south, in the village of Noratus , is a field of khachkars ; a cemetery with about 900 khachkars of different styles. Additional khachkars are found at Nerkin Getashen on the south coast. In 2017, a Misplaced Pages globe

1957-586: Is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia . The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province , at an altitude of 1,900 m (6,234 ft) above sea level. The total surface area of its basin is about 5,000 km (1,900 sq mi), which makes up 1 ⁄ 6 of Armenia's territory. The lake itself

2060-607: The History attributed to Moses of Chorene (Movses Khorenatsi), written circa the 5th century. The noble houses of Rshtuni , Mokats, Artzruni and others originated from tribal rulers or clans already in antiquity. Some others, such as the Mamikonians or Aravelians, were granted noble titles and/or offices, such as aspet ( Armenian : ասպետ ), 'coronator' and sparapet ( Armenian : սպարապետ ), ' generalissimo ' by special decrees of medieval Armenian kings for their services to

2163-524: The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia underwent certain changes: Great Armenia Cilician Armenia Cilician Armenia adopted many peculiarities of west European classification of the nobility, such as paron (deriving from "baron"), ter or sinyor (senior), berdater (castle lord) etc. Besides this, in Cilicia Armenian knighthood emerged which was also considered to be part of the nobility despite

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2266-619: The Armenian gull ( Larus armenicus ) with about 4,000–5,000 pairs. During migration the Lake is visited by wide variety of birds including raptors, such as Montagu's harrier ( Circus pygargus ) and Steppe eagle ( Aquila nipalensis ), waterbirds such as red-crested pochard ( Netta rufina ) and ferruginous duck ( Aythya nyroca ), while during the wintering period the lake hosts another set of species such as Bewick's swan ( Cygnus columbianus ) and great black-headed gull ( Larus ichthyaetus ). Sometimes

2369-718: The Erivan Khanate , including those of the Aghamalians, Geghamians, Loris-Melikians, Arghutians, and so on. There were four semi-autonomous meliks in the Khanate of Ganja , who, according to Raffi, had good relations with the Khan. Further east, there was one melik each in Shaki , Shamakhi , and Baku. There were also meliks in Surmalu who claimed descent from the ancient noble house of Kamsarakan . From

2472-458: The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the 1988 earthquake in northwestern Armenia construction was halted. The tunnel was inaugurated on 26 April 2004. The Vorotan–Arpa tunnel brings an additional 165 million cubic metres (5.8 billion cubic feet) to the lake annually. After the construction of the two tunnels the water level began rising significantly since the mid-2000s. In 2007 it

2575-566: The Parthav or Parthian clan. Sahak Parthev made the registrar available to the Sasanian Persian court, mentioning a total of 70 Armenian nakharar s. In another source of the 4th century 86 nakharars were listed. According to the Arab chronologist Yacoubi (9th century) there were 113 lords in the administrative province of Arminiya, whereas another Arab historian, Yacout al-Hamavi (12–13th centuries)

2678-517: The Zoranamak , literally: "strength registrar"), as well as according to the ancient tradition. Gahnamak was composed and sealed by the King of Armenia, because the nakharars (lords) were considered to be his vassals . Nakharar thrones ( gahs , i.e. the positions at the royal court) were changing rarely and were inherited from father to son. Only in special circumstances – such as high treason , cessation of

2781-449: The "extraordinary sweetness of the water", the "small Island in the middle of it; where stands a Monastery built about 600 years ago, of which the Prior is an Archbishop", and "nine sorts of fish which are there taken; the fairest trouts and carps which are eaten at Erivan being caught in this Lake". Naturalist and traveler Friedrich Parrot , best known for ascending Mount Ararat in 1829 for

2884-454: The 13th century Stepanos Orbelian also mentions 400 nakharar thrones, who had "throne and respect" at the royal court of king Trdat III (287–332). Pavstos Buzand mentions 900 princely lords, who carried honorary services at the royal court and who sat on a special throne (gah) or cushion (bardz). The Gahnamak is believed to have been written by Armenian Catholic Sahak Parthev (387–439), whose surname indicates distant Persian origin from

