date back as early as the 13th-14th centuries. No other traces of the past
have survived.
This is accounted for the fact that during the period of the Arabic sovereignty
the bulk of the Armenian population of the lowlands fled to the neighboring
mountainous and woody areas and the remaining Armenians settled in towns.
In the medieval ages the territory of the present Tartar Region was part of
Partav Province of historical Armenia. Accordingly, until the middle of the
19th century these areas constituted part of Barda-Basan Province. Kalankatuik,
one of the major and well-known settlements of the Eastern Lands of the medieval
Armenia was situated on the territory of the regional center Mir-Bashir. Before
the establishment of the Soviet power in the region the villages of Bekhum-Sarov,
Maralian-Sarov, Khorozlu or Gakhrilar, Karamanluili Bozlu, Namarlu, Turk-Sarov
were inhabited by Armenians.
The very few Armenian families were forcedly deported from the lowlands in
1988.
TURKEY: In September of 1918 Turkey occupied Baku and perpetrated
the massacre of over 30,000 Armenians, the main force of defense of the town.
Thus, the power was handed over to the Mousavatists.
TSAR: Throughout centuries the princely or melik residence Tsar was
noted by the Armenian medieval authors as "heavenly protected Tsar Fortress".
It is situated in the upper current of the River Tertu on the highest slope
of an acicular gulf-shaped plateau at the junction point of the Tertu and
its left-side tributary. Despite the fact that the name of Tsar Province is
more frequently mentioned in the medieval chronicles than Tsar Village, in
our opinion, the province was called by the name of the princely residence
and administrative center of Tsar Village. One of the earliest references
dates back to 1289.
There were four churches and a graveyard with khachkars (cross stones) in
Tsar, and two monasteries not far from the village. The invaluable cultural
monuments were cast to the mercy of the fate after the Armenian population
fled from Tsar.
In the late 1880s' Bishop Makar testified that there were numerous khachkars
and tombstones in the cemetery in the southern edge of the village which "were
barbarously broken or damaged by the iniquitous Kurds". After the establishment
of the Soviet power the extermination of the Armenian monuments assumed a
massive character, especially in the 1940-1950s'. During the said period two
of the four churches, two monasteries and the cemetery were entirely destroyed.
The ruins were used as a construction material for the schools and other buildings
of the Turkish-assimilated Kurdish villages of Zar and Chrag. Thus, in the
upper part of the northwestern corner of the school constructed in the 1950s'
in Tsar an ashlar with an inscription is laid in.
The former church was surrounded by an ancient graveyard where only a few
ornate cross stones have survived. One of the cross stones is installed on
a stepped base ( 2,60 õ 1,01 centimeters ) southwards the church entrance.
Only a small fragment of the big cross stone has survived (24 x 19 centimeters).
It is fixed into a window opening of the school. Two other small fragments
are built in a wall and another window opening of the same school.
Today very few of the tombs of the graveyard around the church have survived.
Thus, on the southern side of the graveyard a tombstone is installed on the
base of the house as a milestone. Judging from its carved crosses and inscription,
the stone belongs to the 16th - 17th centuries. Not far from the graveyard
there is a cross stone attributable to the 18th century in front of the entrance
of an old house. The cross stone is broken into two pieces. There are carved
birds on both upper sides of the cross.
A building of "Azarashen" style erected by a person by the name
of Avanes in 1658 is a rare piece of architecture in Tsar. Four of the columns
of the house are stone. It should be noted that until the 19th century the
building was known by the residents of Jraberd Province as the royal palace.
Definitely, royal edifices, and later, in the late medieval ages, melik houses
and palaces were erected in Tsar, the princely residence. Due to the severe
climatic conditions the aforementioned building of "Azarashen" style
bears specific features which are not characteristic of other melik residences.
Nevertheless, it is larger and wooden columns are replaced with stone ones.
Tsar was also a center of manuscript writing. A book of sermons created in
Tsar in 1684 is held in the Matenadaran, Armenian Institute of Old Manuscripts.
Like in the case of all other settlements, the "Armenian life" was
ceased in Tsar in the second quarter of the 18th century.
Starting from the middle of the 18th century Kurds of Parakhkanli (Farik)
tribe fled into the territory of Tsar. Only 100 years later these Kurds passed
to a settled society and resided in Tsar. As a matter of fact, Tsar which
is pronounced "Zar" in the Kurdish language was the most densely
populated settlement of the province. Thus, in 1908 the number of the cattle-breeders
reached 383. Thereafter, during the Soviet period Zar continued to hold a
lead position by the number of the population (yielding to the administrative
center of Karvachar). In1979 the Turkish-speaking Kurds of Zar were 1002.
The period of the Soviet power in Zar was notable first of all for the intentional
massive extermination of the monuments of culture created by the native inhabitants.
Previous page A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Next page
