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136-492: Syunik ( Armenian : Սյունիք , Armenian pronunciation: [sjuˈnikʰ] ) is the southernmost province of Armenia . It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province to the north, Azerbaijan 's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital and largest city is the town of Kapan . The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population

272-517: A Berberis tree; he was photographed several times until mid-February 2008 in the same area. Camera trapping surveys in summer 2016 documented the presence of 52 leopards in Sarigol, Salouk and Tandooreh National Parks . These included 10 cubs in seven families, thus highlighting that the Kopet Dag and Aladagh Mountains are important leopard refugia in the region. Leopards were also photographed in

408-563: A 94 cm (37 in) long tail. It weighs up to 60 kg (130 lb). Biometric data collected from 25 female and male individuals in various provinces of Iran indicate an average body length of 259 cm (102 in). A young male from northern Iran weighed 64 kg (141 lb). The habitat of P. p. tulliana in the Greater Caucasus is subalpine meadows, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and rugged ravines from 600 to 3,800 m (2,000 to 12,500 ft); and in

544-520: A consistent Proto-Indo-European pattern distinct from Iranian, and that the inflectional morphology was different from that of Iranian languages. The hypothesis that Greek is Armenian's closest living relative originates with Holger Pedersen (1924), who noted that the number of Greek-Armenian lexical cognates is greater than that of agreements between Armenian and any other Indo-European language. Antoine Meillet (1925, 1927) further investigated morphological and phonological agreement and postulated that

680-500: A corridor for movement between Turkey and Iraq. It has also been photographed in the north-eastern province of Artvin , which borders Georgia, but whether the animals are resident is not known. In Beydağları Coastal National Park , two leopards were recorded in 58 video and photographs between August 2019 and May 2023. In the Caucasus, leopards were sighted around the Tbilisi area and in

816-704: A daughter of the Bagratid prince Ashot the Great named Miriam and received the title of Ichkhan from the Syunik people – delivered to him by Ashot in name of the Caliph. His successor was his son, Grigor-Sufan II (887–909). The prince of Eastern Syunik, Vasak IV, died around 887 and was followed by his brother Achot who died c. 906. The son of Vasak IV, Sembat, that received the fiefdom from Vayots Dzor. Chahaponk (Jahuk) governed from 887 until sometime after 920. He revolted in 903 against

952-559: A few sites in the eastern part. In Armenia, people and leopards have co-existed since prehistoric times. In the mid-20th century, the leopard was relatively common in the country's mountains. Stone traps for leopards and other predators dating to the Roman Empire still exist in the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey. The last leopard in Syria is reported to have been killed in 1963 in

1088-549: A five-year leopard conservation project was initiated in the Caucasus, which supported systematic surveys in the region, the planning of new and enlargement of existing protected areas, training of border guards and school education campaigns in Armenia and Azerbaijan; an anti-poaching unit was set up in Armenia. In 2005, the Armenian Ministry of Environment approved a conservation plan with the leopard as an umbrella species , and

1224-566: A later eponym. Historian Armen Petrosyan suggested that Syunik is derived from name of the Urartian sun god Shivini/Siwini (itself a borrowing from the Hittites ), noting the similarity between the names and the high number of sun-related placenames in the historical Syunik region. At various times, the region of present-day Syunik was also known by other names such as Syunia , Sisakan and Zangezur (or Zangadzor ). The region of Syunik geographically

1360-468: A loan from Armenian (compare to Armenian եւ yev , ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi ). Other loans from Armenian into Urartian includes personal names, toponyms, and names of deities. Loan words from Iranian languages , along with the other ancient accounts such as that of Xenophon above, initially led some linguists to erroneously classify Armenian as an Iranian language. Scholars such as Paul de Lagarde and F. Müller believed that

1496-425: A network of schools where modern Armenian was taught, dramatically increased the rate of literacy (in spite of the obstacles by the colonial administrators), even in remote rural areas. The emergence of literary works entirely written in the modern versions increasingly legitimized the language's existence. By the turn of the 20th century both varieties of the one modern Armenian language prevailed over Grabar and opened

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1632-911: A protected area in Sefid Kuh, Kermanshah in 2020. Between September 2014 and August 2016, two radio-collared leopards moved from Iran's Kopet Dag region into Turkmenistan, revealing that the leopard population in the two countries is connected. Leopards were recorded by camera traps in the Badkhyz Nature Reserve in the country's south-west. In 2017, a young male leopard from Iran's Tandooreh National Park dispersed to and settled in Turkmenistan. In 2018, an old male Persian leopard had moved 20 km (12 mi) from Iran to Turkmenistan. In Bamu National Park in Fars Province , surveys carried out from autumn 2007 to spring 2008 revealed seven individuals in

1768-569: A result of interethnic violence. This exodus of Azeri population made Syunik and Armenia, in general, more homogeneous. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Syunik has been a constituent part of the Republic of Armenia. After the independence of Armenia, the 4 rayons of Soviet Syunik were merged during the 1995 administrative reform to form the Syunik Province with the town of Kapan as

1904-675: A sampling area of 321.12 km (123.99 sq mi). One individual was recorded by a camera trap in Afghanistan's Bamyan Province in 2011. In Pakistan, it inhabits Himalayan forests and montane regions; leopards were recorded in and around Machiara National Park , Pir Lasora National Park and Ayubia National Park . In Kazakhstan , a leopard was recorded for the first time in 2000 in Jambyl Region . In 2007 and 2015, two leopards were killed in Mangystau Region farther west in

2040-535: A strategy for leopard conservation in the Caucasus in 2008. In Iran, a leopard conservation and management action plan was endorsed in 2016, and Future4Leopards Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization in the country. As of 2019 , Nature Iraq is mapping potential habitat near the border with Iran as the first stage of a conservation project. Conservationists hope that it will encourage people to protect, connect and restore suitable habitat, including international Wildlife corridors . Wildlife corridors for

2176-650: Is a leopard subspecies that was first described in 1856 based on a zoological specimen found in western Anatolia . It is native to the Iranian Plateau and the surrounding region from eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus to the Hindu Kush , where it inhabits foremost subalpine meadows, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and rugged ravines at elevations of 600 to 3,800 m (2,000 to 12,500 ft). It preys mostly on ungulates reliant on these habitats. Today,

2312-545: Is an independent branch of the Indo-European languages . It is of interest to linguists for its distinctive phonological changes within that family. Armenian exhibits more satemization than centumization , although it is not classified as belonging to either of these subgroups. Some linguists tentatively conclude that Armenian, Greek (and Phrygian ), Albanian and Indo-Iranian were dialectally close to each other; within this hypothetical dialect group, Proto-Armenian

