Baylakan :: ARTSAKH LOCATIONS

Monuments

NKR (Country) / Baylakan (District) / Baylakan (District Centre)

Historical Introduction
20 c․

In spite of its rich history and numerous references and indications contained in a number of Armenian and foreign sources, the location of Baylakan was unknown up to the 30-ies of the XX cent. Makar Bishop Barkhutariants identified it with the Bayat fortress: “The ruined site of Belukan in the left side of Gargar, which is now called Bayeat...”, while the historian Leo noted: “The district received its name after the city Paytakaran, mentioned for a number of times, but it is impossible to determine its place.”

M. Bishop Barkhutariants, Artsakh, Baku, 1895, p. 28.
Leo, Selected Works, vol. I, Yerevan, 1966, p. 160 (in Arm.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 219:

1933 y․

The researches at the site Eoranghala situated between the villages Kabrli and Khachinstroy, Baylakan District, which began in 1933 and lasted many long decades provided the exhaustive answer to the problem of the topography of Baylakan or Belukan.

On the location of Baylakan: "The place of the confluence of the (Araxes S. K.) and Kura. and Baylakan is situated between them" ("The Arab Sources on Armenia and Neighboring Countriws", vol. 3, Yerevan, 1965, p. 69, 171 and note N 114 on p. 148).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 219.

Foundation

Over the whole period of its existence, Baylakan had especial significance in the history of Armenia.
In conformity with the Arab sources the city was established by the Persian king Kavat (488-496, or 498/9-531), meanwhile other records come to prove that Kavat might be only the reconstructor but nor the founder of the city.

Particularly, Ibn-al-Asir informed: "Then Kavat reached them and built the city of Baylakan in Aran..." (Ibn-al- Asir, p. 40) (in Arm.), or "... Its founder was king Kavat, before taking over Arminia. Some people say that the founder was Baylakan, the son of Konan, the son of Lanta, the son of Arman" ("The Arab Sources on Armenia and Neighboring Countries", vol. 3, Yerevan, 1965, p. 40); or "After displacing the Khazars and reachimg his army commanders Kobaz caused to build the cities of Baylakan and Bardaa in Aran." (Ibid, p. 17.) (in Arm.). Numerous investigators identified Baylakan with the Armenian city of Paytakaran, mentioned in a number of historical records. Based on the complex study of the sources B. Harutyunian exculed this possibility (see his article "The city of Paytakaran and its Location", "LPS" , 1981, N 12, p. 61-76).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 219.

Historical Introduction
9 c․

Arab sources of the middle of the IX cent, mention also the province of Baylakan. It deserves a note that for the time being the province included the fortress of Ktish (presently, a site near the village Tegh, Hadrut district), situated in the Mountainous Karabakh. “Then Bugha went against Isa-ibn Yusuf (Yesayee Abu-Muse, S. K.) who was in the fortress of Ktish (Katish), in the province of Baylakan.”

Ibn-Al-Asir, Yerevan, 1981, p. 159.
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 219.

1221 y․

Baylakan was in disastrous situation in 1221, due to the Tatar-Mongol invasion when “the Tatars attacked, combated and then took over the city by the might of sword (on the month of Ramadan of 618) (Oct. 30 - Nov. 28) and massacred, leaving nobody alive, sparing neither small, nor old, nor women...”- witnessed the Arab historian. In regard of these events, the historian noted also that “they reached the city of Baylakan in the land of Aran, which they besieged and took, they slaughtered the residents to the extent of genocide.” It deserves mentioning although the city was burnt by the Mongols, it was not totally deserted and was reinhabited when the invaders left: “the Tatars came and killed everybody who was within their reach, plundered, then burnt the city. When they left, the refugees returned and resettled there”, witnessed the historian. A year later Baylakan was taken by allied Armenian-Georgian troops.

Ibn-Al-Asir, Yerevan, 1981, pp. 303,307; "The Arab Sources...", vol. 3, p. 40. The opinion of H. Manandian that "The large city of Aran Baylakan was totallydestroyed in 1221 and never revived again" (The Critical Survey of the History of Amenia, vol. 3, Yerevan, 1952, p. 257) (in Arm.) is not grounded. H. Manandian that "The large city of Aran Baylakan was totally destroyed in 1221 and never revived again" (The Critical Survey of the History of Amenia, vol. 3, Yerevan, 1952, p. 186) (in Arm.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 234:

1246 y․

The large inscription of Gtich monastery composed in 1246 mentioned the city of Belukan among the settlements subject to the monastery as taxpayers. «...ԴԻԶԱԿՈ ԲԷԼՈՒԿԱՆ ԻՒՐ ԿԵՐՈՎՆ...»։ “BELUKAN OF DIZAK WITH ITS PROPER-TY “ In this respect I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that in the records of the IX cent, the fortress of Ktish (Gtich) was mentioned as situated within the province of Baylakan, while in the XIII century already Baylakan was subject to the province of Dizak. That is to say, Baylakan had lost its significance of the administrative center of the region, giving place to Dizak.

"Divan of Armenian Epigraphic", issue 5, Yerevan 1982, p. 183.
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 220.

15 c․

For the last time Baylakan was mentioned in the travel notes left by Spanish traveler Rui Gonzales di Clavijo in the beginning of the XV cent. “... Timur uses to come to the field where he would pass the wintertime beforehand. And actually, recently he ordered to build a city (called Beylagan) in the place, which had already 20,000 inhabitants.”

Hovh. Hakobian, The Travel Notes, vol. A, Yerevan, 1932, p. 129 (in Arm.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 220.

Description
20 c․

Absence of any records in the late medieval period is in itself a sufficient proof to the fact that the city ceased to exist, its name was lost, and presently there are only ruins.

Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 220.

Like many other towns and regions of the historical Hayots Arevelits Koghmants (i.e. Eastern Outskirts of Armenia - the provinces of Artsakh and Utik) after the establishment of the Soviet power the site of Baylakan mainly known under its current Turkish name Eoranghala, also occurred within the borders of Azerbaijan. As we have already mentioned, the excavations here began in 1930. Archaeological research of the site was conducted by the Azerbaijanian scientists, that represented the samples of material culture found in the site either as “Albanian”, or “Azerbaijanian.”

I. M. Jafar-zade, Account of the Excavations of the City Gate of Oren-Kala in 1933; or his Archaeological Excavations of the City Orenkala in 1951, Works of the Institute of History and Philosophy, vol. 4, Baku, 1954 (in Russian).
N. V. Minkevich-Mustafayeva, On the Craftsmen Quarters of Baylakan, "Soviet Archaeology", 1958, N 4; A. L. Yakobson, Excavations in the City of Oren-Kala in 1953-1955, "Works of the Azerbaijanian (the Oren-Kala) Expedition." vol. 1, MIA USSR, N 67 M-L, 1959.
I. Najafova, Rare Sample of the Azerbaijanian Fine Polished Earthenware from the Excavations of Oren-Kala and Old Ganja, "Bulletin of the AS of AzSSR", 1959, N. 4, p. 15-25; I. G. Akhmedov, The Baylakan City Wall of the Late Period, "Bulletin of the AS of AzSSR", 1962, N 6, p. 17-31.
V. P. Fomenko, Artifacts of Glass of the VIII-X cent in the City of Orenkala, "Bulletin of the AS of AzSSR", 1962, N 7, p. 31-41 (in Russian).
G. M. Akhmedov, Orengala, Baku, 1962 (in Azrb.) and his On the Timur Wall of Baylakan, Works of the Azerbaijanian Expedition. N 125, M.-L. 1965 (in Russian).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 220.

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Belukan
Baylagan
Eoranghala