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Sotk ( hy, Սոթք) is a village in the
Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik ( hy, Գեղարքունիք, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan. It includes the exclave of Artsvashe ...
of
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
, well known for its gold mines.


Etymology

According to J. Markwart and N. Adonts, the name Sotk may be connected to the name of a tribe called ''Tsavde'' (''atsvots'') mentioned in ancient Armenian sources,Hakobyan T.Ch., Melik-Bakhshyan S.T., Barseghyan H.Ch., ''Hayastani ev harakits shrjanneri teghanunneri bararan (Toponymical Dictionary of Armenia and Surrounding Regions)'', v. 2, 313, Yerevan, 1988-2001. while others connect it with the toponym ''Suta'' (or ''Shuta'') of the Hittite sources (the presence of the Hittites was proposed in the vicinity of
Lake Sevan Lake Sevan ( hy, Սևանա լիճ, Sevana lich) is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, ...
in 2009).


History

Sotk has been well known for its mines throughout its history. The mines may have been exploited as early as the 2nd millennium BC, evidenced by the discovery of pits, funnels covered with grass, underground workings, wooden tools, stone mortars, washing pots, and more. The mines were used with interruptions until the 14th century AD, and later rediscovered in the 20th century.


Bronze Age

Materials, cemeteries, weapons, bones, and everyday life objects, belonging to the early
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
, have been found in complexes of settlements around the Sotk mountain pass. During this time, gold may have been acquired by
alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...
way, while real mining may have begun in the later Bronze Age. On the southern slope of the mine, ruins of a large ancient settlement are visible, from where a grass-covered path led to the mine (in 1954, this path would be turned into a road for miners). The river valley is covered by artificial oval terraces which steep from the side towards the river flow.Aram Gevorgyan, Arsen Bobokhya
"METALLURGY OF ANCIENT ARMENIA IN CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT"
''
Armenian National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետության գիտությունների ազգային ակադեմիա, ՀՀ ԳԱԱ, ''Hayastani Hanrapetut’yan gitut’yunneri az ...
''. Retrieved on 1 May 2018.
West of Sotk, around the nearby town of modern
Vardenis Vardenis ( hy, Վարդենիս) is a town and urban municipal community in the southeastern part of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. It is located in the valley of the Masrik River, on the territory of the Masrik artesian basin at above s ...
, are some
cyclopean Cyclopean masonry is a type of stonework found in Mycenaean architecture, built with massive limestone boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal clearance between adjacent stones and with clay mortar or no use of mortar. The boulders typic ...
fortresses, with corresponding cemeteries from the 2nd and 1st millennium BC, among which is
Tsovak Tsovak ( hy, Ծովակ) is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. History The village is the site of a large Iron Age fort atop the hill to the south and west, with an 8th-century BCE cuneiform inscription of Sarduri II Sardur ...
, where there is a
cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It is named for the characteristic wedge-sha ...
inscription by
Urartian Urartian or Vannic is an extinct Hurro-Urartian language which was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (''Biaini'' or ''Biainili'' in Urartian), which was centered on the region around Lake Van and had its capital, Tushpa, ...
king
Sarduri II Sarduri II (ruled: 764–735 BC) was a King of Urartu, succeeding his father Argishti I to the throne. The Urartian Kingdom was at its peak during his reign, campaigning successfully against several neighbouring powers, including Assyria. The ...
. To the north is a settlement of the Kura-Araxes culture. Many other such ruins can be found near Sotk, such as in
Chambarak Chambarak ( hy, Ճամբարակ, ) is a town and urban municipal community in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. Per the 2011 census, the population of the town was 5,850. The municipal community of Chambarak has a population of 12,416 people. ...
, indicating the Lake Sevan basin was a significant region, controlled from centers like Ishtikuni (
Lchashen Lchashen ( hy, Լճաշեն) is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. History The settlement dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. It has a Bronze Age cemetery, a Urartian Iron Age fortress, and a 13th-century church. It is an i ...
) and confederations of chiefdoms, such as the ''Uduri-Etiuni'' and ''Uelikuni'' (both of which seem to have been Armenian etymologically) mentioned in Urartian sources. Elite tombs in Lchashen were rich with gold, which, according to metallurgical analyses, would have derived from Sotk.


Antiquity to Middle Ages

At some point during the late
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
, the
highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
known as "Urartu" became known as "Armenia" (see Urartu § Fall). As the first Armenian political entity expanded eastwards, the regions around Sotk were incorporated as core regions of ancient Armenia. During Antiquity and the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, Sotk was part of Syunik, one of the
regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of the
ancient Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian language, Sumerian c ...
and the
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
kingdoms of Armenia, where it served as the capital of the region of the same name. Its location on the mountain pass was at a strategic point on the medieval Dvin-
Partav Barda ( az, Bərdə ) is a city and the capital of the Barda District in Azerbaijan, located south of Yevlax and on the left bank of the Tartar river. It served as the capital of Caucasian Albania by the end of the 5th-century. Barda became the ch ...
road, connecting the southern and eastern regions of the
South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
. The 7th century St. Astvatsatsin Church, an Armenian basilica church with 13th century
khachkars A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...
in its walls is located in the village.


