Vank (Armenian: Վանք) or Vangli (Azerbaijani: Vəngli) is a village in the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The village had an Armenian majority in 1989.[2] The 13th-century Gandzasar Monastery, and the 9th-century Khokhanaberd fortress are located near Vank.
Vank
Վանք | |
---|---|
Vəngli | |
Vank Vank | |
Coordinates: 40°03′28″N 46°32′44″E / 40.05778°N 46.54556°E | |
Country | Azerbaijan |
• District | Kalbajar |
Elevation | 1,031 m (3,383 ft) |
Population (2015)[1] | |
• Total | 1,574 |
Time zone | UTC+4 (AZT) |
The village of Vank (meaning monastery in Armenian) was founded in the 9th century, and was named as such for its proximity to Gandzasar Monastery.[3] Although the current structure of Gandzasar was built in the 13th century, a church or monastery existed at the site several centuries before then.[4] The village was previously also known by the name Vankashen.[3]
The village is surrounded by several historical monuments dating to the Middle Ages. The most prominent among them is the thirteenth-century monastic complex of Gandzasar (built from 1216–38), which overlooks the village and was built by the Armenian ruler of the Principality of Khachen, Prince Hasan-Jalal Dawla.[5][6] Khokhanaberd, a 9th-century mountaintop fortress is also located near Vank, which served as a castle and residence of rulers of the House of Hasan-Jalalyan.[7][8]
During the Soviet period, the village was a part of the Mardakert District of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
In the years following the conclusion of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-1994), the village has seen an increase in investment from the Armenian diaspora. Levon Hairapetyan, a Russian-based Armenian businessman and a native of Vank, has funded the reconstruction of homes, the local school, and sponsored the building of a zoo,[9] and the nearby Hotel Eclectica, which resembles a ship.[10] In October 2008, Vank was also one of several venues in Nagorno-Karabakh for a mass wedding of 560 Armenian couples.[11]
Historical heritage sites in and around the village include the 12th-century church of Yeghtsun Khut (Armenian: Եղցուն Խութ), the 12th/13th-century monastery of Havaptuk (Armenian: Հավապտուկ), a 12th/13th-century cemetery, Gandzasar monastery (1216-1238), a 13th-century khachkar, a 13th-century village, and the medieval shrine of Yeghegyan Nahatak (Armenian: Եղեգյան Նահատակ).[1]
The population is mainly engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. As of 2015, the village has a municipal building, a house of culture, a secondary school, an art school, a kindergarten, 18 shops, two hotels, and a medical centre. The community of Vank includes the village of Nareshtar.[1]
Vank had a population of 1,284 in 2005,[12] and 1,574 inhabitants in 2015.[1]