Kingdom of Vaspurakan: Map & History
The Kingdom of Vaspurakan was a medieval Armenian kingdom centered on Lake Van, located in what is now eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran.
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The Kingdom of Vaspurakan was a medieval Armenian kingdom centered on Lake Van, located in what is now eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. It was named after Vaspurakan, a province of historic Greater Armenia. Ruled by the Artsruni dynasty, it competed and cooperated with the Bagratuni-ruled Kingdom of Armenia for a little over a century until its last king ceded the kingdom to the Byzantine Empire in 1021.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Vaspurakan
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Vaspurakan covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Vaspurakan's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Vaspurakan in Depth
History
The Kingdom of Vaspurakan was ruled by the Artsruni dynasty, an ancient Armenian noble family. The Artsrunis had built up their power base in Vaspurakan in the 9th century while Arab rule was waning. The Bagratunis, on the other hand, were consolidating their control over Armenia. In 885, Ashot I Bagratuni received recognition as King of Armenia. In 908, during the reign of Ashot's successor Smbat I, Gagik I Artsruni was recognized as king by the Sajid ruler Yusuf and allied with the latter to attack the Bagratuni kingdom. After Smbat's death at the hands of Yusuf in 914, however, Gagik allied with the new Bagratuni king Ashot II to defeat the Arabs.
The Kingdom of Vaspurakan was at its zenith around 929 under the reign of Gagik I, who used the title of King of Armenia.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Vaspurakan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Vaspurakan: Key Facts
| Capital | Van |
|---|---|
| Official language | Armenian |
| Founded | 908 CE |
| Dissolved | 1021 |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q5228183 (CC0).
Kingdom of Vaspurakan Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Vaspurakan appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Vaspurakan Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 41,810 km² in 963 CE.
Kingdom of Vaspurakan: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Vaspurakan exist?
The Kingdom of Vaspurakan is dated to 911 CE – 1027 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan?
The capital of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan was Van.
How large was the Kingdom of Vaspurakan at its peak?
At its peak in 963 AD the Kingdom of Vaspurakan covered about 41,810 km².
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