Dashtadem Fortress

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

Name: Dashtadem Fortress

Other nomination: Inner Talin’s Castle

Monument type: Castle

Region: Aragatsotn

Community: Talin

Residence: Village of Dashtadem

Location: It is on the southern edge of Dashtadem village located on the wide plateau extending on the southeastern side of Arten mountain. It has a dominant position over the Ararat valley from the northwestern part.

Preservation: Partially restored

Coordinates: 40°20’18.4″N 43°51’24.8″E

Elevation : 1450 m

Era and chronology: High Middle Ages, from the X-XI centuries until the XIX century.

Dashtadem Fortress: A Key Stop of the Silk Road

As you stand within the ancient walls of Dashtadem Fortress, you can’t help but feel transported through time. The whispers of centuries past reverberate through its halls, and the artifacts uncovered during excavations offer glimpses into the lives and aspirations of those who once called this fortress home.

Perched atop the Ararat valley, with its labyrinthine passageways and sacred chambers, Dashtadem Fortress invites you to explore the pages of Armenian history. It is a must-visit destination for anyone with a passion for culture, history, and the enduring legacy of the past.

In the heart of the rugged Aragatsotn region of Armenia, overlooking the majestic Ararat valley stands proudly the Dashtadem Fortress. Situated in the village of Dashtadem within the community of Talin, this captivating relic from the High Middle Ages traces back its roots to the 10th and 11th centuries and extends through the centuries until the 19th century. As one of the ruling centers of the Zakaryans, it played a pivotal role in Armenian history.

Beyond its historical significance, the fortress has left its mark on the Silk Road, serving as a vital waypoint along the Dvin-Ani route. Its strategic location along this ancient trade route is evident in the archaeological collections found within its walls, echoing the bustling commerce and cultural exchange of bygone eras.

Dashtadem Fortress is a masterpiece of medieval Armenian fortification. The complex consists of a medieval castle enclosed by a massive outer wall, constructed at the dawn of the 19th century. The castle, the core of this architectural wonder, comprises a citadel, an inner courtyard, a palace church, and various structures of historical and economic significance.

The citadel, with its polygonal and semi-circular towers, is the heart of the complex. A walled building with a rectangular outline dominates the citadel, accessible only through its southern entrance. Inside, a passageway leads to the stepped roof, adorned with three skylights for internal lighting. A secret passage within the structure adds an air of intrigue.

The palace church, nestled in the northeastern corner of the enclosure, is a single-nave vaulted structure with a semi-circular apse. It once resonated with prayers and hymns, bearing witness to the spiritual life of the fortress.

The archaeological explorations at Dashtadem Fortress have revealed three cultural layers spanning from the 12th to the 20th centuries. The most prominent phase in its history is linked to the Zakaryans, a princely house whose legacy is well-preserved in the architectural structures, lithographs, and archaeological treasures found within the complex.

In the 19th century, the fortress took on a new role as a military base during the Russo-Persian conflicts, further underscoring its strategic importance.

In recent years, efforts have been made to preserve and restore Dashtadem Fortress, ensuring that its history and architectural wonders are safeguarded for future generations. The Foundation for the Preservation of Cultural Assets of the US Ambassadors undertook a project in 2015 to protect this historical gem.

FACTS

❈ Dashtadem Fortress, located in Armenia’s Aragatsotn region, dates back to the 10th and 11th centuries and extends through the 19th century.

❈ It was a vital center of the Zakaryans and played a significant role in Armenian history.

❈ The fortress was a key waypoint on the Silk Road’s Dvin-Ani route, evident in its archaeological collections.

❈ It boasts medieval Armenian fortifications, including a citadel, palace church, and various structures.

❈ Archaeological findings reveal layers of history from the 12th to the 20th centuries, with the Zakaryans’ legacy well-preserved. Efforts to preserve and restore the
fortress have been underway in recent years.

🔍 Research history

H. Shahkhatunyants (topographer, mid XIX century), Gh. Alisha (historian-geographer, 19th century), T. Toramanian (architect, XX century), H. Yeghiazaryan (historian-archaeologist, mid-20th century), E. Asatryan (archaeologist, 1989-1990), Armenian-Italian expedition (2005-2006), Armenian-French expedition (2008, 2011-2012), A. Babajanyan (archaeologist, from 2015 to now).

🧱 Archaeological description

Dashtadem Fortress is one of the unique complexes of the Armenian fortification system. It consists of a medieval castle enclosed with a large outer wall built at the beginning of the XIX century. Outside the castle, on the south side, extends the countryside.

