Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan (, Western Armenian pronunciation: Vasbouragan) was the eighth province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered on Lake Van. Located in what is now southeastern Turkey and northwestern Iran, the region is considered to be the cradle of Armenian civilization.
Key facts
- Former Subdivision.native_name
- VaspurakanՎասպուրական
- Former Subdivision.common_name
- Vaspurakan
- Former Subdivision.subdivision
- Province
- Former Subdivision.nation
- the ancient kingdom of Armenia
- Former Subdivision.year_start
- 189 BC
- Former Subdivision.year_end
- 428 AD
- Former Subdivision.capital
- Van
- Former Subdivision.event_start
- Artaxias I declaring himself independent
- Former Subdivision.event_end
- Annexed by Sassanid Empire
- Former Subdivision.today
- Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Name
- History
- Cantons (Gavars)
- Sites of interest
- Notable people
- Gallery
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
Vaspurakan (, Western Armenian pronunciation: Vasbouragan) was the eighth province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered on Lake Van. Located in what is now southeastern Turkey and northwestern Iran, the region is considered to be the cradle of Armenian civilization.
== Name == The name Vaspurakan is of Iranian origin. It is related of the Middle Persian word vāspuhr, meaning "senior, heir, prince". In Middle Persian, vāspuhrakān referred to the top nobility of the Sasanian Empire. In Armenian, vaspurakan was also rarely used as an adjective meaning "noble"; for example, vaspurakan gund ("army/troop of nobles"). Thus, Vaspurakan can be translated as "noble land" or "land of princes". Alternative interpretations of the name include "having a special position" or "royal domain". Armenologist Heinrich Hübschmann considered it likely that the name originated as a shortening of the koghmn Vaspurakan Gndin ("land of the army/troop of nobles") mentioned by the 7th-century historian Sebeos.