Although the country is relatively small, you can find dilapidated or standing medieval fortresses and castles in Armenia almost at every step. All this suggests that in the Middle Ages, fortresses and castles in Armenia were built at a very high level. Most of them have not retained their former greatness. However, even looking at the dilapidated foundations of these structures you can guess how majestic they were.<\/p>\n
Below you can find information about some of the many medieval fortresses and castles in Armenia.<\/p>\n
One of the most famous medieval fortresses, Bjni Fortress, is located on the right bank of Hrazdan River, on the eastern side of the village, on a high headland surrounded by inaccessible rocks. The fortress is the result of the construction work of Vasak Pahlavuni. His son, Grigor Magistros, built the main churches of Bjni Surb Astvatsatsin and Kecharis monasteries. The exact time of foundation is unknown, but it has been mentioned since Middle Ages.<\/p>\n
In 1977-1978, an expedition of the Department of Archaeology of Yerevan State University under the leadership of Igit Gharibyan carried out excavations here. As a result of the excavations, the following were discovered: the main wall of the domed Surb Khach church (9th-10th centuries), a palace building consisting of two halls, details of an early medieval church, residential buildings, reservoir, a secret passage. According to the legend, a secret passage connected the fortress and the Astvatsatsin church. Due to the construction of houses and many other buildings, only a small part of this secret passage has survived.<\/p>\n
There is also a widespread myth that Ashot II Erkat lived in this fortress for some time.<\/p>\n\n