2448-545: Is clearly the dialect to be most closely related to Armenian. Eric P. Hamp (1976, 91) supports the Graeco-Armenian thesis and even anticipates a time "when we should speak of Helleno-Armenian" (meaning the postulate of a Graeco-Armenian proto-language). Armenian shares the augment and a negator derived from the set phrase in the Proto-Indo-European language * ne h₂oyu kʷid ("never anything" or "always nothing"),

2584-469: Is derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂r̥ǵipyós , with cognates in Sanskrit (ऋजिप्य, ṛjipyá ), Avestan ( ərəzifiia ), and Greek (αἰγίπιος, aigípios ). Hrach Martirosyan and Armen Petrosyan propose additional borrowed words of Armenian origin loaned into Urartian and vice versa, including grammatical words and parts of speech, such as Urartian eue ("and"), attested in the earliest Urartian texts and likely

2720-562: Is enough suitable habitat in the Caucasus as a whole for over 1,000 leopards, but a metapopulation will only be viable if persecution is reduced and prey restored. In 2009, the Leopard Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre in Russia's Sochi National Park received two leopards from Turkmenistan as part of a leopard breeding and reintroduction programme. Since then, leopards have been brought from various zoos. Their offspring were released into

2856-781: Is listed in CITES Appendix I . It is listed as a strictly protected species in Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats . In Azerbaijan, the leopard has been protected by law since 1969; in Armenia and in the Soviet Union, it was protected by law in 1972; the Caucasus leopard population was listed in Russia's Red Data Book under Category I as threatened with extinction. It has been protected by law in Iran since 1999. In 2001, hunting leopards

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2992-466: Is not considered conclusive evidence of a period of common isolated development. There are words used in Armenian that are generally believed to have been borrowed from Anatolian languages, particularly from Luwian , although some researchers have identified possible Hittite loanwords as well. One notable loanword from Anatolian is Armenian xalam , "skull", cognate to Hittite ḫalanta , "head". In 1985,

3128-483: Is obligated to provide a "corridor" to Azerbaijan through Syunik and threatened to establish the "corridor" by force if Armenia does not oblige. Prime minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan rejected this, arguing that the ceasefire agreement does not call for a corridor through Syunik but for the general opening of transportation routes between the two countries. Starting on 12 May 2021, Azerbaijani forces crossed several kilometers into Armenian territory in Syunik and occupied

3264-644: Is one of the largest reserves in the country where leopards roam. Evidence for breeding of leopards was documented in six localities inside protected areas in the Iranian part of the Lesser Caucasus. In northeastern Iran, four leopard families with two cubs each were identified during a survey carried out from 2005 to 2008 in Sarigol National Park . A male leopard was photographed in January 2008 spraying urine on

3400-614: Is the provincial center of Kapan, with a population of 43,190. The other urban centres are Goris, Sisian, Kajaran, Meghri, Agarak and Dastakert. With a population of 2,661, the village of Shinuhayr is the largest rural municipality of Syunik. Syunik is almost entirely populated by ethnic Armenians who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church . The regulating body of the church is the Diocese of Syunik , currently headed by Rev. Fr. Zaven Yazichyan. The Saint Gregory Cathedral of Goris

3536-538: Is the seat of the diocese. As a result of the administrative reforms took place on 24 November 2015, 17 June 2016 and 9 June 2017, Syunik is currently divided into 8 municipal communities ( hamaynkner ), of which 5 are urban, and 3 are rural: Near the village of Angeghakot in the Sisian Municipality is located the prehistoric site of Godedzor that goes back to about 4000 BC.This was an important centre for obsidian trade in Syunik obsidian. It had links with

3672-581: Is the working language. Armenian (without reference to a specific variety) is officially recognized as a minority language in Cyprus , Hungary , Iraq , Poland , Romania , and Ukraine . It is recognized as a minority language and protected in Turkey by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne . Panthera pardus tulliana Panthera pardus tulliana , also called Persian leopard, Anatolian leopard , and Caucasian leopard in different parts of its range,

3808-555: Is thought to be the prime factor for the decline of the Anatolian leopard in this area. It is considered locally extinct in western Turkey since the mid-1970s. No signs of the presence of leopards were detected in Termessos National Park during surveys in 2005, and local people and national park personnel were not aware of any. The leopard population in southern Russia had been reduced to two small and isolated populations by

3944-458: The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (11–14th centuries) resulted in the addition of two more characters to the alphabet (" օ " and " ֆ "), bringing the total number to 38. The Book of Lamentations by Gregory of Narek (951–1003) is an example of the development of a literature and writing style of Old Armenian by the 10th century. In addition to elevating the literary style and vocabulary of

4080-553: The Armenian genocide , mostly in the diaspora ). The differences between them are considerable but they are mutually intelligible after significant exposure. Some subdialects such as Homshetsi are not mutually intelligible with other varieties. Although Armenians were known to history much earlier (for example, they were mentioned in the 6th-century BC Behistun Inscription and in Xenophon 's 4th century BC history, The Anabasis ),

4216-610: The Black Sea region in September 2013 is said to show a leopard. Its preferred habitat is thought to be sparse forest areas, followed by rocky areas, agriculture and pasture areas, and riparian zones . In southeastern Turkey, its presence was documented in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır Province and in Bitlis Province . In 2018 and 2019, it was photographed on the northern slopes of Mount Cudi in Şırnak Province , and this may be

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4352-561: The Bolsheviks , successful in the Russian Civil War , pushed deep into the Caucasus. Syunik was one of the last major holdouts of the independent Armenian state whose leaders were eventually expelled by incoming Soviet authorities to Iran. During Sovietization , Syunik became part of Soviet Armenia, while the two other disputed territories, Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh became part of Soviet Azerbaijan. It then became part of Armenia under

4488-631: The Greek language , the Armenian language, and the Indo-Iranian languages . Graeco-Aryan unity would have become divided into Proto-Greek and Proto-Indo-Iranian by the mid-3rd millennium BC. Conceivably, Proto-Armenian would have been located between Proto-Greek and Proto-Indo-Iranian, consistent with the fact that Armenian shares certain features only with Indo-Iranian (the satem change) but others only with Greek ( s > h ). Graeco-Aryan has comparatively wide support among Indo-Europeanists who believe

4624-631: The Indo-European homeland to be located in the Armenian Highlands , the " Armenian hypothesis ". Early and strong evidence was given by Euler's 1979 examination on shared features in Greek and Sanskrit nominal flection. Used in tandem with the Graeco-Armenian hypothesis, the Armenian language would also be included under the label Aryano-Greco-Armenic , splitting into Proto-Greek/Phrygian and "Armeno-Aryan" (ancestor of Armenian and Indo-Iranian ). Classical Armenian (Arm: grabar ), attested from

