Sisian

Tombstones of pre-Christian era in Sisian

Zorats Karer archaeological site

Archaeological excavations of tombs and ceramics of the middle Bronze Age found in Sisian have been connected to the Trialeti-Vanadzor culture.[4] Historically, the territory of modern-day Sisian was part of Tsghuk canton (Armenian: Ծղուկք գավառ Tsghukk gavar), within historic Syunik, the 7th province of Greater Armenia.[5] It was first mentioned as a notable centre of paganism within the Kingdom of Urartu during the 8th century BC.[6]

7th-century St. Gregory Church overlooking Sisian

Between 331 BC and 428 AD, the region of Sisian—known as Sisakan—was part of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia under the reign of the Orontid, Artaxiad and Arsacid dynasties. During the 4th century, the historic settlement of Shaghat near Sisakan became the residence of the Syuni princes, the ruling dynasty of historic Syunik.[7] In the medieval period, Armenia became a battleground of invading Byzantine, Persian, and Arab forces. During this period, the medieval monuments of Sisian, notably the St. Gregory Church of Sisian, were constructed in the 7th and early 8th centuries. These churches were largely commissioned by the aristocratic Armenian princes that autonomously ruled the region from the fall of Arsacid Armenia in 428 to the rise of the royal Armenian kingdoms of the 9th century.[8] It remained the spiritual and the political center of the region until the end of the 10th century, when the fortified town of Kapan in the southern Baghk canton became the capital of the newly established Kingdom of Syunik in 987 under the protectorate of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia.[9]

In 1103, the region was invaded and looted by the Seljuks. After the fall of the Kingdom of Syunik in 1170, Syunik along with the rest of the historic territories of Armenia suffered from the Seljuk, Mongol, Aq Qoyunlu and Kara Koyunlu invasions, respectively between the 12th and 15th centuries.[9][10] In the middle of the 13th century, Sisian was one of the residences of the Mongol Noyan and commander Baiju during the period of Mongol Armenia.[11] In 1247, a Dominican mission, including Simon of Saint-Quentin and Ascelin of Lombardy, sent by Pope Innocent IV, arrived at the great Mongol encampment of the castle of Sisian in Armenia. They were sent to ask for a meeting with the commander Baiju, but were refused due to their arrogance and assertion that Christians were superior and that the Pope refused to bow down to Baiju. After 3 months, Baiju sent them back with a letter to the Pope demanding submission to him.[12][13]

At the beginning of the 16th century, Sisakan became part of the Erivan Beglarbegi within the Safavid Persia. It was known as Gharakilisa (Turkic: Qarakilsə, lit. 'Black church') to the Turkic and Persian rulers of Eastern Armenia.[14] From the late Middle Ages, the Armenian Tangian meliks ruled Sisian.[15] By the beginning of the 18th century, Sisakan was associated with the Armenian military leader David Bek, who led the liberation campaign of the Armenians of Syunik against Safavid Persia and the invading Ottoman Turks. David Bek started his battles in 1722 with the help of thousands of local Armenian patriots who liberated Syunik. In 1750, Sisakan became part of the newly formed Karabakh Khanate.[16]

19th century building in Sisian

At the beginning of the 19th century, many territories of southern Armenia including the region of Sisakan became part of the Russian Empire as a result of the Treaty of Gulistan, signed on 24 October 1813 between Russia and Qajar Iran following the Russo-Persian War of 1804–13.[17] In 1828–30, many Armenian families from the Iranian cities of Khoy and Salmast migrated to the region. In 1868, Sisakan became part of the Zangezur uezd, within the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire. By 1886, it had a population of around 1,000 people, including 18 local meliks.[18]

After World War I, Sisakan became part of the short-lived independent Republic of Armenia between 1918 and 1920.[19] Following the Sovietization of Armenia in December 1920, Sisian was included in the breakaway Republic of Mountainous Armenia under the leadership of Garegin Nzhdeh, who fought against the Bolsheviks and maintained an independent state between 26 April and 12 July 1921.[20]

After the Soviet Red Army entered the Zangezur region in July 1921, Sisakan along with the towns of Goris, Kapan and Meghri fell under Soviet rule. In 1930, Sisian became the centre of the newly founded Sisian raion. The town and the raion were known as Gharakilisa until 1935, and Sisavan between 1935–40. With the operation of the Vorotan Cascade during the 1960s, the town of Sisian witnessed rapid growth. Many industrial plants and service-providing firms were opened in the region. With the gradual development of the town, Sisian was turned into a city of republican subordination within the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. The major urban plan of the city was adopted in 1976. An airstrip was opened in 1982 at the northeastern suburbs of the town, adjacent to the main north-south highway of Armenia. The Sisian airport no longer operates for civilian aviation and is currently the site of a joint Russian-Armenian military post.[21][22]

Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, Sisian was incorporated into the newly formed Syunik Province based on the 1995 administrative reforms.

Mount Ughtasar with its volcanic crater lake, 14 km north of Sisian

Vorotan River in Sisian

Sisian is located at the southeast of Armenia, in the mountainous region of historic Syunik. Surrounded with the Zangezur Mountains from the west and Bargushat Mountains from the south, the town is situated on the shores of Vorotan River, at an average height of 1600 above sea level, only 6 km south of the main highway that connects Armenia with the Republic of Artsakh and Iran. The Sisian river joins the Vorotan at the southern border of the town.

The Sisian mountain pass north of the town is at a height of 2345 meters, connecting the Vorotan plain at the east with the plains of Nakhichevan at the west. The 3563 meters-high Mount Ughtasar is overlooking at Sisian from the north, while the Mount Mets Ishkhanasar (3552 meters) is located 13 km east of the town.

Sisian has a humid continental climate (Dfb according to the Köppen climate classification system). The average temperature in January is -6°C and +18°C in July. The annual precipitation level is around 489 mm.[23]

Sisian is twinned with:

• Nea Smyrni, Greece
• Slutsk, Belarus
• Montélimar, France