Bjni Fortress

Name: Bjni Fortress
Monument type: Fortress
Region: Kotayk Province
Periods: Medieval

Name: Bjni Fortress

Monument type: Fortress

Region: Kotayk

Community: Charentsavan

Residence: Bjni village

Location: It is located on the eastern side of the village of Bjni, on the promontory, on the right bank of the Hrazdan River.

Preservation: Some parts of the walls, towers, secret passage, foundations of the church and other structures have been preserved.

Coordinates: 40°27’39” N 44°39’16” E

Altitude: 1540 m

Era and chronology: The fortress dates back to the High and Late Middle Ages, X-XVII centuries.

Bjni Fortress: Layers of History Unfolding Before Your Eyes

Step into the pages of history and immerse yourself in the mysteries of Bjni Fortress.
Whether you’re a history enthusiast, an adventure seeker, or simply looking for a breathtaking escape, this ancient wonder in the Kotayk region promises an unforgettable journey through the past.

Here, time itself is etched into the very stones beneath your feet and those ancient walls are ready to share their tales with anyone who is willing to keep its secrets.

Perched on a promontory overlooking the picturesque Hrazdan River at an altitude of 1540 meters,, the Bjni Fortress stands as a testament to Armenia’s rich history and medieval grandeur. Located on the eastern side of the village of Bjni, this ancient stronghold has captured the imaginations of history buffs and adventure seekers alike.

Bjni Fortress spans the annals of time, with its origins tracing back to the High and Late Middle Ages, from the 10th to the 17th centuries. But it was during the 10th century that the fortress underwent a transformative rebirth at the hands of the Princes of Pahlavuni who undertook the task of transforming this ancient structure into a powerful fortress. This is how Bjni became an integral part of the defense system safeguarding the Armenian capital of Ani from northern threats.

Despite countless misfortunes and tragedies, Bjni still stands strong and proud. It witnessed the rise and fall of kingdoms, the capture by Seljuk-Turks, and its eventual liberation by Ivane and Zakare Zakaryan. The village even faced the wrath of Timur Lenk’s raids in the 14th century.

The fortress’s natural impregnability is a sight to behold. Its northern side boasts powerful and pyramidal walls, stretching over 120 meters, with the main gate as its focal point. The southern part, facing the rural landscape, is also fortified, concealing a vaulted secret passage leading to the Hrazdan River. Gravity-fed water, sourced from the top of the rock, and a walled cistern hint at the castle’s resourceful engineering.

Walking through this fortress feels like peeling centuries of History through a time machine.

The Great (Upper) fortress boasts a 9th-10th century St. Cross church, a 10th-century reservoir, and a civil building from the same era. The Lower Fort, dating from the 10th to the 18th centuries, hides secrets within its walls, including a mysterious secret passage. There are multi-layers of industrial and residential complexes that span the 10th to 15th centuries.

Bjni has yielded a trove of historical artifacts, from glazed and unglazed pottery to metal, glass, stone weapons, jewelry, and everyday objects. Each discovery adds a layer to the captivating narrative of this ancient fortress and provides insights into the lives of those who once called this place home.

As with any place steeped in history, legends abound. One intriguing tale tells of a secret passage leading to St. Astvatsatsin Church, adding an air of mystique to the already enchanting Bjni Fortress.

FACTS

❈ The Bjni Fortress, perched at 1540 meters overlooking the Hrazdan River, is a testament to Armenia’s rich medieval history and grandeur.

❈ Dating from the 10th to the 17th centuries, the fortress was transformed into a powerful stronghold by the Princes of Pahlavuni, protecting the Armenian capital of Ani from northern threats.

❈ Despite enduring numerous challenges, including capture by Seljuk-Turks and raids by Timur Lenk, Bjni still stands strong with its natural impregnability and resourceful engineering.

❈ The fortress is divided into the Great (Upper) fortress, featuring a St. Cross church and historical artifacts, and the Lower Fort, with multiple layers of industrial and residential complexes spanning centuries.

❈ Legends, like a secret passage to St. Astvatsatsin Church, add mystique to the captivating history of Bjni Fortress, making it
a must-visit for history buffs and adventurers.

🔍 Research history

The first archaeological excavations in Bjni were carried out in 1929 by the expedition of the Antiquities Protection Committee. The expedition of the Yerevan State University (led by I. Gharibyan) began ancient site exploration and excavation in 1977-1988. The YSU expedition continued cleaning and excavating the fortress during 2003-2004. The walls of the fortress the foundations of the secular building and the adjacent structure, the church basis were restored, the reservoir and the beginning of the underground road were fixed in 2007-2008. Now Bjni is a historical and cultural reserve and is under the care of “Service for the Preservation of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-reservations” SNOC.

🧱 Archaeological description

Location
The fortress of Bjni is divided into two parts: the Great (Upper) fortress, which includes the following monuments: St. Cross church IX-X century, reservoir – X century, civil building – X century; and the Lower Fort, X-XVIII centuries, with a secret passage with the X, X-XV century industrial and residential multi-layered complexes.

Architecture
The first reference to Bjni was done by the V century historian Gazar Parpetsi. Since the X century, its history has been connected with the Pahlavunis’ ministerial house, who rebuilt and turned it into their fortress city. Bjni was the domain of the famous Armenian scientist and politician Grigor Magistros in the XI century. After the fall of the Bagratuni kingdom (1045), Grigor Magistros forcibly ceded Bjni and other domains to Byzantium in exchange for the estates he received in Mesopotamia. Bjni was captured by the Seljuk-Turks in 1072 and handed over to the Shaddadians. At the beginning of the XIII century, Ivane and Zakare Zakaryan liberated Bjni, which became Ivane Zakaryan’s official residence. The village was subjected to Timur Lenk’s raids in 1387-1388. The fortress was destroyed and abandaned in the XVI-XVII centuries. In 1673 a French traveler Chardin stayed here. A French traveler Tournefort visited Bjni as well in 1770. Due to the natural impregnability of the rock, only the northern side of the castle was protected by about 120m width powerful and pyramidal walls with the main gate located in it. Such fences, also stretched 115m sq along the southern, rural part of the lower castle; the arched entrance to the vaulted secret passage going down to the Hrazdan River is near it. The castle was supplied with water rising from the top of the rock by the gravity force, and a walled cistern was built to supply it. The vaulted cistern built of basalt stones and plastered with lime mortar (probably served as a granary in later centuries) was found in the Great Castle. The secret passage with a vaulted and arched entrance leading to the Hrazdan River was built on the south-western side of the Small or Lower Fort, at the fence line.

🔨 Findings

Many examples of glazed and unglazed pottery, metal, glass, stone weapons, jewelry, household objects.

🌍 Significance

Princes of Pahlavuni rebuilt the ancient fortress in the X century turning it into a powerful fortress, one of the most important strongholds of the defense system guarding the Armenian capital of Ani from the north.

📜 Traditional legends

According to the legend, one of the branches of the secret passage reached St. Astvatsatsin Church.

📚 Sources

Literature

M. Hovhannesyan 1970, Fortresses of Armenia, Venice-St. Lazar, 745 pages.
I. Gharibyan 2004, Excavations of the medieval fortress of Bjni, Current state of Armenian studies and development prospects,
conference reports, Yerevan, pp. 228-236.
I. Gharibyan, H. Hakobyan 2005, Bjnii 2003-2004 preliminary results of the study, Culture of Ancient Armenia, XIII, p. 213-220.
I. Gharibyan, H. Hakobyan 2005, Bjni ancient site, Monument yearbook, C, pp. 103-118.