4760-451: The Kura River with Muslims. Chamkor, being near Barda and Ganja , was intended to act as a regional monitoring post. By order of the new Caliph in 862, the imprisoned princes were to be released and allowed to return to their former domains on the condition of becoming Muslim. (However, they all abandoned Islam after their return.) The prince of Western Syunik, Vasak-Gabor, was married to

4896-651: The Lesser Caucasus and Iran rocky slopes, mountain steppes and sparse juniper forests. In northern Anatolia, zoologists found evidence of leopards in the upper forest and alpine zones of the Pontic Mountains during surveys carried out between 1993 and 2002. Its presence in the Pontic Mountains was questioned in 2016 due to a lack of evidence. A camera trap photograph obtained in Trabzon Province in

5032-528: The Mekhitarists . The first Armenian periodical, Azdarar , was published in grabar in 1794. The classical form borrowed numerous words from Middle Iranian languages , primarily Parthian , and contains smaller inventories of loanwords from Greek, Syriac, Aramaic, Arabic, Mongol, Persian, and indigenous languages such as Urartian . An effort to modernize the language in Bagratid Armenia and

5168-689: The Russo-Persian War of 1804–13 , Syunik -along with the rest of Karabakh Khanate - passed into Imperial Russian possession, officially signed in the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813. The khanate was abolished by the Russian government in 1822. The region was divided between the Erivan Governorate , and Baku Governorate (known as Shemakha Governorate until 1859). When the Elisabethpol Governorate

5304-914: The Shida Kartli province in Georgia , where they live primarily in dense forests. Several individuals were sighted in the lowland plains of the Kakheti region in 2004. Leopard signs were also found at two localities in Tusheti , the headwaters of the Andi Koysu and Assa rivers bordering Dagestan . Leopards are thought to occasionally move through Georgia from Russia, but naturalists hope they might become resident in Georgia in future if well protected in both countries. Between October 2000 and July 2002, tracks of 10 leopards were found in an area of 780 km (300 sq mi) in

5440-706: The Syrian Coastal Mountain Range . P. p. tulliana was once numerous in the Aegean Region between İzmir and Antalya , with the Beşparmak Mountains considered a stronghold. Several factors contributed to the decline of the leopard population in this region between the late 1940s and mid 1970s, including deforestation , conversion of natural habitat to orchards , road construction and killing of leopards in retaliation for preying on livestock. Since surveys were not carried out in western Turkey until

5576-681: The Transcaucasian SFSR and part of the Armenian SSR in 1936. Under Soviet rule, Syunik suffered a devastating earthquake in April 1931, leaving 80% of its villages destroyed. A subsequent earthquake hit the region in May during the same year, destroying 27 of 38 villages in the Sisian district. As an administrative unit, modern-day Syunik was divided into the raions of Meghri, Kapan, Goris and Sisian. Despite

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5712-599: The Zagros Mountains forest steppe in the Kurdistan Region . Between 2001 and 2014, at least nine leopards were killed by local people in this region. In 2020, a leopard was recorded in the mountains of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the country's northeast. Iran is considered a stronghold of the leopard in the region. It is more abundant in the northern than in the southern part of the country, and in

5848-640: The 1950s, and by 2007, there were fewer than 50 individuals in the region. Since 1954, leopards were thought to be extirpated in Georgia, following kills by hunters. The political and social changes caused by the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1992 caused a severe economic crisis and weakening of formerly effective protection systems; wildlife habitats were severely fragmented, leopards were persecuted and wild ungulates were hunted. In addition, inadequate baseline data and lack of monitoring programmes made it difficult to evaluate declines of mammalian prey species. In

5984-595: The 1970s, it was still recorded in Pakistan's Kirthar Mountains , northeastern Baluchistan and Murree Hills . The diet of P. p. tulliana varies depending on habitat. In southern Armenia and Iran, it preys mostly on wild goat ( Capra aegagrus ), mouflon ( Ovis gmelini ), wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ), goitered gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa ), Indian crested porcupine ( Hystrix indica ) and European hare ( Lepus europaeus ). It occasionally attacks livestock and herding dogs. In Iran,

6120-498: The 1980s, anti-personnel mines were deployed along the northern part of the Iran-Iraq border to deter people from entering the area. Leopards roaming the area are safe from poachers and industrial development, but at least two individuals are known to have stepped on mines and been killed. The main threat in northern Iraq is deforestation, which in the early 2020s is being worsened by an economic crisis. In April 2001, an adult female

6256-540: The 2010s was recorded in 74 of 204 protected areas. The Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests along the Alborz Mountains are one of the most important habitats for the leopard in the country. Most leopards were recorded in habitats with temperatures of 13 to 18 °C (55 to 64 °F), maximum 20 days of ice cover per year and an annual rainfall of more than 200 mm (7.9 in). The Central Alborz Protected Area covering more than 3,500 km (1,400 sq mi)

6392-408: The 5th century to the 19th century as the literary standard (up to the 11th century also as a spoken language with different varieties), was partially superseded by Middle Armenian , attested from the 12th century to the 18th century. Specialized literature prefers "Old Armenian" for grabar as a whole, and designates as "Classical" the language used in the 5th century literature, "Post-Classical" from

6528-713: The Armenian and Tatar populations in the Caucasus, culminating in the Armenian-Tatar massacres . Clashes occurred in Nakhchivan and Sharur-Daralgez uyezdy of the Erevan gubernia and in Zangezur , Shusha and Javanshir uezdy of Elizavetpol gubernia in 1905. According to Armenian sources 128 Armenian and 158 Azerbaijanian villages were "pillaged or destroyed" while the overall estimates of lives lost vary widely, ranging from 3,000 to 10,000, with Muslims suffering higher losses. During these events,

6664-481: The Armenian language by adding well above a thousand new words, through his other hymns and poems Gregory paved the way for his successors to include secular themes and vernacular language in their writings. The thematic shift from mainly religious texts to writings with secular outlooks further enhanced and enriched the vocabulary. "A Word of Wisdom", a poem by Hovhannes Sargavak devoted to a starling, legitimizes poetry devoted to nature, love, or female beauty. Gradually,

6800-412: The Armenian meliks Later, the Orbelian dynasty , one of whose members wrote an important history of the country, governed Syunik in times of Timur (Tamerlan) as vassals. Between the middle of the 18th century and early in the 19th century, the Syunik was part of the Karabakh khanate of the Safavid Empire . It was also ruled by the Ottomans between 1578 and 1606 and again between 1722 and 1736. By

6936-403: The Armenians of Syunik were massacred "without distinction of sex or age" by Azeri forces, and children were mutilated. Tensions were accelerated with the collapse of the Russian Empire . The region fell under the authority of the Special Transcaucasian Committee of the Russian Provisional Government and subsequently the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic . When the TDFR

