The Girl’s Fortress / Kayen Castle

The Girl’s Fortress (Armenian: “Akhchka Berd”) is located in the Tavush region in the valley of the Aghstev River and is considered one of most famous architectural monuments of Medieval Armenia. In that era, the fortress was called Cayen, as well as Gavar (an administrative unit), on the territory of which it was located. The Cayen fortress, known for its inaccessibility, served as the residence of the princes.

Architecture

The fortress is built on the top of a mountain, which is covered with forest. The small area is surrounded by steep cliffs and is additionally protected by high walls with towers.

There are residential buildings, a church, two reservoirs and a bath contained on the territory of the fortress.

All these structures, including the fortress walls, were built using lime mortar and basalt stone.

Currently, the fortress is considered an object of historical and cultural heritage of the Republic of Armenia.

Լegend

They say, that Lenk Temur learnt, that there was a beautiful girl living in the fortress. He sent his soldiers to bring the girl to him. Three of his soldiers kidnapped the girl. A shepherd saw that and followed them. At night, when the soldiers fell asleep, the shepherd killed them and took the girl back. Lenk Temur attacked the fortress with an anger, but Armenians living in the fortress didn’t give up, until Lenk Temur, because of the betrayal of an old lady from the fortress, took the channel of the water coming to the fortress. The girl was feeling very guilty and threw herself from the fortress to the river. That is why it is called The Girl’s Fortress.

There is another legend about the ruins of the bathroom in the fortress. They say, that there was a beautiful girl, whom many knights and princes wanted to marry. One of them was Prince Mantash. When they did not manage to persuade her, they tried to take her by force. To protect herself from unwanted admirers, the girl gathered her army, built a fortress and moved there. Prince Mantash decided to build Mantash’s Fortress just in front of the Girl’s Fortress and started to attack it from time to time.

However, the girl always won. Once, she ordered her army to attack the Mantashaberd and won again. After that, Mantash asked for a truce. They concluded an agreement, according to which each of them would remain in their own fortress. As a symbol of friendship, they built a bathhouse on the banks of Aghstev River.

Photos by Araks Asatryan, Karen Sagoyan, Hrachuhi Ayvazyan, Tigran Shahbazyan

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Fortresses and castles of Armenia