2987-533: The Armenian aristocracy were repressed, sentenced to prisons and work camps, or simply executed. Those who survived against all odds were forced to hide their aristocratic origins by changing family names and obliterating their family histories. Only a very few managed to preserve their family traditions by leaving the Communist regime and moving to other countries. With the end of the Communist regime and independence of Armenia in 1991, important steps were made to revive

3090-642: The Armenian nobility was headed by the king, in Armenian arka . The term arka originates from the common Aryan root that has equivalents in the name for monarchs in other Indo-European languages : arxatos in Greek , raja in Indo-Aryan , rex or regnum in Latin , roi in French , and reis in Persian . The sons of the king, i.e. princes, were called sepuh . The elder son, who

3193-523: The Armenian nobility. For example, in 705 the Ostikan (governor under the Arab caliphate) of Armenia deceitfully invited around 800 Armenian noblemen together with their guards to Nakhichevan as if for negotiations and massacred them all. Nevertheless, some Armenian noble houses lived through this tragedy and continued their efforts to liberate the country. Some descendants of the Armenian nobility achieved high-ranking positions at foreign royal courts. For example,

Melik - Misplaced Pages Continue

3296-422: The Armenian nobles of Karabagh and Syunik, many of whom had earlier been dispossessed by Timur . They were granted the title of melik and allowed broad autonomy. The meliks of Karabagh and Syunik retained their autonomous status under Safavid rule, although they were weakened as a result of the devastating Ottoman–Safavid wars in the sixteenth century. During the reign of Shah Abbas I ( r.  1588–1629 ),

3399-628: The Beglarian, Israelian, Shahnazarian, Hasan-Jalalian , and Avanian families, respectively. The Khamsa melikdoms formed a league against their foreign enemies, but they also competed with each other. The melidom of Tsar was geographically in Karabagh but not a part of the Khamsa melikdoms' league. There were four important melikdoms in Syunik: Sisian (or Angeghakot), Ghapan (or Bekh), Tatev and Kashatagh . Sisian

3502-450: The Gahnamak of the 4th century preserved in "The Deeds of Nerses", during the reign of king Arsaces II (Arshak II) (c.350–368) the number of the Armenian aristocratic houses reached 400. However the author of "The Deeds" mentions the family names of only 167 lords, 13 of whom did not have a throne. The author himself explains that he is incapable of listing all of them. Armenian historian of

3605-515: The Great , to conquer Iranian Armenia with the help of the meliks. He did not succeed, but his activities contributed to Armenian elites seeing Russia as an ally and liberator of the Armenians. The collapse of Safavid power and the Russian invasion of Iran in 1722 raised Armenian hopes of liberation from Muslim rule. The meliks of Syunik and Karabagh raised a rebellion against the local Turkic tribal lords under

3708-485: The Meliks of Syunik/Karabagh. Later beys under Fuad Ist and Faruk IInd of Egypt, also bey & consul of Nader Shah of Iran. Incomplete list: (15th–19th centuries) Incomplete list: Many Armenian aristocratic families perished during wars with foreign invaders, notably Arabs and Turks . The latter quickly realized that the Armenian state was based on the national aristocracy and thus adopted policies of annihilation of

3811-563: The Safavids confirmed and increased the rights of the meliks and apparently raised new people to the status of melik. Succession of a new melik was confirmed by a decree of the shah, but was actually hereditary, with the eldest son or sometimes a younger brother of the melik succeeding him. The five Armenian melikdoms of Karabagh, known as the Khamsa melikdoms , were Gulistan, Jraberd, Varanda , Khachen, and Dizak . These five principalities were ruled by

3914-557: The Sevan's level began to drop significantly, at a rate over 1 metre (3 ft) per year. The water was used for irrigation and the Sevan–Hrazdan Cascade of six hydroelectric power stations on Hrazdan River. During the second half of the 20th century, the ecological condition of Lake Sevan underwent tangible changes and vast degradation due to reduced water level, increased eutrophication , and detrimental impact of human activity on

4017-471: The Sevan-endemic trout have already disappeared. The summer bakhtak occurs rarely; the gegharkuni is still capable of reproducing naturally. In 1980s, the quantity of Sevan koghak significantly decreased. Numerous reasons for this have been identified: The bird fauna of the lake and its vicinity makes over 200 species, out of which 95 species are breeding. The lake is an important breeding ground for