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7072-455: The Bagratid Sembat I , refusing to pay him taxes. Because of this, he was assaulted by the prince of Vaspurakan , Sargis-Ashot. Sembat submitted, was forgiven and married to the sister of the prince of Vaspurakan, receiving the city and district of Nakhchivan , which in 902 was upset with the Kaysites or Qaisids. A few years later, the prince allied with the emir of Sadjid , Yusuf, against Eastern Syunik, which they invaded together. Sembat

7208-414: The Eastern Syunik with the Vayots Dzor, bordered by Vaspurakan. Sahak governed the eastern part until the river Hakar . Babgen governed the district of the Baghk, and Vasak (who died in 922) an indeterminate territory. Nasr, the emir of Azerbaijan , captured territory through perfidy against Babgen and Sahak in Dwin. After the invasion, Sembat unseated Nasr and obtained the freedom of his brothers. Sembat

7344-406: The Greater Caucasus, but in 2007 numbers were thought to be extremely low. In Afghanistan, the leopard is thought to inhabit the central highlands of the Hindu Kush and the Wakhan corridor , but none have been photographed. The long-lasting conflict in the country badly affected both predator and prey species, so that the national population is considered to be small and severely threatened. In

7480-403: The Hurro-Urartian and Northeast Caucasian origins for these words and instead suggest native Armenian etymologies, leaving the possibility that these words may have been loaned into Hurro-Urartian and Caucasian languages from Armenian, and not vice versa. A notable example is arciv , meaning "eagle", believed to have been the origin of Urartian Arṣibi and Northeast Caucasian arzu . This word

7616-414: The Persian leopard population was subsumed to P. p. tulliana , which is the oldest available name for the leopard subspecies in West Asia. A phylogenetic analysis indicates that P. p. tulliana matrilineally belongs to a monophyletic group that diverged from the African ( P. p. pardus ) and the Arabian leopard ( P. p. nimr ) in the second half of the Pleistocene . DNA analysis indicates that

7752-546: The Russian Empire), removed almost all of their Turkish lexical influences in the 20th century, primarily following the Armenian genocide . In addition to Armenia and Turkey, where it is indigenous , Armenian is spoken among the diaspora . According to Ethnologue , globally there are 1.6 million Western Armenian speakers and 3.7 million Eastern Armenian speakers, totalling 5.3 million Armenian speakers. In Georgia, Armenian speakers are concentrated in Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki districts where they represent over 90% of

7888-689: The Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation (Rosatom) in the village of Lernadzor . Tourism is among the developing sectors in the economy of Syunik. The towns of Goris and Kapan have a large number of different levels of hotels and inns. Armenian language Pontic Steppe Caucasus East Asia Eastern Europe Northern Europe Pontic Steppe Northern/Eastern Steppe Europe South Asia Steppe Europe Caucasus India Indo-Aryans Iranians East Asia Europe East Asia Europe Indo-Aryan Iranian Indo-Aryan Iranian Others European Armenian

8024-404: The Russian and Ottoman empires led to creation of two separate and different environments under which Armenians lived. Halfway through the 19th century, two important concentrations of Armenian communities were further consolidated. Because of persecutions or the search for better economic opportunities, many Armenians living under Ottoman rule gradually moved to Istanbul , whereas Tbilisi became

8160-654: The Soviet linguist Igor M. Diakonoff noted the presence in Classical Armenian of what he calls a "Caucasian substratum" identified by earlier scholars, consisting of loans from the Kartvelian and Northeast Caucasian languages . Noting that Hurro-Urartian-speaking peoples inhabited the Armenian homeland in the second millennium BC, Diakonoff identifies in Armenian a Hurro-Urartian substratum of social, cultural, and animal and plant terms such as ałaxin "slave girl" ( ← Hurr. al(l)a(e)ḫḫenne ), cov "sea" ( ← Urart. ṣûǝ "(inland) sea"), ułt "camel" ( ← Hurr. uḷtu ), and xnjor "apple (tree)" ( ← Hurr. ḫinzuri ). Some of

8296-425: The Zangezur Sanctuary. Major water basins include the rivers of Vorotan , Voghji , Sisian , Meghri and Vachagan . Summer temperature can reach up to 40 °C (104 °F), although the average temperature is around 22 °C (72 °F), while in winter it may reach down to -12.5 °C (9.5 °F). Its border with Nakhchivan to the west is defined by the Zangezur Mountains. The Meghri mountain ridge at

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8432-476: The ancient city of Thyatira in Anatolia date from the Neolithic period to the end of the 6th century BC. The leopard is depicted on statues, potteries, ivory works and coins associated with the Lydian culture. Several pieces were found in areas that were used for worship . Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero , while he was serving as Governor of Kilikia around 50 BC, asked for leopards to be sent from Kibyratis in Anatolia, for gladiators to fight: hence

8568-501: The area around Lake Sev in Syunik, precipitating a border crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan . On 10 November 2021 it was announced the alternate Goris-Kapan highway completely within Armenia's borders was completed. In 1989, the Syunik Province (then part of the Sisian , Goris , Meghri , and Kapan districts in 1930–1995) had a population of 141,501. 66,170 or 46.76% of which was urban, divided into Goris (23,795) and Kapan (42,375), and 75,331 or 53.24% were rural, distributed into

8704-494: The beginning of the 18th century, Syunik was associated with the Armenian military leader David Bek , who led the liberation campaign of the Armenians of Syunik against Safavid Persia and the invading Ottoman Turks. David Bek started his battles in 1722 with the help of thousands of local Armenian patriots who liberated Syunik. The centre of David Bek's struggle was the Baghaberd Fortress northwest of Kapan and Halidzor Fortress southwest of Kapan where he died in 1728. Following

8840-433: The border with Iran. Five cubs were documented in two sites in the Lesser Caucasus and the Talysh Mountains. Between July 2014 and June 2018, four leopards were identified in the Talysh Mountains and 11 in the trans-boundary region of Nakhchivan and southern Armenia. Leopards have been sporadically recorded in northern Iraq. In October 2011 and January 2012, a leopard was photographed by a camera trap on Jazhna Mountain in

8976-404: The cantons of the Vayots Dzor and Baghk . Sahak governed the western canton of Syunik, known as Gegharkunik . In 826, Sahak allied with his ancient enemy – Sevada, the Qaisite emir of Manazkert – against the governor of Caliph , but he was defeated and died in Kavakert . His son Grigor-Sufan succeeded him as prince of Western Syunik. In the Eastern region, Philipo died on 10 August 848. He

9112-434: The center of Armenians living under Russian rule. These two cosmopolitan cities very soon became the primary poles of Armenian intellectual and cultural life. The introduction of new literary forms and styles, as well as many new ideas sweeping Europe, reached Armenians living in both regions. This created an ever-growing need to elevate the vernacular, Ashkharhabar, to the dignity of a modern literary language, in contrast to

