Derik Fortress Stronghold :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Derik Fortress Stronghold

Iran / Western Atrpatakan / Salmast / Derik

Location

The fortress is situated 0.6 km west of Derik Village (N 38º 13°52.41°°; E 044º34°32.61°°), west of the monastery of the same name, north of some mineral springs running in a level plain: “There is a ruined fortress at the top of a mountain opposite the village.”

Ավէրօիս /Հովհաննես վարդ. Բաղչյան/, Ճանապարհորդական յիշողութիւններս Պարսկաստանից և Տաճկաստանից (Ջուղայից մինչև Մուշ) [Averois /Archimandrite Hovhannes Baghchian/, “My Travel Memories of Persia and Turkey (from Jugha to Moush)”], «Արաքս» [Arax], no. 1 (1893), p. 26. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 127.

Historical Introduction

G. Sev-Yeritsian, a journalist who visited Derik Monastery in November 1893, speaks about this fortress in his account of this journey: “We [he was accompanied by the prominent Armenian hayduk Sevkaretsy Sako] saw four man-made caves on an elevation on the left side of the huge, perpendicular gorge of Jahandam Dara overlooking the river, at the extremity of the village. ... We entered these caves which looked like rooms and were called Hunter Avo’s Cabin. Sargis [Sevkaretsy Sako] particularly showed me two of them, each with a tonir dug into the rock. Right of these caves, a lofty, rocky mountain rose, with a semi-ruined fortress at its top.... A road that was partly subterranean and partly arched connected the fortress with the stream which once provided it with water. There is another ruined fortress, once serving as a safe shelter like the first one, on the territory of Derik: it is at the top of Mount Jermak [also mentioned as Mount Spitak], which is opposite the monastery, to the east.... At the peak of this mountain, another large cavern can be seen with a running spring of cool water inside it.”

Tjanaparhord, “Letters from Persia,” Nor-Dar, no. 22, 8 February 1894, p. 2. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 127.

A record of 1906 states: “A little far from the hot mineral springs, to the north, the picturesque gorge of Dushman Dara (Gorge of the Enemy) lies, with a stream sharing its name flowing there. The immense, rocky Dushman Dagh (Enemy Mountain) rises on the bank of this small river, with a fortress of the same name at its top: it is in ruins ... only several cells of stone being preserved there.”

Seyri, “Derik or towards Immortality,” Hasker, nos. 8-9 (August-September 1906), pp. 289-290. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 127.

Name Origin

The fortress (also mentioned as Derik Ghalasi or Derik Kalasi) is named after the neighbouring village of Derik.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 127.

Description

The fortress used to be enclosed within ramparts (thickness: a metre) laid with stones of different dimensions, without mortar. Their southern and western sections extend in a straight row, apparently, for making the fortress even more impregnable (the fortress of Minas Village has similar ramparts). Inside the fortress, a wall is preserved to a height of a metre: it is laid with regularly-cut, rectangular stones, without mortar. At present the site of the fortress still retains the ruins of some rooms, its south-eastern tower and the first row of its ramparts. These ruins are scattered all over the mountain slopes, at different heights. The remnants of two other rooms can be seen on the southern slope of the mountain. Their walls, 92 cm thick, are laid without mortar, like those of the other structures of the fortress (also like those of the aforementioned fortress near Minas Village, Salmast District)—something probably typical of Urartian architecture. In one of the rooms, the walls are covered with plaster, with some bricks in their masonry. These structures were destroyed during the “excavations” carried out by treasure-hunters. The ruins of a watch-house and some annexes can be seen west of the top of the mountain. The site of the fortress also preserves some pottery pieces.

Ahrenjani, p. 122. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 127.

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Derik Kalasi