4120-449: The average annual concentration of vanadium (64 μg/L) in the samples taken from Lake Sevan exceeded the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) by 6.4 times, while selenium (26 μg/L) exceeded MPC 2.6 times, copper (21 μg/L) 2.1 times, magnesium (60 μg/L) 1.2 times. A 2016 study found that mining and metallurgical industrial activities—namely the Sotk gold mine on the southeastern shore of

4223-417: The biological diversity of the lake. According to Babayan et al. the lake level dropped by 19.88 m (65.2 ft) by 2002, while the volume decreased by 43.8% (from 58.5 to 32.9 km  [14.0 to 7.9 cu mi]). Due to the water level decrease, the quality of the water deteriorated, natural habitats were destroyed that meant loss of biodiversity . Vardanian wrote that drop of the lake level and

Melik - Misplaced Pages Continue

4326-460: The chiliarchs ( hazarapet s) and centurions ( haryurapet s or yuzbashi s). These officers were often members of the melik's family. Despite the name, the centurions or yuzbashi s were not literally the commanders of a hundred men, but rather vassals of the meliks, either hereditarily or by appointment, who controlled two or more villages and furnished a certain number of troops under his own banner. The meliks of Karabagh saw themselves as

4429-526: The clergy, where he proposed accepting Catholicism in exchange for European protection. A delegation of meliks headed by the Catholicos set out for Rome, but the mission was abandoned after the Catholicos died on the journey. Only the young Israel Ori of the Haikazian family went on to Europe. Ori spent much of his life trying to convince a European ruler, first Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine and later Peter

4532-431: The community, defending territory and leading military campaigns against their enemies. These chieftains and leaders were usually the strongest members of the clans and tribes, who had become renowned for their strength, intelligence, and deeds. Thus, gradually the upper class of the Armenian society came into existence, namely that of the azat s, also known as aznvakan s or aznavur s. Translated from contemporary Armenian

4635-478: The death penalty, which remained the sole right of the sardar. The melik also appointed the commander of the Armenian infantry units that served in the sardar's army. The Aghamalians' exact origin cannot be determined, but their high degree of authority and their high-level marriage alliances (for example, with the royal house of Georgia) strongly suggests a princely origin. After the Russian conquest of Karabagh in 1813,

4738-650: The downfall of the autonomous Armenian melikdoms of Karabagh. There were also melikdoms in southern Georgia : in Lori , Aghstev and Pambaki. The Armenians of Tbilisi had their own melik from the Bebutian family. There were twelve melikdoms in Nakhichevan. South of the Aras River , there were meliks in Maku , Marand , Khoy , and Karadagh and Salmast . There were at least eleven meliks in

4841-455: The eastern shore from Tsovagyugh to Shorzha , with numerous small cabins at Shorzha. The Avan Marak Tsapatagh Hotel, a Tufenkian Heritage Hotel, is a luxury resort on the undeveloped southeastern shore of the lake near Tsapatagh . The Armenian government pledged to "reduce the growing commercialization of rest at Lake Sevan that makes it unaffordable for most citizens struggling to find other beach options during hot Armenian summers." In 2011

4944-421: The economic development in the basin brought about the change in hydro-chemical regime of the lake. The quality of the water deteriorated, water turbidity increased. The inner circulation of the water constituents as well as the circulation of the biological substances altered. According to Babayan et al. "by the 1950s it had become evident that the ecological and economic consequences of extensive exploitation of

5047-495: The equivalent of "mister" in modern Armenian. In late mediaeval Armenia and in the new age a variety of nobility titles existed in different nahang s (provinces) of the country. For example, in Artsakh of the Khamsa period (i.e. period of "five principalities") the title of ishkhan (prince) was used in its local equivalent – that of melik (a 'devaluated' Arabic word for king). Below melik – or sometimes in parallel with it –

5150-408: The evolution of the term nakharar . Initially this term referred to the hereditary governors of the Armenian provinces and was used with the meaning of "ruler" and "governor". The same title could mean a particularly honorable service ( nakhararutyun , nakharardom) at the Armenian royal court. Examples of such heritable services or nakharardoms are aspetutyun (coronation, which traditionally belonged to