9248-469: The combined impact of poaching , disturbance caused by livestock breeding, gathering of edible plants and mushrooms, deforestation and human-induced wild fires was so high that the tolerance limits of leopards was exceeded. Only some small and isolated populations remain in the whole Caucasus. Suitable habitat is limited, and most often situated in remote border areas. Local populations depend on immigration from source populations mainly in Iran. In Turkey,

9384-457: The country. Between September and December 2018, camera traps recorded a leopard on a cliff in Ustyurt Nature Reserve . P. p. tulliana was most likely distributed over the entire Caucasus, except for the steppe areas. The northern foothills of the Greater Caucasus formed the northern boundary of its historic range. During surveys conducted between 2001 and 2005, no leopard was recorded in the western Greater Caucasus; it probably survived only at

9520-444: The district of Dzoluk . He then called for help from the Persian revolutionary chief Babak Khorramdin , who married a daughter of the king. After the death of Vasak III in 821, Babak inherited the country that revolted against him. Babak suppressed the revolt but was harassed by both Muslims and Armenians. Finally, he abdicated and the children of Vasak, Philip and Sahak, regained power. Philip controlled over eastern Syunik, including

9656-404: The districts of Sisian (29,768), Goris (17,979), Meghri (14,341), and Kapan (13,243). According to the 2011 official census, Syunik has a population of 141,771 (69,836 men and 71,935 women), forming around 4.7% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 95,170 (67.13%) and the rural is 46,601 (32.87%). The province has 7 urban and 102 rural communities. The largest urban community

9792-548: The east of Syunik, which had been under Armenian control since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War , came under Azerbaijani control, lengthening the province's border with Azerbaijan and creating fears about the province's security. In one border settlement in Syunik, Shurnukh , 12 houses came under the control of Azerbaijan after being found to be located on the Azerbaijani side of the border. Additionally, several parts of

9928-420: The eastern border of Lake Sevan . Gardman's prince (ichkhan) Ketridj or Ketritchn betrayed him and delivered him to Bogha (859). Achot was also seized (859). But Bogha invaded Gardman and imprisoned Kertridj. He then went to Outi where he captured the prince of Sevordiq , Stephannos Kun. The Caliphate tried to control all these regions, and for this reason, Bogha decided to repopulate the city of Chamkor in

10064-565: The existence of the two modern versions of the same language was sanctioned even more clearly. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1920–1990) used Eastern Armenian as its official language, whereas the diaspora created after the Armenian genocide preserved the Western Armenian dialect. The two modern literary dialects, Western (originally associated with writers in the Ottoman Empire) and Eastern (originally associated with writers in

10200-523: The extreme south of Armenia used to be home to the endangered Caucasian leopard . However, only one was detected by camera trap between August 2006 and April 2007, and no signs of other leopards were found during track surveys conducted over an area of 296.9 km (114.6 sq mi). The local prey base could support 4–10 individuals, but poaching and disturbance caused by livestock breeding, gathering of edible plants and mushrooms, deforestation and human-induced wildfires are so high that they exceed

10336-425: The hypothetical Mushki language may have been a (now extinct) Armenic language. W. M. Austin (1942) concluded that there was early contact between Armenian and Anatolian languages , based on what he considered common archaisms, such as the lack of a feminine gender and the absence of inherited long vowels. Unlike shared innovations (or synapomorphies ), the common retention of archaisms (or symplesiomorphy )

10472-678: The important highway between Goris and Kapan came under Azerbaijani control. The ninth point of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement that ended the 2020 war stated that "All economic and transport connections in the region shall be unblocked. The Republic of Armenia shall guarantee the security of transport connections between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to arrange unobstructed movement of persons, vehicles and cargo in both directions." The president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev insists that this means that Armenia

10608-464: The interests of the population at large were reflected in other literary works as well. Konsdantin Yerzinkatsi and several others took the unusual step of criticizing the ecclesiastic establishment and addressing the social issues of the Armenian homeland. These changes represented the nature of the literary style and syntax, but they did not constitute immense changes to the fundamentals of the grammar or

10744-434: The late 5th to 8th centuries, and "Late Grabar" that of the period covering the 8th to 11th centuries. Later, it was used mainly in religious and specialized literature, with the exception of a revival during the early modern period, when attempts were made to establish it as the language of a literary renaissance, with neoclassical inclinations, through the creation and dissemination of literature in varied genres, especially by

10880-663: The leopard has been killed illegally in traps and through poison. Several leopards are known of have been killed since 1974 in Beypazarı , Siirt Province , Diyarbakır Province and Tunceli Provinces . Despite ongoing efforts to reforest Turkey , the country lacks a plan to reconnect fragmented forests as of 2020 , which may further fragment leopard populations in the region. In Iran, primary threats are habitat disturbances, poaching and excess of livestock in leopard habitats. Leopards are unlikely to persist outside of protected areas. Droughts in wide areas of leopard habitats affected

11016-435: The leopard has been listed as Critically Endangered since 2006. Penalties for killing leopards were adopted and increased several times in Armenia and Azerbaijan. In Afghanistan, it was included in the country's Protected Species List in 2009. In Kazakhstan, hunting was made a criminal offence in 2021. In Turkey the leopard is one of the species in the action plan being prepared for the country's endangered species. In 2001,

11152-421: The leopard population in this region is estimated at fewer than 1,100 adults. It is threatened by habitat fragmentation due to land use changes, poaching , loss of wild prey species and killing in retaliation for preying on livestock. It is internationally protected under CITES Appendix I and in Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats . Felis tulliana

11288-439: The leopards in Iran belong to a single gene pool and form a distinct subclade . P. p. tulliana has a grayish, slightly reddish fur with large rosettes on the flanks and back, smaller ones on the shoulder and upper legs, and spots on the head and neck. It varies in colouration; in Iran both pale and dark individuals occur. Its average body length is 158 cm (62 in), with a 192 mm (7.6 in) long skull and

11424-427: The main prey species such as wild goat and wild sheep. An assessment of leopard mortality in Iran revealed that 71 leopards were killed between 2007 and 2011 in 18 provinces; 70% were hunted or poisoned illegally, and 18% died in road accidents. Between 2000 and 2015, 147 leopards were killed in the country. More than 60% of them died due to poaching, through poisonous bait, and were shot by rangers, trophy hunters and

11560-641: The mid-1980s, biologists doubted whether leopards still survived in the region. Sighting reports from the environs of Alanya in the south of the Lycian peninsula suggested that a scattered population existed between Finike , Antalya and Alanya in the early 1990s. Fresh faecal pellets found in Mount Güllük-Termessos National Park in 1992 were attributed to an Anatolian leopard. However surveys in western Turkey between 2000 and 2004 found no contemporary evidence of leopards. Extensive trophy hunting

