Davit Bek () is a village in the

Kapan Municipality Kapan Municipality, referred to as Kapan Community ( ''Kapan Hamaynk''), is an urban community and administrative subdivision of Syunik Province of Armenia, at the south of the country. Consisted of a group of settlements, its administrative centr ...

of the

Syunik Province Syunik (, ) is the southernmost province of Armenia. It is bordered by the Vayots Dzor Province to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic exclave to the west, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital and larg ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. Located in the Kashun river valley, 28 kilometers from the regional center of

Kapan Kapan ( ) is a town in southeast Armenia, serving as the administrative centre of the Kapan Municipality and also as the provincial capital of Syunik Province. It is located in the valley of the Voghji (river), Voghji River and is on the norther ...

, it lies 1150 meters above sea level. It is named after the Armenian patriotic leader Davit Bek. The village is the birthplace of Aram Manukian, the Armenian revolutionary leader and the founder of the

First Republic of Armenia The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia, was an independent History of Armenia, Armenian state that existed from May (28th ''de jure'', 30th ''de facto'') 1918 to 2 December 1920 in ...

. The Surp Gayane Church of Davit Bek was opened in 2008.

Etymology

The village was previously known as ''Zeyva'' or ''Zeyva Mure'' before being renamed to ''Davit Bek'' on June 29, 1949, in honor of the 17th century Armenian military commander Davit Bek who founded the Principality of Kapan.

Description

Davit Bek is located in a forested valley among the Bargushat range of the

Zangezur Mountains The Zangezur Mountains (, ) are a mountain range that defines the border between Armenia's southern provinces of Syunik, Vayots Dzor, and Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The Zangezur region has the second-largest tract of forests ...

of Southern Armenia. p. 66 It has a mild climate and beautiful nature. Its local

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

residents are mostly engaged in agriculture such as grain cultivation, tobacco, fruit, vegetable, and livestock farming. The houses are large and built traditionally of stone. A rest house by the name of ''Karmrakar'' is located in the vicinity of the village.

History

Lying 3 kilometers away from the village is the medieval church and village of ''Takh'' whose inhabitants relocated to present-day Davit Bek in the 19th century. Earlier inhabitation of the area of Davit Bek is evidenced by a 10th-century tombstone on the far side of the village. In the 20th century, the village was part of the ''Ghapan region'' of the

Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia bordered the Soviet republics ...

(1920–1991). During that time, a secondary school, cultural center, kindergarten, liberty, maternity hospital and veterinary clinic were built. In 1981, the Kapan branch of the “Masis” footwear production opened in Davit Bek. In addition, a reservoir for irrigation purposes was built here.

Demographics

The 2011 Armenia census reported its population as 796, down from 809 at the 2001 census. The population is almost entirely ethnic

and belongs to the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

Gallery

DavitBek.Village.monument.jpg, WWII monument DavitBek.St.Stepanos.church.jpg, St. Stepanos Church (1866) St.Gayane.church.jpg, St. Gayane Church DavitBek.village.jpg, Monument to fallen residents of Davit Bek in the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nag ...

References

Populated places in Syunik Province {{Syunik-geo-stub