5253-529: The fact that knights themselves – called dziavor i hetzelvor – did not always originate from paron s. Some other features also underwent changes. For example, whereas the salutation for the noblemen in Great Armenia was tiar or ter , in Cilician Armenia a new form of salutation was added to these, namely paron . The latter became the most popular form of greeting and gradually changed its meaning to

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5356-412: The families based on the criteria of honor, virtue and esteem. The difference between Gahnamak and Zoranamak were in the listing criteria that were determining the esteem of the noble family. Zoranamak was based on the military strength of the houses, i.e. the number of possessed cavalry and infantry, responsibility in defending the northern, eastern, southern and western borders of Armenia, as well as

5459-467: The family etc. – did the king had the right to make some changes in the Gahnamak . The sequence and classification of Armenian lords' thrones had been defined and observed from the ancient times. According to Khorenatsi, the first actual listing of lords in the shape of Gahnamak was Armenian King Vologases I (Vagharsh I) . According to the recorded sources, the classification of Armenian lords' thrones in

5562-441: The film David Bek was released and in 1978, Armenfilm in association with Mosfilm produced another movie about the efforts of David Bek and Mkhitar Sparapet called Star of Hope ( Huso astgh ). Armenian nobility The Armenian nobility ( Armenian : Հայ ազնվականություն , romanized :  hay aznvakanutyun ) was a class of persons which enjoyed certain privileges relative to other members of society under

5665-422: The first time in history, wrote: It is important for the Armenian economy: being the main source of irrigation water, Sevan provides low-cost electricity, fish, recreation, and tourism. Sevan originated during the early Quaternary when tectonic formation created a Palaeo-Sevan, ten times larger than the present lake. The current lake was formed some 25 to 30 thousand years ago. Sevan was recognized as being

5768-514: The fish and 80% of the crayfish catch of Armenia. Sevan was heavily exploited for irrigation of the Ararat plain and hydroelectric power generation during the Soviet period. Consequently, its water level decreased by around 20 m (66 ft) and its volume reduced by more than 40%. Later, two tunnels were built to divert water from highland rivers, which halted its decline and its level began rising. Before human intervention dramatically changed

5871-552: The flexible term melik, which was used to refer to any of the remnants of the Armenian nobility, whether successors of the great princely houses or of the lower gentry ( azat s). Later, the term was used to refer to even lower layers of elites, such as municipal and village chiefs in charge of duties such as tax collection. Outside of Karabagh and Syunik, most people bearing the title of melik were merely hereditary leaders of local Armenian communities, rather than (semi-)autonomous rulers. According to historian Robert H. Hewsen , all of

5974-560: The form of Gahnamak existed throughout the reign of Arshakuni (Arsacid) dynasty (1st–5th centuries). The same system was continued during the Marzpanian period in the history of Armenia (5th–7th centuries), i.e. during the supremacy of the Sasanian kings of Persia . There are significant discrepancies and inaccuracies in the data of Gahnamak s of different centuries regarding the number of princely houses and degrees of their thrones. According to

6077-452: The gentry or local headmen and larger landowners who were raised to the status of melik. The meliks of Karabagh (Artsakh) and Syunik were the successors of the earlier Armenian lords of those regions, mainly of Syuni origin, who had maintained their autonomy following the Seljuk conquest of Armenia in the tenth century. The Armenian lords of Artsakh and part of Syunik were more or less united from

6180-617: The government established public beaches in the Sevan National Park's recreational zone. The first two public beaches were opened in July. Some 100,000 people visited the public beaches in summer of 2011. The beaches have free parking space, children's and sports playgrounds, toilets, medical aid stations, and rescue services. They are also equipped with beach couches. By 2014, the number of public beaches reached 11. Some 200,000 people took holiday there in 2014. The most famous cultural monument

6283-436: The honor and esteem of the noble houses. The latter, most probably was fixed in Gahnamak s and Zoranamak s. Gahnamak ( Armenian : Գահնամակ , literally: "throne registrar") – was an official state document, list of places and thrones ( bardz ) that the Armenian princes and nakharars were occupying at the royal court of Armenia. The throne of the prince or nakharar was defined by his economic or military strength (according to

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6386-477: The house of Bagratuni ), sparapetutyun (commander-in-chief of the Armenian army, which traditionally belonged to the house of Mamikonean ), hazarapetutyun (chancellery and taxation, which were inheritably managed by the houses of Gnuni and Amatuni ), and malhazutyun (royal guard that was traditionally organized and headed to the house of Khorkhoruni ). However, in the course of hereditary consolidation of gavar s (provinces) or royal court services by noble houses,

