Chronicles the discovery of an ancient Armenian city on territory occupied by Armenian forces since the Karabagh war.
According to historians there were as many as 5 major cities built by Tigran the Great at various strategic positions throughout the Armenian Empire, ranging from Lebanon to the Caspian Sea. Each of these cities was named after the king -- Tigranakert. The greatest Tigranakert, the capitol of the realm and the residence of Tigran himself, is widely believed to have been in the vicinity of modern Diyarbakir.
Of the several Tigranakerts, the general locations of only two of them have ever been known for sure - the Tigranakert near Diyarbakir and the Tigranakert of Artsakh - but archaeologists have never been able to find their remains.
This film is about the rediscovery of the Tigranakert of Artsakh, located in the present day Agdam region currently controlled by the Republic of Nagorno-Karabagh. For an exact map location please see the Recording Date and Location info in the Statistics and Date tab, right beneath the ratings box.
The existence of the Tigranakert of Artsakh has never been a secret, though its precise location has never been revealed until now. Historical evidence can be found in the works of the 7th century historians Sebeos and Movses Kaghankatvatsi. Sebeos makes repeated references to the Tigranakert of Artsakh, or Utik (the classical Armenian name of the province just east of Artsakh where the city is located), and Kaghankatvatsi, in his "History of Aghvank", makes mention of 'T'grakerti Vank (monastery)' and its head priest: archeologists believe the church they discovered just beneath the fortress of Tigranakert, as seen in the film, is most likely this very same monastery.
Additional historical evidence of Tigranakert of Artsakh/Utik includes a 13th century inscription at the famous Gandzasar monastery left by a pilgrim from 'Tigranakert'.
According to Hamlet Petrosian, as late as the 15th century the area where the fortress has been found was called 'T'krakert' or 'Tarnayurt'; corruptions of the original name which had been kept alive by locals long after the city itself had disappeared. (Similarly, 'Diyarbakir' is a corrupted form of Tigranakert as well.)
Finally, another bit of corroborative evidence not mentioned in the film is a coin of Tigran the Great that was found in this same area many years ago, now on display at the history museum in nearby Stepanakert.