11696-481: The military. About 26% of them died in road accidents. More males than females were killed. Between 2007 and spring 2021, 78 leopards died in Iran because of humans; 62 were shot or poisoned by herders or killed by their dogs. Retaliatory killings of leopards occur after attacks on livestock. Leopards injured 30 people and killed one in the country between 2012 and 2020, mostly thought to be defensive reactions by animals surprised by livestock herders. Panthera pardus

11832-560: The morphology of the language. Often, when writers codify a spoken dialect, other language users are then encouraged to imitate that structure through the literary device known as parallelism . In the 19th century, the traditional Armenian homeland was once again divided. This time Eastern Armenia was conquered from Qajar Iran by the Russian Empire , while Western Armenia , containing two thirds of historical Armenia, remained under Ottoman control. The antagonistic relationship between

11968-701: The mountainous region as a part of Soviet Armenia. After the conflict, Garegin Nzhdeh, his soldiers, and many prominent Armenian intellectuals, including leaders of the Republic of Armenia , crossed the border into the neighbouring city of Tabriz in Persia. Thus, Syunik became part of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic in July 1921. Armenian forces eventually secured the region but their efforts were in vain when

12104-403: The now-anachronistic Grabar. Numerous dialects existed in the traditional Armenian regions, which, different as they were, had certain morphological and phonetic features in common. On the basis of these features two major standards emerged: Both centers vigorously pursued the promotion of Ashkharhabar. The proliferation of newspapers in both versions (Eastern & Western) and the development of

12240-517: The office as prime minister while Nzhdeh became the governor and the general commander. Nzhdeh actively engaged in expelling the 3/5th Azerbaijani population of Zangezur. Between April and July 1921, the Red Army conducted massive military operations in the region, attacking Syunik from the north and east. After months of fierce battles with the Red Army, the Republic of Mountainous Armenia capitulated in July 1921 following Soviet Russia's promises to keep

12376-476: The official status of the Armenian language. Eastern Armenian is the official variant used, making it the prestige variety while other variants have been excluded from national institutions. Indeed, Western Armenian is perceived by some as a mere dialect. Armenian was also official in the Republic of Artsakh . It is recognized as an official language of the Eurasian Economic Union although Russian

12512-619: The oldest surviving Armenian-language writing is etched in stone on Armenian temples and is called Mehenagir . The Armenian alphabet was created by Mesrop Mashtots in 405, at which time it had 36 letters. He is also credited by some with the creation of the Georgian alphabet and the Caucasian Albanian alphabet . While Armenian constitutes the sole member of the Armenian branch of the Indo-European family, Aram Kossian has suggested that

12648-474: The parent languages of Greek and Armenian were dialects in immediate geographical proximity during the Proto-Indo-European period. Meillet's hypothesis became popular in the wake of his book Esquisse d'une histoire de la langue latine (1936). Georg Renatus Solta (1960) does not go as far as postulating a Proto-Graeco-Armenian stage, but he concludes that considering both the lexicon and morphology, Greek

12784-407: The path to a new and simplified grammatical structure of the language in the two different cultural spheres. Apart from several morphological, phonetic, and grammatical differences, the largely common vocabulary and generally analogous rules of grammatical fundamentals allows users of one variant to understand the other as long as they are fluent in one of the literary standards. After World War I ,

12920-476: The population. The short-lived First Republic of Armenia declared Armenian its official language. Eastern Armenian was then dominating in institutions and among the population. When Armenia was incorporated into the USSR, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic made Eastern Armenian the language of the courts, government institutions and schools. Armenia was also russified . The current Republic of Armenia upholds

13056-529: The presence of leopards is highly correlated with the presence of wild goat and wild sheep. An attack by a leopard on an onager ( Equus hemionus ) was also recorded. In Turkey, it also preys on chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra ). Adult males usually share their home ranges entirely or partially with two or three adult females. The mating season lasts from mid-January to mid-February. In Sarigol National Park, three females were documented in late April to May 2008 with one to two cubs each. A female with two cubs

13192-557: The prince Varaz-Terdat II (of the Persian dynasty Mihrakane of Aghuania) in Morgog. A general sent by the Caliph , Bugha al-Kabir , destroyed Armenia and Aghuania in these years and sent a detachment to Eastern Syunik where was governing Vasak IV with his brother Achot. The people of Syunik were sheltered in the fortress of Balq, but Vasak fled to Kotaiq, and was pursued to the region of Gardman on

13328-401: The provincial capital. Being the republic's southernmost province, it has gained a strategic and economic importance for Armenia. The border with Iran enhanced the export of vital energy resources from Armenia to Iran and other regions. Recently, a new 140-kilometer-long Armenia-Iran pipeline has been opened, projected to supply Armenia with up to 1.1 billion m of gas per year until 2019, when

13464-457: The region's troubled early years in the Soviet Union , it gradually began to recover with much of the area's infrastructure rebuilt and improved. During the Soviet era, Syunik was noted as a source of metal and ore production. However, the region was shaken by the renewal of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh with neighbouring Azerbaijan. In 1987–1989, the remaining Azeri inhabitants fled the region as

13600-436: The representation of word-initial laryngeals by prothetic vowels, and other phonological and morphological peculiarities with Greek. Nevertheless, as Fortson (2004) comments, "by the time we reach our earliest Armenian records in the 5th century AD, the evidence of any such early kinship has been reduced to a few tantalizing pieces". Graeco-(Armeno)-Aryan is a hypothetical clade within the Indo-European family , ancestral to

13736-571: The rugged and cliffy terrain of Khosrov State Reserve on the southwestern slopes of the Gegham mountains . During surveys in 2013–2014, camera traps recorded leopards in 24 locations in southern Armenia, of which 14 are in the Zangezur Mountains . This trans-boundary mountain range provides important breeding habitat for leopards in the Lesser Caucasus. In March 2007 and in October 2012, an individual

13872-488: The safe dispersal of leopards between there and other protected areas in Iran's Alborz Mountains have been mapped in an area of 3,132 km (1,209 sq mi). As of 2022 further conservation work is needed to conserve corridors, including protecting more areas. Three core habitats and suitable corridors between protected areas in the Zagros Mountains were identified along the international border between Iran and Iraq. In 2021, several authors suggested that there

14008-520: The scientific name from his middle name.  Leopard skin patterns were also used on Anatolian carpets and kaftans . The Natural History Museum of the Aegean on Samos Island in Greece exhibits a stuffed animal said to have been killed on the island in 1862, labelled Kaplani , Greek : Καπλάνι , meaning leopard. Its size, shape and coat colour is rather unnatural for a leopard, but may have been altered in