6489-416: The king's death and if there was no inheriting sepuh (crown prince), it was the metz ishkhan who would temporarily take the responsibilities and perform the duties of the king until the issues of succession to the throne are resolved. In reality, however, the successions to the throne would be arranged in advance or would be resolved in the course of feuds and internal struggle. Thus, the social pyramid of

6592-495: The king. Bdeshkh s had their own armies, taxation and duties system, and could even produce their own coins. The third layer of the Armenian aristocracy after the king and the bdeshkhs was composed by ishkhan s, i.e. princes. The term ishkhan derives from ancient Aryan root xshatriya (warrior-ruler). An ishkhan normally would have a hereditary estate known as hayreniq and residence caste – dastakert . Armenian princely houses (or clans) were headed by tanuter . By its meaning

6695-452: The lake as Sevanga or Sevang , Per folk etymology , Sevan is either a combination of sev ("black") and vank’ ("monastery"), sev ("black") + Van (i.e., Lake Van ), or originates from the phrase sa ē vank'ə ("this is the monastery"). The scholarly explanation, first suggested by Mikhail V. Nikolsky  [ ru ] in 1896, is that Sevan originated from the Urartian word suinia , usually translated as "lake". It

6798-591: The lake is visited by very rare Armenian migrant lesser white-fronted goose ( Anser erythropus ). There are a lot of historical monuments located on the coast of Sevan, ranging from prehistoric petroglyphs to various monasteries. The monasteries include Sevanavank , Vanevan , Kotavank and others. There are also many historical castles and fortresses on the coast, including Berdkunk Fortress , Odzaberd , and others. The rivers feeding Lake Sevan flow through densely populated settlements which produce agricultural, domestic, and industrial waste. It significantly changes

6901-464: The lake was known as Lychnitis ( Ancient Greek : Λυχνῖτις ). John Chardin , who visited the lake in 1673, called it the "Lake of Erivan" and wrote that it was called Deria-Shirin ("sweet lake") by Persians and Kiagar-couni-sou by Armenians. The Turkic name Gokcha or Gökche , which means "blue lake" was also used in Russian and British sources from the 17th to early 20th centuries. Along with Lake Van and Lake Urmia , Sevan

7004-529: The lake's ecosystem, the lake was at an altitude of 1,916 m (6,286 ft) above sea level, 95 m (312 ft) deep, covered an area of 1,416 km (547 sq mi) (5% of Armenia's entire area), and had a volume of 58.5 km (14.0 cu mi). In the Middle Ages, Sevan was solely the name of the island (now peninsula) and the monastery built on it. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Russian and European sources sometimes referred to

7107-475: The lake's ecosystem. According to a 2017 study the lake's water contains concentration of metals such as aluminium , nickel , arsenic , cobalt , and lead . According to Armenian environmental organization EcoLur, the lake is in a critical condition because of the presence of vanadium . Environmental Impact Monitoring Center, an agency of the Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection, reported in 2012 that

7210-459: The laws and customs of various regimes of Armenia . Governments which recognized or conferred nobility were the Kingdom of Van (860-590 B.C.), Satrapy of Armenia (570-331 B.C.), Kingdom of Armenia (331 B.C.-428 A.D.), Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia (885–1045) and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (1198–1375). The Armenian kingdoms of Vanand (963–1065), Syunik (987–1170), and Lori (978–1113) had

7313-564: The leadership of Avan Yuzbashi and Davit Bek , an Armenian from Georgia of possible melik extraction. The rebels were soon faced with an Ottoman invasion, which they resisted successfully in Syunik and Karabagh at least until the deaths of Davit and his successor Mkhitar Sparapet in 1728 and 1730. In 1735, Nader Khan Afshar drove the Ottomans out of the South Caucasus and was crowned Nader Shah

7416-526: The medieval period dealt severe blows to the traditional Armenian nobility . By the end of Mongol rule in Armenia, the old social structure of Armenia had been virtually destroyed and the great princely houses had mostly disappeared. Remnants of these princely houses survived in a few places, most notably in the mountainous and strategically important regions of Karabagh (part of historical Artsakh province) and Syunik , where they retained their autonomy. Old Armenian titles fell out of use and were replaced with

