Gürpınar (, ) is a municipality and
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
of
Van Province
Van Province (, , Armenian: ÕŽÕ¡Õ¶Õ« Õ´Õ¡Ö€Õ¦) is a province and metropolitan municipality in the Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. Its area is 20,921 km2, and its population is 1,128,749 (2022). ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. With an area of , Gürpınar is the second-largest district of Turkey, after
Karaman District
Karaman District (also: ''Merkez'', meaning "central" in Turkish) is a Districts of Turkey, district of the Karaman Province of Turkey. Its seat is the city of Karaman.[Van
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...]
. The district has several places of historical interest. The current mayor is Hayrullah Tanış from the
Justice and Development Party (AKP). The current
kaymakam
Kaymakam, also known by #Names, many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been reta ...
Fatih Sayar was appointed in August 2019.
Name
The area's old Armenian name is Hayots Dzor (, meaning "Valley of the Armenians"). Its Kurdish name is Payizava; however, the Armenian-derived Xawesor is also used. The titular village of Gürpınar itself was also known to Armenians as Kghzi (, meaning "island", due to it being surrounded by the
Shamiram Canal
The Menua Canal, also known as the Semiramis Canal or as the Shamiram Canal, is a canal joined with a series of hydraulic works such as aqueducts constructed by King Menua of Urartu (). It is located to the east of Van, Turkey and runs , supplyin ...
).
History
In Armenian mythology, Hayots Dzor is the valley where the Armenian progenitor
Hayk
Hayk (, ), also known as Hayk Nahapet (, , ), is the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation. His story is told in the ''History of Armenia'' attributed to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi and in the ''Primary History'' ...
defeated the army of the invading Babylonian king
Bel and constructed a fortress (Haykaberd) nearby.
In the Middle Ages, the area was a part of the Armenian kingdom of
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan (, Western Armenian pronunciation: ''Vasbouragan'') was the eighth province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered on Lake Van. Located in what is now southeaster ...
, ruled by the
Artsruni dynasty
The House of Artsruni (; also Ardzruni or Artsrunid) was an ancient princely and, later, royal dynasty of Armenia.
Name
The name ''Artsruni'' contains the ending , which is widespread in old Armenian family names. The early Armenian historian ...
of Armenian kings.
The village of Kghzi had 241 Armenian and 11 Kurdish inhabitants in 1909 (the wider region of Hayots Dzor was home to about 10,000 Armenians before the
Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
).
The Armenian population was massacred or displaced during the Armenian genocide; some of the inhabitants managed to flee and settle in
Eastern Armenia Eastern Armenia (Armenian: Ô±Ö€Ö‡Õ¥Õ¬ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Õ€Õ¡ÕµÕ¡Õ½Õ¿Õ¡Õ¶, ''Arevelyan Hayastan'') refers to the eastern portion of the Armenian Highlands, historically inhabited by the Armenian people. Throughout history, Eastern Armenia has been contested and ...
.
Historical places
*
HoÅŸap Castle
Hoşap Castle (, , ) is a large 17th-century castle located in the village of Hoşab, Gürpınar District, Van, Turkey. It is at a distance of approximately 50 km to the city center of Van.
History
The castle was built upon the founda ...
*
Çavuştepe
Sardurihinilli, also known as Haykaberd () or Çavuştepe Kalesi, is an ancient Urartian fortified site located on a ridge on the northeastern edge of the village of Çavuştepe in the Gürpınar district of Van Province in eastern Turkey. It ...
, Urartian castle
*
Surp Marinos Monastery
*
Menua Canal
The Menua Canal, also known as the Semiramis Canal or as the Shamiram Canal, is a canal joined with a series of hydraulic works such as Aqueduct (water supply), aqueducts constructed by King Menua, Menua of Urartu (). It is located to the east of ...
Composition
There are 79
neighbourhoods
A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...
in Gürpınar District:
Mahalle
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
* Akbulut
* AkdoÄŸu
* Akpınar
* Alnıak
* Arındı
* Aşağı Kaymaz
* Bağrıyanık
* BeÅŸbudak
* Bölmeçalı
* BozyiÄŸit
* Bükeç
* Çakınlı
* Çatakdibi
* Çavuştepe
* Çepkenli
* Cevizalan
* Çörekli
* Cumhuriyet
* DaÄŸseven
* Değirmendüzü
* Dikbıyık
* Dolaylı
* Doluçıkın
* Elaçmaz
* Erkaldı
* Geçerli
* Geziyurt
* Giyimli
* Gölardı
* Güleçler
* Günbaşı
* Hacıköy
* HoÅŸab
* Işıkpınar
* Kalkanlı
* Kapçık
* Karakoç
* Kılıçtutan
* Kırkgeçit
* Koçgüden
* Koyunyatağı
* Kuşdağı
* Mollahüseyin
* Murataldı
* Oğuldamı
* Ongun
* Örmeli
* Ortaköy
* Otbiçer
* Öveçli
* Özlüce
* Parmakkapı
* Sakalar
* Sapakonak
* Savacık
* Sevindik
* Sıcaksu
* Sütlüce
* Taşdöndüren
* Taşlıyazı
* Tepegören
* Topçudeğirmeni
* Topsakal
* Topyıldız
* Tutak
* Tutmaç
* Üçdoğan
* Üçgen
* Umut
* Uzungedik
* Yalınca
* Yaramış
* YataÄŸan
* Yedisalkım
* YolaÅŸan
* Yoldüştü
* Yukarı Kaymaz
* Yurtbaşı
* Zernek
References
External links
Gurpinar district governorGurpinar Municipality
Populated places in Van Province
Western Armenia
Districts of Van Province
Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey
Kurdish settlements in Turkey
{{Van-geo-stub