Kapan ; former names include
Ghapan,
Ghap’an,
Kafin,
Kafan,
Katan,
Qafan,
Zangezur, and
Madan) is the capital of the
SyunikSyunik is the southernmost province of Armenia. It borders the Vayots Dzor marz to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave to the west, Karabakh to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital is Kapan...
province (
marzArmenia is subdivided into eleven administrative divisions. Of these, ten are provinces, known as marzer or in the singular form marz in Armenian....
) of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. The city is located 316 kilometers from
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, and about 1 km from Kashatagh.
Etymology
The word Kapan originates from the Armenian verb
kapel, which mean "to lock," and points to an old Armenian geographic term for valleys surrounded by interlocked mountain chains.
Geography
Kapan is the largest city in southern Armenia. Located in the east of Syunik Province in the Voghji valley it lies on the south-eastern slopes of the
Zangezur Mountain RangeThe Zangezur Mountains comprise a mountain range that defines the border between Armenia's southern province of Syunik and Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. The second largest tracts of forests are located in Zangezur where they cover more than 20% of the territory and reach an...
between its spurs, the Bargushatskim and Meghri ridges. To the south of the city is Mount Khustup (3201 m).
History
The area around Kapan was first mentioned in the
5th centuryThe 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini/Common Era.-Overview:This century is noted for being a time of repeated disaster and instability both internally and externally for the Western Roman Empire, which finally unravelled, and came to an...
. In the
10th centuryThe 10th century is the period from 901 to 1000 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era.The tenth century is usually regarded as a low point in European history. In China it was also a period of political upheaval. In the Muslim World, however, it was a cultural zenith,...
, the ruler of Syunik, Prince
Smbat IISmbat II King of Armenia , son of Ashot III and ruled in Ani. He fortified the city and began the construction of the cathedral of Ani. Smbat II was put on throne from Smbat III, and continued his father’s work. He ordered the construction of a wall around the city of Ani and built towers and...
, moved here and founded the Syunik, or Bahkskoe kingdom, proclaiming himself king in
970-Europe:* A devastating decade-long famine begins in France.* Oldest preserved document mentioning Leibnitz in Styria...
. The city is associated with
Davit BekDavid Bek was an Armenian military commander and one of the most prominent military figures of the Armenian liberation movement of the 18th century against the occupying forces of Safavid Iran and the Ottoman Empire...
, an 18th century Armenian leader whose wars with against the Turkish and Persian Muslim invaders were fought around Syunik. His liberation campaign with a handful of brave men began in 1722, and attracted thousands of patriots who liberated Syunik. Near to Kapan is the castle in which Bek died in 1728.
Kapan, as a city, formed in the 19th century from the merger of several villages.
Economy
With a population of about 35,000, Kapan is struggling to cope with the realities of post-
Karabakh warThe Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
and post-
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
society. However, there are signs of growth and development. Kapan is primarily a mining city, hence its
PersianPersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is widely spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and to some extent in Iraq and Bahrain, and has a status of official language in the first three countries under different names...
name of the Qajar time معدن (Ma'dan, meaning "mine"). Kapan's industry is dependent on the newly privatized polymetallic deposit, though additional operations have developed including mining support services, commercial scale
animal husbandryAnimal husbandry, also called animal science, stockbreeding or simple husbandry, is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock. It has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
, and an expanding retail sector. The furniture and textile industries have grown in recent years.
Kapan was and remains a center of production of many non-ferrous metals. Commercial development of the local deposits began in 1890. Armenian entrepreneurs and French mining engineers obtained concessions to the copper mines and a copper-ore processing plant was built in the city.
Notable landmarks
- Vahanavank
Vahanavank is tenth century Armenian monastery 7 kilometers west of the town of Kapan in the Syunik Province of Armenia.-External links:**...
monasteryMonastery , a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer Monastery (plural: monasteries), a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios...
- Baghaberd and Halidzor
Halidzor is a town in the Syunik Province of Armenia. There is a known fortress in the area....
fortresses.
- Tatev Monastery - This monastery, situated northwest of Kapan was founded in the ninth century in the place of an ancient tabernacle well-known in ancient times. It is located strategically, overlooking a deep river gorge.
- Monument to Davit Bek
Davit Bek is a town in the Syunik Province of Armenia. The town was named for Armenian patriot David Bek....
.
- Kapan College of Music
- Kapan Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum
- Kapan Theatre
Transportation
The city is connected to
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
by road. In late 2008, the road was redeveloped between Kapan and Kajaran-Meghri. From the city is only the nonoperating railway line Capão Kovsakan-Midzhnavan.
Prior to the Karabakh war, a small airport was used to accommodate the aircraft YAK-40 and AN-14 cargo.
The other nearest airport is located 62 kilometers to the north.
Sport
- Gandzasar FC - football club
- Lernagorts Kapan FC - football club