14144-463: The similarities between the two languages meant that Armenian belonged to the Iranian language family . The distinctness of Armenian was recognized when philologist Heinrich Hübschmann (1875) used the comparative method to distinguish two layers of Iranian words from the older Armenian vocabulary . He showed that Armenian often had two morphemes for one concept, that the non-Iranian components yielded

14280-544: The sites located as far as Lake Urmia in Iran such as Yanik Tepe and Dalma Tepe . The sites of interest in this area include, Around 74% (3,336 km) of the total area of the province are arable lands , out of which 13.2% (440 km) are ploughed. The rural population is mainly involved in agriculture and cattle-breeding. The province contributes 6.5% of the annual agricultural product of Armenia. The main crops are grains, dry grains, potatoes and vegetables. The village of Angeghakot has fish farming ponds, while

14416-740: The sizes and shapes of skulls. Therefore, the subspecific names tulliana , ciscaucasica and saxicolor are currently considered synonyms . The Indus River is thought to form a topographical barrier to the dispersal of this subspecies. An analysis of leopard samples from Afghanistan revealed that they were P. p. saxicolor , but intergrade with the Indian leopard. A genetic analysis of 49 leopard skin samples collected in Azad Jammu Kashmir and Galyat regions of northern Pakistan corroborated this intergradation; these samples revealed haplotypes of both Persian and Indian leopards. In 2017,

14552-457: The south separates Syunik from Iran . Syunik covers an area of 4,506 km (1740 sq. mi.) (15% of total area of Armenia), making it the second-largest province in Armenia after Gegharkunik in terms of the total area. Historically, the current territory of the province occupies most of the historic Syunik province of Ancient Armenia. Syunik is a mountainous region, mainly covered with thick green forests. The Zangezur Mountains occupy most of

14688-458: The target of the supply is expected to rise to 2.3 billion m annually." The new pipeline attracted Armenia's northern neighbor Georgia, seeking to lessen its dependence on energy from Russia. In 2000, an old cemetery was found between the villages of Kornidzor and Khndzoresk near Goris. It was built during the Kara Koyunlu rule. As a result of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War , the territories to

14824-512: The terms he gives admittedly have an Akkadian or Sumerian provenance, but he suggests they were borrowed through Hurrian or Urartian. Given that these borrowings do not undergo sound changes characteristic of the development of Armenian from Proto-Indo-European , he dates their borrowing to a time before the written record but after the Proto-Armenian language stage. Contemporary linguists, such as Hrach Martirosyan , have rejected many of

14960-784: The territory of Syunik. Mount Kaputjugh with a height of 3905 meters (12,812') and Mount Gazanasar with a height of 3829 meters (12,562') are the highest peaks of the province. Many of the forests in Syunik are protected by the government, including the Arevik National Park , the Shikahogh State Reserve , the Boghakar Sanctuary, the Goris Sanctuary, the Plane Grove Sanctuary, the Sev Lake Sanctuary, and

15096-515: The throne sometime later. Sembat, with his three brothers Sahak, Babgen, and Vasak, governed again. Also in Western Syunik, Sahak, Ashot and Vasak, brothers of Grigor-Sufan II, were governing the country. After them the dynasty of Western Syunik became extinct and the territory was subsumed by the Muslims. The eastern part remained divided: Sembat, which had the main title, governed the western part of

15232-539: The tolerance of the leopards. During surveys in 2013–2014, camera traps recorded leopards in 24 locations in southern Armenia, of which 14 are located in the Zangezur Mountains. Inscriptions found in the region around Lake Sevan attributed to King Artaxias I confirm that the historic province of Syunik was part of the Artaxiad Kingdom of Armenia during the 2nd century BC. The first dynasty to rule Syunik

15368-405: The village of Achanan is home to a poultry farm. Syunik is among the main contributing provinces in the industrial sector of Armenia. It has a share of 17% of the annual total industrial product of Armenia. The economy is of the province is mainly based on the industrial sector, including mining, building materials production and food-processing. The prospect of a uranium mine being exploited by

15504-636: The wild in 2016 and 2018, including three males and one female into the Caucasus Biosphere Reserve , and one male and one female into Alaniya National Park in North Ossetia–Alania . As of 2021 there are over 100 captive Persian leopards in zoos worldwide, and the European Endangered Species Programme has a captive breeding program to sustain a backup population. Representations of the Anatolian leopard found in

15640-524: The winter of 2003, zoologists found footprints of a leopard in Vashlovani National Park in southeastern Georgia. Camera traps recorded one young male individual several times. The individual was not recorded again between 2009 and 2014. A survey in 2019 found no leopards. Leopards also survived in northwestern Azerbaijan in the Akhar-Bakhar section of Ilisu State Reserve in the foothills of

15776-513: Was 141,771 in the 2011 census, down from 152,684 at the 2001 census. Syunik was one of the 15 provinces of the Kingdom of Armenia . The early Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi connected the name of the province with Sisak , a descendant of the legendary Armenian patriarch Hayk and supposed progenitor of the ancient Siunia (or Syunik) dynasty , which ruled Syunik from the first century CE. However, historian Robert Hewsen considered Sisak to be

15912-558: Was also photographed in the Alborz Mountains. Since 2016 these leopards have been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List , as the wild population is estimated at less than 1,000 mature individuals. P. p. tulliana is threatened by poaching , depletion of prey base due to poaching, human disturbance such as presence of military and training of troops in border areas, and habitat loss due to deforestation , fire, agricultural expansion , overgrazing, and infrastructure development. In

16048-623: Was banned in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic , and anti-poaching activities were regularly conducted in southern Armenia since 2003. Since 2005, seven protected areas have been established in the Lesser Caucasus covering an area of 1,940 km (750 sq mi), and three in the Talysh Mountains with an area of 449 km (173 sq mi). The total protected area in the country now amounts to 4,245 km (1,639 sq mi). In Georgia's national Red Data Book,

16184-584: Was called Siounia Caucasiana in the 5-6th century by the Ravenna Cosmography . Syunik is located between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan from the west, and districts of Lachin , Qubadli and Zangilan of Azerbaijan from the east. It was bordered on the east by Kashatagh Province of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic between 1992 and 2020. The Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia forms its northern border, while Aras River at

16320-474: Was deposed by the Sassanid Empire . Valinak (c. 400–409) was followed by Vasak (409–452). Vasak had two sons: Babik (Bagben), Bakur and a daughter who married Vasak's successor, Varazvahan (452–472). Varazvahan's son Gelehon ruled from 470 to 477, who died in 483. Babik (Bagben) the brother of Varazvahan became the new nakharar in 477. Hadz the brother of Gelehon died on 25 September 482. The Syunik Province

