Lori Berd: Shades of Green

The medieval fortress of Lori Berd and its namesake village are among the most picturesque spots in northern Armenia.

Lori Berd fortress, rising above the Dzoraget River Gorge, and was founded by King David Anhoghin of the Kyurikian dynasty (r. 1005–1020). Later, King Kyurike II (r. 1049–1089) made it the capital of the Kyurikian (Tashir-Dzoraget) Kingdom. During the 11th to 13th centuries, the fortress-town had an estimated population of around 10,000.

Following the 2017 territorial reforms, Lori Berd became the administrative center of an enlarged community that includes the nearby villages of Agharak, Bovadzor, Lejan, Koghes, Hovnanadzor, Yaghdan, Sverdlov, and Urrut, with a combined population of roughly 5,000.

After King Kyurike, perhaps the most notable figure to emerge from Lori Berd is Armenia’s current Minister of Defense, Suren Papikyan, who is affectionately referred to as “our kid” by the locals. 

CivilNet’s video report from the village.