7519-474: The melik houses of Karabagh and probably most of those of Syunik were descended from branches of the Syuni dynasty . Besides the meliks of Karabagh, Syunik, Lori and Somkhiti , the other meliks of Eastern Armenia cannot be proven to have been of princely origin, although the highly influential Aghamalian meliks of Yerevan were almost certainly of princely extraction. The other, minor meliks may have been descendants of

7622-616: The meliks of Karabagh were reduced to untitled nobles with the word "melik" incorporated into their surnames. Save for a few exceptions, the meliks were generally not officially recognized as princes in the Russian Empire. Some meliks remained on their ancestral properties after the Russian conquest. The descendants of the meliks of Karabagh formed a large part of Russian Armenian "high society" in major cities such as Baku, Tbilisi, Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Altogether, there were between 70 and 90 melikal houses in Eastern Armenia , mostly in

7725-484: The mid-seventeenth century until 1828, the Armenians of the province (or khanate) of Erivan were under the authority of the Aghamalian meliks of Yerevan (Erivan). Each mahal (district) of the province with a significant Armenian population had its own melik as a hereditary leader, who, along with the Armenian village headmen, answered to the melik of Yerevan. The melik of Yerevan was the most powerful non-religious leader in

7828-419: The name Bagarat probably is of Indo-European origin. It is remarkable that Prince Bagratuni himself rejected Khorenatsi's version of the origins of his family. Exotic descents were in vogue among the early medieval Armenian aristocratic families. However, there is no evidence supporting any of these claims of descent. The nobility always played an important role in Armenian society. This is evidenced through

7931-540: The next year. Nader reconfirmed the autonomy of the meliks of Karabagh and recognized Karabagh and Zangezur as semi-autonomous regions. After Nader's death in 1747, chaos beset Iran again, allowing the Muslim khanates to reassert their power in the Caucasus. During this time, Melik Shahnazar of Varanda allied himself with Panah Khan Javanshir , the chieftain of a Turkic tribe, against other Armenian meliks, which ultimately led to

8034-399: The nobility of Great Armenia includes the following layers: This division, however, reflects the specific tradition of Great Armenia in its early period in history. Naturally, in time the social structure of nobility underwent changes based on the specifics of Armenian territories, historical era, and social relations. For example, in medieval times the names and composition of the nobility of

8137-624: The noble houses of Vahevuni and Mehnuni were believed to be offspring of Vahagn and Mihr , ancient Armenian deities of fire and war, and heavenly light and justice respectively. The House of Artzruni traced its origins to Sanasar, son of Mher from the Armenian epos Sasna Tzrer. According to the Armenian aristocratic tradition, the princely houses of [Poladian] Khorkhoruni , Bznuni , Mandakuni , Rshtuni , Manavazian , Angelea (Angegh tun), Varajnuni , Vostanikyan, Ohanian, Cartozian, Apahuni, Arran tun and some others, are all believed to be direct descendants of Nahapet (Patriarch) Hayk , whose epithet

8240-447: The number of Armenian principalities was 118. Armenian historians Agathangelos , Pavstos Buzand, Yeghishe , Lazar Parbetsi, Movses Khorenatsi, Sebeos and others also provided numerous data and information about Armenian princely houses and lords. However, the Gahnamak s and lists of nakharar s (princely houses), based on these data and information, remain incomplete. The Armenian nobility were internally divided. The social pyramid of

8343-563: The offspring of the Armenian noble house of Artzruni became influential grandees at the Georgian court. The Georgian branch of the Armenian noble family of Bagratuni was enthroned as Bagrationi and became the reigning house in Georgia. An entire line of noblemen of Armenian descent reigned in Byzantium . As a result of dynastic marriages, the descendants of the Armenian royal house of Lusignan (Lusinian),

8446-470: The potential of the Armenian nobility. During this period the noble houses of Madatian (Madatov), Lazarian (Lazarev), Beybutian (Beybutov), Pirumyan (Pirumov), Loris-Melikian (Loris-Melikov) emerged. The aristocratic tradition in Armenia suffered another blow during the Bolshevik regime, when the nobility was dissolved as a social class and the noblemen underwent systematic oppression. Many representatives of

