Ancient history and Middle Ages Archaeological excavations of tombs and ceramics of the middle
Bronze Age found in Sisian have been connected to the
Trialeti-Vanadzor culture. Historically, the territory of modern-day Sisian was part of the Tsghuk canton within historic
Syunik, the 9th province of
Greater Armenia. Some scholars identify Tsghuk with Suluqu, a country mentioned in a cuneiform inscription of King
Argishti II of
Urartu in the 8th century BC. Between 331 BC and 428 AD, the region of Sisianknown as Sisakanwas 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. 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. 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. 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, in that order, between the 12th and 15th centuries. 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. 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.
Persian rule 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. From the late
Middle Ages, the Armenian Tangian
meliks ruled Sisian. 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.
Russian rule 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. 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.
Modern history After
World War I, Sisakan became part of the short-lived independent
Republic of Armenia between 1918 and 1920. 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. 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. In 1974, Sisian received the status of a "city of regional subordination" within the Sisian
shrjan of 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. Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, Sisian was incorporated into the newly formed
Syunik Province based on the 1995 administrative reforms. == Geography ==