Amberd Fortress

Name: Amberd Fortress
Monument type: Fortress
Region: Aragatsotn Province
Periods: Medieval

Name: Amberd fortress

Other nomination: Amberd

Monument type: Fortress

Region: Aragatsotn

Community: Ashtarak

Residence: Village Byurakan

Location: 6 km north of Byurakan, southern slope of Aragats, confluence of Anberd and Arkhashan rivers – triangular promontory

Preservation: Partially restored

Elevation: 2160 m

Era and chronology: X-XIV centuries, High Middle Ages

Amberd: the Fortress in the Clouds

As you gaze upon the craggy slopes of Aragats, the towering sentinel of Armenia’s rugged landscape, your eyes are drawn to Amberd, the glorious 10th century stronghold.
This is a place where the strength of stone meets the resilience of the human spirit, where history, architecture, and art converge in a poignant symphony.
Amberd is more than a fortress; it’s a living testament to the enduring soul of Armenia, where each stone tells a story, and each wall whispers its history to those who listen.

Perched atop a triangular promontory on the mighty southern slope of Aragats, Amberd Fortress, which translates to “Fortress in the clouds,” stands faithful to its name. This stronghold, perched 2,160 meters above sea level, is not just a structure; it’s a testament to the indomitable spirit of a people and a culture that refused to be erased from history.

Amberd’s story begins in the 10th century when it was built by the Pahlavunis. With its irregular triangular shape and sturdy walls, it quickly became one of the most formidable military strongholds in the Bagratunyats region. For centuries, it stood as a symbol of Armenian strength and resilience.
However, in 1064, the fortress was captured by the Seljuks, who transformed it into a military base. The fate of Amberd hung in the balance until 1196 when it was reclaimed by the joint Armenian-Georgian forces led by the Zakaryan brothers. The fortress was then entrusted to the Vachutians, who expanded its walls and made it their military and administrative center.
Despite its storied history, Amberd could not withstand the tide of the Mongol invasions, and in the 13th century, it fell to fire and destruction. The Vachutians were forced to abandon their stronghold, leaving behind a legacy of bravery.
But Amberd’s story doesn’t end there. In the 16th and 17th centuries, a new chapter began as an ordinary settlement replaced the castle’s ruins. And in the 20th century, restoration efforts breathed new life into the ancient stones, ensuring that the memories held within them would persist.

The architecture of Amberd is a marvel in itself. The enclosures, built strategically on the most vulnerable parts of the promontory, are adorned with semi-towers. The castle-citadel, rising with three stories of thick walls and mezzanine floors, tells the tale of the fortress’s grandeur. The Kathoghike church, established in 1026 by Vahram Pahlavuni, stands as a testament to both faith and artistry, with its central domed structure and exquisite interior details.
Nearby, the bathhouse, a vital component of the castle’s infrastructure, reveals the sophistication of medieval Armenian life. Its design, with vaulted ceilings and an intricate heating system, demonstrates a commitment to luxury and comfort. Even in the midst of fortifications and military strategy, there was room for entertainment and relaxation.
The castle’s water supply was ingeniously managed with clay pipes and reservoirs. Secret passages, carefully concealed, led to Anberdadzor in case of emergencies. And a humble chapel, though small, provided a space for spiritual reflection.

The archaeological treasures discovered within Amberd’s walls offer a glimpse into daily life in the castle. Items of war, household tools, architectural details, khachkars, pottery, metalwork, glass, and even coins bear witness to the rich history of this place, not only for Armenia but for Central Asia as well.

FACTS:

❈ Amberd Fortress, situated on the southern slope of Mount Aragats at an elevation of 2,160 meters, lives up to its name as the “Fortress in the clouds.”

❈ Constructed in the 10th century by the Pahlavunis, Amberd became a formidable military stronghold in the Bagratunyats region, symbolizing Armenian strength and resilience.

❈ In 1064, it fell to the Seljuks but was reclaimed in 1196 by Armenian-Georgian forces led by the Zakaryan brothers, who entrusted it to the Vachutians.

❈ The fortress could not withstand the Mongol invasions in the 13th century and faced destruction. It was eventually abandoned by the Vachutians.

❈ In the 16th and 17th centuries, the castle’s ruins were replaced by an ordinary settlement, and in the 20th century, restoration efforts breathed new life into the ancient stones.

❈ Amberd’s architecture features enclosures with semi-towers, a castle-citadel with three stories of thick walls, the Kathoghike church, a bathhouse, water management systems, secret passages, and a chapel.

❈ Archaeological discoveries within Amberd’s walls reveal a rich history, including items of war, household tools, architectural details, khachkars, pottery, metalwork, glass, and coins, providing insights into daily life in the castle and its broader significance for Central Asia.

🔍 Research history

S. Ter-Minasyan’s expedition (T. Toramanian, G. ex. Hovsepyan, S. Ter-Hakobyan, Taragros, 1922), H. Orbeli (orientalist, 1936), T. Izmailova (art critic, 1940s), N. Tokarsky, S. Harutyunyan (architect, archaeologist 1963-1972, 1991), G. Karakhanyan, H. Melkonyan (archaeologists, 1989).

