The “Shrmana Kerts” fortified castle

The “Shrmana Kerts” fortified castle

Location

The monument is located 800 meters north of the village of Gish, in the Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh. As of 2023, it has been under Azerbaijani occupation.

Historical overview

There is no historical record available regarding the monument. The “Shrmana Kerts” fortified castle is officially registered in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of Artsakh, as certified by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of the Republic of Artsakh. It is also referenced in the work of V. Balayan (Balayan 2019, 414).

Architectural-compositional examination

The monument is located on the elevated terrain known as "Shrmana kerts" in the village of Gish, occupying a sizeable area. Field research indicates that the complex comprises three citadels, with the principal citadel at the center. The fortress is surrounded by fortification walls on its eastern, northern, and western sides, each measuring over two meters thick. Extending from north to south, the perimeter of the west spans approximately 250 to 300 meters, while the northern side covers about 500 meters. By contrast, the southern portion, characterized by a predominantly rocky formation, shows minimal evidence of fortification, suggesting that it may have been less fortified. This observation aligns with documentation provided in the Certificate of Monuments issued by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of the Republic of Artsakh (Figs. 1-4). The fortress complex also includes the “Kyamalants” spring (Fig. 5).

Fig. 1 The citadel of the "Shirmana Kerts" fortress from the south, photo by S. Sargsyan.

Fig. 2 The citadel of the "Shirmana Kerts" fortress from the south, photo by S. Sargsyan.

Fig. 3 Traces of the walls of the fortress of "Shirmana Kerts, photo by S. Sargsyan.

The condition before, during, and after the war

The monument was in a good state of preservation before the war. However, there is currently no information concerning its present condition.

Bibliography

  1. Balayan 2020 - Balayan V., Outlines of the History of Settlements of the Republic of Artsakh, Yerevan.
  2. Certificate of Monuments of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Artsakh.
The “Shrmana Kerts” fortified castle
The "Shrmana Kerts" fortified castle
The "Shrmana Kerts" fortified castle
Artsakh