Ancient history and Middle Ages Historically, the territory of modern-day Tsaghkadzor was a part of the Varazhnunik canton of the
Ayrarat province of
Ancient Armenia. s,
Tsaghkadzor, 13th century Tsaghkadzor was first mentioned as Tsaghkunyats Dzor during the 3rd century when it was formed as a small settlement and quickly became the favourite hunting ground for the
Arsacid kings of Armenia. During the 4th and 5th centuries, Tsaghkunyats Dzor, along the surrounding lands and forests, was placed under the governance of the
Varazhnuni noble family by the Arsacid kings. Later, between the 5th and 7th centuries, during the period of Sasanian rule in Armenia, the region was granted to the
Kamsarakan and
Amatuni families. In the 9th century, Tsaghkunyats Dzor became part of the
Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia established in 885. Starting from the 10th century, the houses of Kamsarakan and
Pahlavuni—both related to the Arsacid dynasty by origins—were merged and governed the cantons of Aragatsotn, Kotayk and Varazhnunik. Prince
Grigor Magistros of the Pahlavuni family became the head of the Kecharis Principality and built the
Kecharis Monastery in 1033, in honor of
Gregory the Illuminator. In 1051, he also built the Surp Nshan Church (Holy Sign Church). During this period, the town was known as Kecharuyk. In the mid-11th century, the region suffered from the
Seljuk invasion led by
Tughril and later by his successor
Alp Arslan. However, with the establishment of the
Zakarid Principality of Armenia in 1201 under the Georgian protectorate, Kecharuyk witnessed a significant rise in economic and cultural life under the rule of the
Khaghbakyan and later the
Proshyan noble families, during the 13th and the 14th centuries. After the Mongols captured
Ani in 1236, Armenia turned into a Mongol protectorate as part of the Ilkhanate. After the fall of the Ilkhanate in the mid-14th century, the Zakarid princes ruled over Lori, Shirak, Kotayk, and Ararat plain until 1360 when they fell to the invading Turkic tribes.
16th to 19th centuries house in Tsaghkadzor At the beginning of the 16th century, Kecharuyk became part of the
Erivan Province within
Safavid Persia. Kecharuyk became known as Darachichak under Persian rule. During the first half of the 18th century, Darachichak became part of the
Erivan Khanate under the rule of the
Afsharid dynasty and later under the
Qajar dynasty of Persia. Within the Erivan Khanate, Darachichak, along with
Bjni, was one of the centers of the Darachichak
mahal (district), which extended from the border with Georgia to the northern edge of Lake Sevan. It was favored as a summer resort by the elite of the khanate, including the khan, On 8 October 1827, a powerful earthquake occurred near Tsaghkadzor, destroying churches in the settlement and affecting communities across northeastern Armenia. Tsaghkadzor remained under the Persian rule until 1827–28, when Eastern Armenia was ceded by the
Russian Empire as a result of the
Russo-Persian War of 1826–28 and the signing of the
Treaty of Turkmenchay. Under Russian rule, it continued to function as a summer resort, and as a resettlement area for tribes of
Spiritual Christians from Russia after 1840. Many state institutions based in Yerevan temporarily moved to Tsaghkadzor each summer. to Tsaghkadzor from the Republic of
Georgia as a precaution during the military conflict with Russia. == Geography ==