16456-660: Was dissolved in May 1918, Zangezur, Nakhchivan , and Nagorno-Karabakh became heavily contested between the newly formed and short-lived states of the Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic . At the time, Syunik had an Armenian majority of 350,000 and a Muslim population of 180,000. According to Thomas de Waal , the dispute over Syunik resulted in the displacement of region's Caucasian Tatar minority through direct military action by Armenian guerrilla commanders Andranik , Rouben Ter Minassian and later Garegin Nzhdeh . Between 1918 and 1920 Syunik

16592-529: Was established in 1868, the region became part of the Zangezursky Uyezd , with its administration based in the town of Geryusy starting from 1870. According to the official census of the Russian Empire in 1897, the total population of Zangezursky Uyezd was 137,971, with 51.6% of them were Caucasian Tatars and 46,1% were Armenians. The beginning of 20th century saw an outbreak in ethnic tensions between

16728-493: Was followed by his son Grigor of Syunik and Aghuania , who governed until 1166 when the country was conquered by the Seljuq Turks. It was ruled by Seljuks of Hamadan , Atabegs of Azerbaijan , Kingdom of Georgia , Khwarezmshahs , Ilkhanate , Chupanids , Jalayirids , Kara Koyunlu , Timurid Empire and Aq Qoyunlu successively before Safavid rule. It mostly had autonomous rule and was for some periods fully independent under

16864-409: Was followed by his son Vasak, and Sahak in turn by his son Sembat. Vasak received the royal title from the Muslims at the end of his reign, which lasted until 963. The throne was inherited by his nephew Sembat (963–998) who was recognized as king by the emirs of Tauris and of Arran . He was married to the princess of Aghuania, Chahandoukht . At his death, he was followed by Vasak (c. 998–1019). Vasak

17000-524: Was included in the short-lived Republic of Armenia . After the Sovietization of Armenia, Syunik became the main centre of the resistance against the Bolsheviks, thus becoming part of the unrecognized Republic of Mountainous Armenia . The city of Goris became the capital of the unrecognized state, and Garegin Nzhdeh was chosen as prime minister and minister of defence. Later, in July, Simon Vratsian took

17136-755: Was killed in the Chubar Highlands in north-western Iran's Gilan Province by a local hunter. This incident indicates that the Talysh Mountains are an important corridor for trans-boundary movement of leopards. In September 2012, the first female leopard was photographed in Zangezur National Park close to the border with Iran. During surveys in 2013–2014, camera traps recorded leopards in seven locations in Zangezur National Park, including two different females and one male. All sites are close to

17272-501: Was later governed by Vahan (c. 570), Philip (Philipo, c. 580), Stephen (Stephanos, c. 590–597), Sahak (Isaac, c. 597) and Grigor (Gregory, until 640). A dynasty was formed, governed by a branch of the Bagratuni , with minor vassal princes from one or more previous dynasties. Vasak III (c. 800) suffered an assault from the emir of Manazkert , Sevada. He established a garrison in Chalat , in

17408-639: Was photographed by a camera trap in Hirkan National Park . This protected area in southeastern Azerbaijan is in the Talysh Mountains , which are contiguous with the Alborz Mountains in Iran. During surveys in 2013–2014, camera traps recorded leopards in five locations in Hirkan National Park. The first male leopard crossing from Hirkan National Park into Iran was documented in February 2014. It

17544-507: Was sheltered in the fortress of Erendchak (today Alinja , northeast of Nakhchivan) and Yusuf remained owner of Eastern Syunik. Sembat requested refuge from his brother-in-law Khatchik-Gagik , which was granted. In the same year (909), the prince of Western Syunik, Grigor Sufan II, submitted to the emir Yusuf in Dwin . Only Byzantine movements and the withdrawal of the Sadjids permitted him to recover

17680-675: Was shot on the border to Kabardino-Balkaria ; her two cubs were captured and taken to Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia. Between 2004 and 2007, a total of 85 leopard skins were seen being offered in markets in Kabul . Leopards were known to live on the Meghri Ridge in the extreme south of Armenia, where only one individual was imaged by a camera trap between August 2006 and April 2007, but no signs of other leopards were found during track surveys conducted over an area of 296.9 km (114.6 sq mi). The local prey base could support 4–10 individuals. But

17816-405: Was situated between Proto-Greek ( centum subgroup) and Proto-Indo-Iranian ( satem subgroup). Ronald I. Kim has noted unique morphological developments connecting Armenian to Balto-Slavic languages . The Armenian language has a long literary history, with a 5th-century Bible translation as its oldest surviving text. Another text translated into Armenian early on, and also in the 5th-century,

17952-494: Was succeeded by three children ( Babgen , Vasak-Ichkhanik and Achot ) that ruled jointly. Babgen fought with Grigor-Sufan and killed him (sometime in 849–851) but Babgen died shortly after (851) and Vasak-Ichkhanik (Vasak IV) followed him. Vasak-Ichkhanik had peaceful relations with Vasak-Gabor , who had ascended to the throne of Western Syunik, replacing his father Grigor-Sufan. Nerseh Pilippean , brother of Babgen, directed (822–23) an expedition to Aghuania defeating and killing

18088-487: Was succeeded by two nephews (the children of his sister and a Prince Achot) called Sembat and Grigor (1019–1084). During his periods Syunik was vassal of Great Seljuk Empire . Grigor was married with the princess Chahandoukht, daughter of Sevada of Aghuania . The only successor to the two princes, was a daughter of Grigor's called Chahandoukht . Rule passed to the prince of Aghuania, Seneqerim Ioan who governed both territories from 1084 until his death in 1105. Seneqerim Ioan

18224-666: Was the Armenian Alexander Romance . The vocabulary of the language has historically been influenced by Western Middle Iranian languages , particularly Parthian ; its derivational morphology and syntax were also affected by language contact with Parthian, but to a lesser extent. Contact with Greek, Persian , and Syriac also resulted in a number of loanwords. There are two standardized modern literary forms, Eastern Armenian (spoken mainly in Armenia) and Western Armenian (spoken originally mainly in modern-day Turkey and, since

18360-782: Was the Siunia dynasty , beginning in the 1st century. The first known nakharar ruler was Valinak Siak (c. 330) and his successor was his brother Andok or Andovk (Antiochus, c. 340). In 379, Babik (Bagben) the son of Andok, was re-established as a nakharar by the Mamikonian family. Babik had a sister called Pharantzem who had married the Arsacid Prince Gnel , nephew of the Armenian King Arsaces II (Arshak II) and later married Arsaces II as her second husband. Babik's rule lasted for less than ten years and by about 386 or 387, Dara

18496-569: Was the scientific name proposed by Achille Valenciennes in 1856, who described a skin and skull from a leopard killed near Smyrna , in western Anatolia. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several naturalists described leopard zoological specimens from the Middle East: In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Anatolian leopard was considered a distinct leopard subspecies that occurred only in western Turkey. The leopard specimens available in zoological museum collections do not differ significantly in

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