Late modern period

The modern village was only founded in 1829, and its official name was ''Zod'' (). The village had an Azerbaijani-majority population before the
exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...
of Azerbaijanis from Armenia after the outbreak of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaij ...
. From 1988 and onwards, Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan settled in the village. In September 2022, Sotk as well as several other Armenian towns, including
Vardenis Vardenis ( hy, Վարդենիս) is a town and urban municipal community in the southeastern part of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. It is located in the valley of the Masrik River, on the territory of the Masrik artesian basin at above s ...
(Gegharkunik Province),
Goris Goris ( hy, Գորիս) is a town and the centre of the urban community of Goris, in Syunik Province at the south of Armenia. Located in the valley of the Goris (or Vararak) River, it is 254 km from the Armenian capital Yerevan and 67 km ...
(
Syunik Province Syunik ( hy, Սյունիք, ) 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. I ...
) and
Jermuk Jermuk ( hy, Ջերմուկ) is a mountain spa town and the center of the Jermuk Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in southern Armenia, at a road distance of east of the provincial capital Yeghegnadzor. It was considered one of the popula ...
(
Vayots Dzor Province Vayots Dzor ( hy, Վայոց Ձոր, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan to the east. It cover ...
), came under attack by
Azerbaijani Armed Forces The Azerbaijani Armed Forces ( az, Azərbaycan Silahlı Qüvvələri) were re-established according to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Armed Forces from 9 October 1991. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) had originally formed ...
. Many residental houses were damaged as a result of the shelling; people were displaced from their homes.


Gold mine

A gold mine near the village, called Sotk (Zod), is one of the largest gold deposits in the
South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
. It is located on the border of
Kalbajar District Kalbajar District ( az, Kəlbəcər rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the East Zangezur Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Lachin, Khojaly, Agdam, Tart ...
in
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
and
Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik ( hy, Գեղարքունիք, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan. It includes the exclave of Artsvashe ...
of
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
. Kalbajar District was administrated by the breakaway
Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...
from its control by Armenian forces in 1993 after the
Battle of Kalbajar The Battle of Kalbajar took place in March and April 1993, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. It resulted in the capture of the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan by Armenian military forces. Kalbajar lies outside the contested enclave of t ...
, near the end of the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...
, until 2020, when the Armenian side handed it over to Azerbaijan according to the
ceasefire agreement A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
, ending the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of ...
. Azerbaijani forces entered the district on 25 November, and on 26 November, Armenian media reported that a group of 250 Azerbaijani soldiers had arrived at the gold mine, and demanded its handover, establishing a military post at the mine. The Armenian defense ministry refuted this account, stating that Azerbaijani forces, having found an Armenian border checkpoint unacceptable, contacted the Armenian side via loudspeaker and negotiated with Russian peacekeepers over the issue. Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities started to demarcate the border on the same day. Armenian military authorities then stated that half of the mine area had been passed to Azerbaijan.


Demographics


Population

The following censuses show the modern-day villages' population from 1800 – 1900s. According to
Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary The ''Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopaedic Dictionary'' (Russian: Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона, abbr. ЭСБЕ, tr. ; 35 volumes, small; 86 volumes, large) is a comprehensive multi-volume ...
at the end of the 19th century, the village of ''Zod'' had 1,088 Tatar (i.e. Azerbaijani) inhabitants. According to the "Caucasian calendar" of 1912, 1,778 people lived in the village of ''Zod'', mostly "Tatars". According to
Statistical Committee of Armenia The Statistical Committee of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի վիճակագրական կոմիտե) is the national statistical agency of Armenia. History The statistical institution started its main activities on 7 January 1922 and was ...
2011 census, the villages' current population is 824. In the fall of 1988, the Azeri population of the village left and Armenians of Azerbaijan resettled in the village.


Gallery

Սոթքի լեռնանցք 02.jpg, Nature around Sotk Սոթքի սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի 35.jpg, St. Astvatsatsin Armenian Church interior Սոթքի սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի 37.jpg, Armenian Khachkar in Sotk Սոթքի սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի 24.jpg, Entrance with
khachkar A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...
s to the St. Astvatsatsin Armenian Church Սոթքի լեռնանցք 01.jpg, Mountains around Sotk Railroad station in Sotk (Gegarkunik, Armenia).jpg, Railroad station in Sotk


Notable people

* Ahliman Amiraslanov (born 1947), professor and Rector of
Azerbaijan Medical University Azerbaijan Medical University named after Nariman Narimanov ( az, Azərbaycan Tibb Universiteti) is the formal name of the public medical school located in Baku, Azerbaijan. Due to difficulties with translation, the school is sometimes called: A ...
.


References


External links


World Gazeteer: Armenia
– World-Gazetteer.com * * {{Authority control Populated places in Gegharkunik Province Populated places established in 1969 Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union