🧱 Archaeological description

Location
The castle has an irregular triangular shape surrounded by walls having gates in the Arkhashan and Anberdadzor sections. The fortress includes the castle built on the northwestern hill, the Kathoghike church in the center of the fortified city near the Arkhashan wall, the chapel, the bathhouse, reservoirs, residential and craft buildings, and a secret passage.

Stratigraphy
It was built in the 10th century, belonged to the Pahlavunis, and was one of the powerful military strongholds of the Bagratunyats region. The Pahlavunis build the castle-citadel, most of the enclosures, the church, the bathhouse and other buildings. In 1064 the fortress was captured by the Seljuks and turned into a military base. As evidenced by the Arabic script discovered by excavations in 1965 and the lithograph of the khachkar erected in this regard in Antarut in 1200, Anberd was conquered back from the Seljuks in 1196 by the joint Armenian-Georgian forces led by Zakaryan brothers. The Zakarians hand over the fortress to the Vachutians, who enclosure the fortress-settlement with a new, more extensive wall including the entire promontory. The fortress becomes the Vachutians’ military and administrative center. As a result of the Mongol invasions, the castle caught fire and was destroyed, and the Vachutians were forced to leave. In the XIII century the last Vachutians managed to recapture Anberd before Timur Lenk’s conquests. During that period the enclosure with semi-circular towers was built across the promontory from the new gate of Arkhashan, and the fortress remained within the borders of the castle-citadel and a small area adjacent to it. In the XVI-XVII centuries, when the castle no longer existed, an ordinary settlement spread in its place. Restoration works were carried out in the 1970s, as well as in 2005-2007.

Architecture
The enclosures were built in the most vulnerable parts of the well protected promontory, completed with semi-towers. The enclosure starts from the western wall of the citadel and descends 40 m downwards, turns south at a right angle join the rocks. The other part of the wall starts from the southeast end of the promontory, bends to the northwest and continuously stretches to join the citadel. During the Zakarian period, double walls were built in the southern and western parts of the promontory. The two main gates open on the sides of Anberdadzor and Arkhashan gorge.
The castle-citadel controls the entire fortress area. It is a three-story building with thick walls and log mezzanine floors. On the west side, the outer walls are supported by semi-circular towers, the windows are only on the south side. The auxiliary rooms are on the first floor and the ceremonial stairs lead to the residential rooms on the upper floors. During the Bagratunyats period the only entrance to the citadel was from the southern side which was closed by a stone door. In the reign of the Zakarians, the second entrance was opened from the southwestern pyramid.
The Kathoghike church was built by Vahram Pahlavuni in 1026 who established the episcopal seat of Anberd province here. The church is a central domed structure with a cross inscribed in a rectangular perimeter. It is one of the first churches to have two-story vaults in four corners. The exterior is moderate. Internally cylindrical, externally 12-seated drum is decorated with a pair of pilasters with globular anchors and capitals, and crowned with a wide fluted fan-shaped pediment. An exception to the decoration of the facades is the southern one highlighted by an arched porch sitting on the columns.
The bathhouse, located near the castle and Arkhashan Gate, is important among the castle’s household structures. It is built with hewn stones, has a rectangular floor plan, where the dressing room, the swimming hall and the furnace are sequentially placed in relation to its longitudinal axis. The bathroom and the dressing room have vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, and the heating room has a vaulted ceiling. The walls were covered with waterproof lime mortar and red netting. Hot and cold water was regulated by iron pipes and bronze faucets. In Medieval Armenia, bathhouses were also places of entertainment and relaxation. One of the clowns’ skeleton who entertained the owners of Anberd fortress during their vacation was found next to the bathhouse, accompanied by a rooster’s bones.
Water supply was ensured by clay pipes; several reservoirs were also built to meet the needs of the population and livestock during the siege. The first one is on the first floor of the castle, the second is on its south side, and the third is to the west of the church in the form of an open round basin.
The castle has secret passages leading down to Anberdadzor to reach the water source in case of pipeline failure or enemy detection.
The chapel is located to the west of the bathhouse. It is a small walled building with a square plan. The only entrance is from the south side.

🔨 Findings

Everyday and luxury items used in art of war and household of the castle owners, available in the discovered archaeological collections (architectural details, khachkars (cross stones), pottery, metal, glass finds, coins) are valuable not only for the archaeology of Armenia, but for that of Central Asia as well.

🌍 Significance

It is one of Medieval Armenia’s castles with a complete and solid fortification system, which had an important role in the XI-XIII centuries during the key episodes in the history of Armenia.

📚 Sources

Harutyunyan S. 1978, Anberd, Yerevan, “Publication of the USSR Academy of Sciences”, 110 pages.
Ter-Ghevondyan A. 1971, The Arabic Inscription of Zakaria and Ivane at Anberd, Journal of Historiography, N1, pp. 185-187.
Izmailova T. 1947, Ceramics from the excavations in Anberd, Proceedings of the Oriental Department of the State Hermitage, vol. IV, p. 181-204.
Orbeli I. 1963, Bathhouse and buffoons of the XII century, Selected Works, Yerevan, “Izd. A ArmSSR”, p. 316-322.
Tokarsky N. 1961, Architecture of Armenia IV-XIV centuries, Yerevan, “Armgosizdat”, 388 p.

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