Dvin (ancient city)
 Drawing of the central square of the ancient Armenian capital city of Dvin. The main cathedral of St. Grigor (3rd–5th century), with a small church of St. Sarkis to the right (6th century), and the residence of the Catholicos on the left (5th century) | |
| Location | Southwest of the Dvin village; between Hnaberd and Verin Dvin, Ararat Province, Armenia |
|---|---|
| History | |
| Builder | King Khosrov III |
| Founded | 4th century |
| Abandoned | 1236 |
Dvin was a large commercial city and the capital of early medieval Armenia. It was situated north of the previous ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Artaxata, along the banks of the Metsamor River, 35 km to the south of modern Yerevan. The site of the ancient city is currently not much more than a large hill located between modern Hnaberd (just off the main road through Hnaberd) and Verin Dvin, Armenia. Excavations at Dvin since 1937 have produced a lot of materials, which have shed light on the Armenian culture of the 5th to the 13th centuries.
In the 1045 attack (Battle of Dvin), Byzantine forces were under Constantine IX Monomachos. The Byzantines assembled a large force under the command of Michael Iasites and Constantine the Alan and allied with Armenians under the command of Vahram Pahlawuni and Liparit Orbelean.
To defend the city, Abu'l-Aswar flooded the surrounding fields, limiting the attacking army's mobility and causing it to fall victim to defenders' arrows.
References
[change | change source]- Minorsky, Vladimir (1977) [1953]. Studies in Caucasian History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-05735-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=Pzg8AAAAIAAJ.
- Ter-Ghewondyan, Aram (1976). The Arab Emirates in Bagratid Armenia. Transl. Nina G. Garsoïan. Lisbon: Livraria Bertrand. OCLC 490638192. http://rbedrosian.com/Ref/Aeba/aebatoc.html.