Nor Shirakan
Historical province of Greater Armenia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nor Shirakan (Armenian: Նոր Շիրական), Parskahayk (Armenian: Պարսկահայք) or Persarmenia, was the seventh province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, situated on the western shore of Lake Urmia, bordered on Adiabene and Atropatene, now in northwestern Iran.[1]
| Nor Shirakan Նոր Շիրական | |
|---|---|
| Province of Kingdom of Armenia | |
| |
| The major provinces of Greater Armenia | |
| Capital | Zarehavan |
| Subdivisions | |
| • Type | Cantons |
| • Units | 9 |
| Today part of | Iran |
Geography and significance
Parskahayk covered an area of about 11,010 km² and mainly included the northern and western coastal regions of Lake Kaputan (Urmia). As a border province, it had exceptional strategic importance, serving as the southeastern gateway of Armenian statehood. It bordered the provinces of Korchayk and Vaspurakan.[2] During the Arshakuni era, it formed the main part of the bdeshkhut of Nor Shirakan, served as the southeastern defensive stronghold of Armenian statehood, and was constantly at the center of Armenian-Persian political and cultural interactions.[3]
Administrative divisions
According to the "Ashkharhatsuyts," Parskahayk consisted of 9 cantons (gavars):
- Ayli (also called Kurichan) — center: Ayli. Located in the northwest of the province, in the valley of the Nazlu-chay River.
- Mari — center: Mari. Located in the basin of the Baranduz-chay River. The name is associated with the ancient country of the Mars (Medes).
- Traby (Trabi) — center: Nakhjavan (not to be confused with Nakhchivan of Vaspurakan). Josef Markwart substantiated that this is an ancient settlement on the shore of Lake Urmia.
- Araskh (also called Ovea) — center: Shnavkh. The etymological connection of the name with the Arax River or local dialects is discussed.
- Arna (also called Yrna) — center: Arna. This was the southern gateway of Parskahayk to Atropatakan.
- Tamber — center: Tamber. Located in the central part of the province.
- Zarehavan — center: Zarehavan. The name bears the name of Prince Zareh of the Artashesian dynasty. It was the main city of the province and an economic hub.
- Zarevand — center: Zarevand. This was a strategically important area north of Lake Urmia.
- Her — center: the city of Her (modern Khoy). This is the most influential and most historically mentioned canton of the province.[4][1]
Church structure and Assyrian influence
One of the most distinctive pages of Parskahayk's history is its ecclesiastical organization. Located adjacent to Adiabene (a center of Assyrian Christianity), the southern cantons of the province (Mari, Trabi) came under the influence of Assyrian preachers at an early period. Josef Markwart notes that for some time an Assyrian ecclesiastical administration operated here. However, according to evidence from the "Book of Letters," the bishops of Parskahayk constantly participated in Armenian church councils and dogmatically remained within the Armenian Apostolic Church, especially through the united powerful diocese of Zarevand and Her.[3][4]
Present situation
Currently, the historical territory of Parskahayk is part of the West Azerbaijan province of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite the ethnic shifts (settlement of Azeris and Kurds) that have occurred over the centuries, ancient Armenian monuments and churches have been preserved in the region, testifying to the millennial Armenian heritage of this "ashkharh".[1][5]