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1,000-YEAR-OLD MUSLIM MAUSOLEUM DISCOVERED IN ARMENIA
by Karina Manukyan
ARMINFO
Thursday, October 17, 16:49
A 1,000-year-old Muslim mausoleum has been discovered in the territory
of Dvin, one of the capital cities of ancient Armenia.
Pavel Avetisyan, Director of the Institute of Archaeology and
Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, has told ArmInfo
that the mausoleum dates back to circa XI-XII cc. AD. "We think that
it must have been a large structure consisting of 4 parts with domes
and entrances", he said. According to him, such mausoleums had became
popular in West Asia since the times of Seljuks. Archaeologists have
discovered only a part of the mausoleum so far.
The ancient city of Dvin was built by Khosrov III of Greater Armenia
in 335 on a site of an ancient settlement and fortress from the 3rd
millennium BC. Since then, the city had been used as the primary
residence of the Armenian Kings of the Arsacid dynasty. After the
fall of the Armenian Kingdom in 428, Dvin became the residence of
Sassanid appointed marzpans (governors), Byzantine kouropalates and
later Umayyad and Abbasid appointed ostikans (governors).
On January 6, 642 the Arabs stormed and took the city of Dvin,
slaughtered 12,000 of its inhabitants and carried 35,000 into slavery.
Under Arsacid rule, Dvin prospered as one of the most populous and
wealthiest cities east of Constantinople. Its welfare continued
even after the partition of Armenia between Romans and Sassanid
Persians, and eventually it became a target during the height of
the Arab invasions. According to Sebeos and Catholicos John V the
Historian, Dvin was captured in 640 during the reign of Constans II
and Catholicos Ezra. The Arabs called the city Dabil. Despite the fact
that Dvin was a battleground between Arabs and Byzantine forces for
the next two centuries, in the 9th century, it was still a flourishing
city. Frequent earthquakes and continued Arab oppression led to the
decline of the city from the beginning of the 10th century. During a
major earthquake in 893, the city was destroyed, along with most of
its 70,000 inhabitants. The Byzantines conquered Armenia along with
Dvin in 1045 from the Bagratunis. In 1064, the Seljuks occupied the
city. The Kurdish Shaddadids ruled the city as Seljuk vassals until
the Georgian King George III conquered the city in 1173. In 1201-1203,
during the reign of Queen Tamar, the city was again under Georgian
rule. In 1236, the city was completely destroyed by Mongols.
by Karina Manukyan
ARMINFO
Thursday, October 17, 16:49
A 1,000-year-old Muslim mausoleum has been discovered in the territory
of Dvin, one of the capital cities of ancient Armenia.
Pavel Avetisyan, Director of the Institute of Archaeology and
Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, has told ArmInfo
that the mausoleum dates back to circa XI-XII cc. AD. "We think that
it must have been a large structure consisting of 4 parts with domes
and entrances", he said. According to him, such mausoleums had became
popular in West Asia since the times of Seljuks. Archaeologists have
discovered only a part of the mausoleum so far.
The ancient city of Dvin was built by Khosrov III of Greater Armenia
in 335 on a site of an ancient settlement and fortress from the 3rd
millennium BC. Since then, the city had been used as the primary
residence of the Armenian Kings of the Arsacid dynasty. After the
fall of the Armenian Kingdom in 428, Dvin became the residence of
Sassanid appointed marzpans (governors), Byzantine kouropalates and
later Umayyad and Abbasid appointed ostikans (governors).
On January 6, 642 the Arabs stormed and took the city of Dvin,
slaughtered 12,000 of its inhabitants and carried 35,000 into slavery.
Under Arsacid rule, Dvin prospered as one of the most populous and
wealthiest cities east of Constantinople. Its welfare continued
even after the partition of Armenia between Romans and Sassanid
Persians, and eventually it became a target during the height of
the Arab invasions. According to Sebeos and Catholicos John V the
Historian, Dvin was captured in 640 during the reign of Constans II
and Catholicos Ezra. The Arabs called the city Dabil. Despite the fact
that Dvin was a battleground between Arabs and Byzantine forces for
the next two centuries, in the 9th century, it was still a flourishing
city. Frequent earthquakes and continued Arab oppression led to the
decline of the city from the beginning of the 10th century. During a
major earthquake in 893, the city was destroyed, along with most of
its 70,000 inhabitants. The Byzantines conquered Armenia along with
Dvin in 1045 from the Bagratunis. In 1064, the Seljuks occupied the
city. The Kurdish Shaddadids ruled the city as Seljuk vassals until
the Georgian King George III conquered the city in 1173. In 1201-1203,
during the reign of Queen Tamar, the city was again under Georgian
rule. In 1236, the city was completely destroyed by Mongols.