Smbataberd

Smbataberd ( ) is a medieval fortress located upon the crest of a hill between the villages of Artabuynk and Yeghegis in the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. It may have existed as early as the 5th century or earlier, although other sources date it to the 9th to 11th centuries. Its large basalt walls have been well preserved, but much less remains of the structures inside the fortress. It served as the main fortress of the Armenian princes of Syunik when Yeghegis was the seat of the rulers of that province. It was further expanded in the 13th century under the Orbelian dynasty. It is now a notable tourist site in Vayots Dzor.

== Name == Smbataberd means "fortress of Smbat" in Armenian and has traditionally been called by this name by the inhabitants of the area. The construction and name of Smbataberd are traditionally connected with the 10th-century prince Smbat of the Syuni dynasty. According to another view, the local inhabitants gave the fortress this name because the Orbelian ruler Smbat () is buried nearby in the settlement of Yeghegis. Scholar Ghevont Alishan considered the name to be purely folkloric in origin and referred to the fortress by the name of the nearby monastery of Tsaghats Kar. The name Smbataberd has sometimes been used to refer to the fortress and Yeghegis taken together, although they are separated by 1–2 kilometers.