There are few written sources on the foundation and history of the fortress. The first dated source is the Arabic inscription preserved on the southwest tower of the citadel, according to which Sultan ibn Mahmud ibn Shavur Shaddadyan established this building in September, 1174. The second key source is the Armenian protocol dated back to 1307 stating about Aghpugha Zakaryan’s exemption of his Talin settlement from the wine tax. Fragments of more than a dozen lithographs were found during the excavations.

As a result of the excavations carried out in the castle, three cultural layers encompassing the XII-XX centuries were validated: XII-XIV centuries, XV-XVIII centuries and XIX-XX centuries. The Zakaryans’ princely house period is the most prominent phase in the history and architecture of the whole Dashtadem complex, which is well represented with its architectural structures, lithographs, and the discovered archaeological material. Although the Zakarians had to leave the area in the XIV century caused by the Mongol invasions, during the next phase of the fortress history intensive settlement continues to rise.

Based on the state needs, Huseyn Khan of Yerevan undertakes the construction of a large outer wall and other structures and granaries in 1812. Becoming a military base during the Russo-Persian conflicts, the fortress controlled the road to Shirak in the XIX century. As a result of the Great Genocide, the emigrants from Western Armenia settled in the place of the fortress in the XX century. Settlement in the territory of the fortress continued until the beginning of the XXI century. The complex territory was finally vacated in 2015, when the Foundation for the Preservation of Cultural Assets of the US Ambassadors undertook the project for the preservation and restoration of Dashtadem Fortress.

The medieval castle consists of a citadel and an enclosure, with the palace nave church, secular monumental buildings, underground reservoirs, and other structures of economic significance between them, located in different parts of the inner courtyard. The core of the complex is the citadel equipped with polygonal and semi-circular towers, the main structure of which is the walled building with a rectangular outline. The only entrance is on the south side. Inside the structure, the passageway from the entrance placed in the center of the southeast wall and the narrow spiral staircase lead to the stepped roof of the citadel. There are three skylights longitudinally opened in the center of the roof to provide internal lighting. The secret passage has been preserved inside the walled structure. The residential sections are in the pane and horseshoe shaped towers of the citadel with the entrances opened from the roof, and the semi-circles served for defensive or auxiliary purposes. The inner enclosure with an irregular polygonal plan, with 11 semicircular towers and 2 gates, covers an area of 2,500 square meters. Some of the towers have one-way or two-way staircases.

Palace Church was excavated on the north-eastern side of the enclosure in 1989. It is a single nave vaulted structure with a semi-circular apse embedded in the outer walls. It has two entrances on the west and south facades. The southern entrance had an outer hall shaped porch.

Secular buildings – One of the two monumental buildings characteristic to the XIII-XIV centuries, is a ceremonial hall with four columns and a square plan; only its foundation walls have been preserved.

As a result of constructions and resettlement the second secular structure adjacent to the southern perimeter underwent many changes in the XV-XVIII centuries. It is an elongated rectangular building the functional significance of which is still unclear.

Reservoir and Aqueduct – To provide drinking water to the population of the medieval castle, a water supply system was built with underground reservoirs and aqueduct located in the northeast part of the castle.

Outer enclosure – The enclosure wall with a polygonal plan was constructed of rough local hard tuff stone, partly basalt and cava concrete mortar. It is reinforced with seven pointed, four-sided and one semi-circular towers. The main entrance to the fortress is from the north. The outer wall has a secret passage that led out to the west side valley.

🔨 Findings

Fragments of lithographs and khachkars (cross-stones), architectural details, pottery, metal, glass, bone, stone artifacts.

🌍 Significance

It is a classic castle built according to the Armenian medieval fortification standards, which was one of the ruling centers of the Zakaryans. As evidenced by the found archaeological collections, it occupied an important position on the Dvin-Ani route of the Silk Road – one of the transit roads passing through Armenia.

📚 Sources

Literature

Babajanyan A., Aghayan S. 2022, The architecture of the medieval fortress of Dashtadem, Journal of Social Sciences, N 2, pp. 268-286.
Toramanian T. 1948, Materials of the history of Armenian architecture, vol. 2, Yerevan, Academy of Sciences USSR ed., 307 pages.
Y. Shahkhatunians ep. 2014, Signature of the Kathoghike Church of Etchmiadzin and five provinces of Ararat, Etchmiadzin, “Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin”,
560 pages.
Babajanyan A., Aghaian S., Davtyan D., Melkonyan H. 2021, A View on Life in the Medieval Fortress at Dashtadem: Results of the 2015 and 2018
Excavation Campaigns, in Avetisyan P., Bobokhyan A. (eds), “Archaeology of Armenia in Regional Context” Yerevan, “Publishing House of the Institute of
Archaeology and Ethnography”, pp. 373-395.