8549-402: The province after the sardar (governor). He was appointed directly by the shah and on some occasions dealt with him directly. The meliks of Yerevan accumulated great wealth from their properties and the tribute they received from all the Armenian villages of the province. The Aghamalian meliks had full administrative, legislative and judicial powers over the Armenians under their authority save for

8652-443: The provinces of Artsakh , Gardman , Syunik , Lori , Yerevan , Nakhichevan , Kashatagh , and Karadagh . Below is the incomplete list of some of the most prominent Armenian melik houses: (15th–19th centuries) The meliks of Karabagh and Syunik inspired the historical novel David Bek (1882) by Raffi , the opera David Bek (1950) by Armen Tigranian and the novel Mkhitar Sparapet (1961) by Sero Khanzadyan . In 1944,

8755-560: The royal court or the nation. Some Armenian Christian historians tend to derive certain Armenian noble houses from Mesopotamian or other roots. For example, in his History of Armenia , Movses Khorenatsi traces the family origins of his sponsor prince Sahak Bagratuni to non-Armenian roots. However, the historical sources prove the existence of the Bagratuni family in the oldest period of Armenian history and speak of them as aboriginal Armenians. The linguistic analysis also maintains that

8858-447: The saw themselves as the last bastion of Armenian independence in the region and sometimes claimed to speak on behalf of the entire Armenian people in their communications with foreign rulers. The meliks played an especially prominent role in Armenian political life from 1678 until the Russian annexation of Eastern Armenia in 1828. In 1678, Catholicos Hakob Jughayetsi called a secret meeting at Etchmiadzin with leading meliks and members of

8961-418: The semi-dependent princes (meliks) of Karabakh-Artsakh, also known as melikdoms of Khamsa (from Arabic word meaning "five principalities). These principalities preserved their status until the annexation of eastern Armenia into the Russian Empire. The Russian emperors either accepted the noble titles of the Armenian aristocracy or themselves elevated prominent representatives of Armenian origin in an effort to use

9064-517: The size of the troops that the noble houses were placing under the command of the king of Armenia in times of military campaigns. Unlike Zoranamak , Gahnamak listed the noble houses based on the criteria of political and economic importance of the houses, size of their estates, their wealth, as well as their connections and influence over the royal courts. Two other notions of the Armenian nobility related to Gahnamak and Zoranamak are those of bardz and pativ . Bardz literally means "cushion". It

9167-570: The tenth century under the Principality of Khachen . Khachen reached its peak in the thirteenth century under the Hasan-Jalalian family, although the principality was later broken up and weakened because of the attacks of foreign conquerors. In the mid-fifteenth century, the Qara Qoyunlu ruler Jahan Shah placed a number of territories along the northern frontier of his realm under the control of

9270-425: The term nakharar has changed its original meaning and gradually transformed into a generic equivalent of "aristocrat", "nobleman". Accordingly, the aristocratic families started to be called nakharar houses or nakharardoms. Along with this analysis, there is another interpretation of term nakharar, which is based on Armenian nakh and arar , i.e. "the first created" or "the first borne". The meaning of term nakharar

9373-735: The traditions of the Armenian nobility. In October 1992 the Union of the Armenian Noblemen (UAN) was created and registered in Armenia . On 27 July 2012, another nobility association – the Meliq Union – was registered by the Ministry of Justice of Armenia . Both associations are registered as a public non-governmental organization. Together, these nobility association have around 450 members representing aristocratic houses of Armenia. Membership in these unions

9476-456: The water of Lake Sevan were too undesirable to continue in the same way." In 1964 a project began to divert the Arpa River (from a reservoir near Kechut ) through a 49 km (30 mi) long tunnel to the lake near Artsvanist . The tunnel, called Arpa–Sevan, was completed in 1981. It brings up to 200 million cubic metres (7.1 billion cubic feet) of water to Sevan per year. It

9579-438: The word azat literally means "one who is free", a "freeman." However, this term is likely derived from the older Indo-European word "yazata", meaning "the divine one", "offspring of gods", "the one who deserves to be worshipped". Armenian noble clans traced their origins either back to the gods of the old Armenian religion or to the heroes and patriarchs of the Armenian people or the origins of non-Armenian families. For example,

