Kachaghakaberd

Qaxaç qalası / Kachaghakaberd
Azerbaijani: Qaxaç qalası
Armenian: Կաչաղակաբերդ
Location Meshali, Khojali, Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (de jure)
Lesnoy, Ivanyan, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Republic of Artsakh (de facto)
Type Fortress, in the Principality of Khachen
Completion date 9th century

Kachaghakaberd (Armenian: Կաչաղակաբերդ, Azerbaijani: Qaxaç qalası) is a mountain-top fortress in the Martakert Province of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic within Azerbaijan, where it lies in the Tartar Rayon.[1]

Architecture

The fortress was an important fortification of the medieval Armenian Principality of Khachen that thrived in the High Middle Ages [2] and is located at a height of more than 1700 meters, surrounded by vertical limestone cliffs with the heights of 50–60 meters, has a hard-to-reach entrance from the southern side of the fortress. During its history no one could ever storm the fortress. Parts of the defensive walls remain standing.[3]

The territory of the fortress occupies a large area, though it seems small. Many rooms, secret passages cut into the cliffs, and special "loopholes" for throwing stones at enemies are inside its territory.[4] The water supply problem was solved by a unique method: two rock-cut reservoirs to store rain and melt-water are in the center of the fortress. Fresh water was brought from a spring at the foot of the mountain.[5]

Etymology

Kachaghakaberd is translated from Armenian as magpie's fortress, a combination of the words կաչաղաք (kachaghak, designating the bird magpie) and բերդ (berd, meaning fortress).[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Качагакаберд".
  2. ↑ Bonnie Marshall. The Flower of Paradise and Other Armenian Tales (World Folklore Series). 2007. photo section
  3. ↑ Boris Baratov. Paradise Laid Waste: A Journey to Karabakh, Lingvist Publishers, Moscow, 1998, pp. 50
  4. ↑ Shahen Mkrtchian. Historical and Architectural Monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh. pp. 10, 21, 25. Yerevan, 1989, in Russian. Original: Шаген Мкртчян. Историко-архитектурные памятники Нагорного Карабаха. стр. 10, 21, 25. Ереван, 1989
  5. ↑ Brady Kiesling (Author), Raffi Kojian (Author, Editor). Rediscovering Armenia. Publisher: Matit; 2nd edition (June 1, 2005), ISBN 9994101218; ISBN 978-9994101214
  6. ↑ Brady Kiesling (Author), Raffi Kojian (Author, Editor). Rediscovering Armenia. Publisher: Matit; 2nd edition (June 1, 2005), ISBN 9994101218; ISBN 978-9994101214
  7. ↑ Shahen Mkrtchian. Historical and Architectural Monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh. pp. 10, 21, 25. Yerevan, 1989, in Russian. Original: Шаген Мкртчян. Историко-архитектурные памятники Нагорного Карабаха. стр. 10, 21, 25. Ереван, 1989

Coordinates: 40°00′24″N 46°35′57″E / 40.0067°N 46.5992°E / 40.0067; 46.5992

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