9682-441: The word tun (house) is very close to tohm (clan). Accordingly, tanuter meant "houselord" or "lord of the clan". Organizationally, the Armenian nobility was headed by the metz ishkhan ("great ishkhan ") or ishkhanats ishkhan (" ishkhan of ishkhan s") in Armenian, who in some historical chronicles is also called metzametz . He was the marshal of Armenian nobility and had special privileges and duties. For example, in case of

9785-620: Was Dyutsazn , meaning demigod, or of Hayk's descendants. It is quite common in all parts of the world for members of the nobility to purport to trace their ancestry back to gods, or legendary heroes. Besides that, according to legend the Bagratuni dynasty has origins in Judea , according to Movses Khorenatsi , as they transferred to Armenia in 6th century B.C. The Mamikonyan dynasty also had legends of coming from China. The early Armenian historians mention various Armenian noble houses during different periods of Armenian history. Sometimes their number

9888-466: Was also the crown prince and was called avag sepuh , had a particular role. In the case of king's death the avag sepuh automatically would inherit the crown, unless there were other prior arrangements. The second layer in the social division of the Armenian nobility was occupied by bdeshkh s . The four bdeshkh s were rulers of large borderland provinces of historical Greater Armenia. They were de facto viceroys and by their privileges were very close to

9991-426: Was evolving in parallel with consolidation of the noble houses' hereditary rights over counties of Great Armenia. For example, the county of Great Albak was traditionally inherited by the noble house of Artzruni , county of Taron by the house of Slkuni, and the county of Rshtuniq by the house of Rshtuni . Even prior to this consolidation the traditional aristocratic emblems and coat-of-arms emerge. The latter often

10094-401: Was introduced in the 1970s. Due to anthropogenic impact, changes have occurred in all the biological components of the lake, including bacteria, benthos , and of course fish. Thus, the benthic mass increased tenfold in 1940, due to oligochaetes and chrinomices. Today, the former prevail and multiply the oxygen-rich residue at the bottom of the lake. The bojak and winter bakhtak species of

10197-507: Was reported that the water level had risen by 2.44 metres (8.0 ft) in the previous six years. It reached 1,900.04 m (6,233.7 ft) in October 2010. The government committee on Sevan forecasts that the level will reach 1,903.5 m (6,245 ft) by 2029. Water level stood at 1900.44 m in November 2019. The Gegharkunik Province , which roughly corresponds to the lake's basin, had

10300-685: Was ruled by the Tangians, Tatev and Ghapan by branches of the Parsadanians, and Kashatagh by the Haykazians (from which branched off the Israelians of Jraberd). To the north, near Lake Sevan (Gökche), there were the minor melikdoms of Gegham and Gardman. These two were ruled by branches of the Shahnazarian (originally Shahanshah or Ulubekian) family which later took over Varanda. The meliks of Karabagh and, to

10403-551: Was submerged in the lake to create an artificial reef . Sevan trout ( Salmo ischchan ) is an endemic species of the lake, but it is endangered as some competitors were introduced into the lake, including common whitefish ( Coregonus lavaretus ) from Lake Ladoga , goldfish ( Carrasius auratus ), and crayfish ( Astacus leptodactylus ). If the Sevan trout is likely to become extinct in its "home" lake, it seems that it will survive in Issyk-Kul Lake ( Kyrgyzstan ), where it

10506-401: Was the seat that was occupied by the head of the noble house at the royal table, be it during council or during festivities. The word bardz derives from these cushions on which the lords of houses were seated on special occasions. Bardz – literally cushioned seats at the royal table but more broadly the actual status at the royal court – were distributed on the basis of pativ , i.e. literally

10609-674: Was the title of yuzbashi (from the Turkish officer rank, literally "lord of the hundred" warriors). With the annexation of eastern Armenia – i.e. Karabakh, Yerevan, Nakhichevan and Kars provinces – into the Russian Empire, the titles, traditions and social institutions of the Russian nobility become dominant among the Armenian aristocrats as they were integrated into the imperial nobility Russian style. Family name ( gavar -county, ashxarh -province) Incomplete list: Incomplete list: Incomplete list: Including Melik-Vardavantsi (Tutundjian de Vartavan, Tutundjian) from Vardavan[K], Baghk. A branch of

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