41°05′34″N43°39′35″E / 41.09278°N 43.65972°E /41.09278; 43.65972
Zorakert Զորակերտ | |
|---|---|
  Zorakert  Zorakert | |
| Coordinates:41°05′34″N43°39′35″E / 41.09278°N 43.65972°E /41.09278; 43.65972 | |
| Country | Armenia |
| Province | Shirak |
| Municipality | Amasia |
| Population | |
• Total | 145 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 |
Zorakert (Armenian:Զորակերտ) is a village in theAmasia Municipality of theShirak Province ofArmenia.
Zorakert was formerly known asBalekhli (Armenian:Բալըխլի,Azerbaijani:Balıqlı).[2] It was renamed Zorakert in April 1991.[2]
Zorakert was founded in the early nineteenth century.[3] Its inhabitants moved there from the nearby village of Khanjalli, which is now abandoned.[2][3] The village was previously populated mainly byKarapapakhs, a Turkic-speakingSunni Muslim ethnic group.[4] In the Tsarist period, the village was a part of the Agbaba sub-county (uchastok) of theKars Oblast, which was annexed by theRussian Empire after theRusso-Turkish War of 1877–1878.[4] Unlike the rest of the Kars Oblast, the Agbaba sub-county was not ceded to Turkey in 1921 and remained a part of Soviet Armenia.[4] In the Soviet period, the village fell under theAmasia District of Soviet Armenia. Zorakert's Turkic population left mainly in late 1988.[4] The village is now inhabited by Armenians.
Zorakert is located on the northeastern shore ofLake Arpi, in a rocky and hilly area, at an elevation of 2030 meters above sea level.[2][3] The climate is cold and precipitation is plenty.[3] The village receives its drinking water through a pipeline from a source 4 kilometers away.[3] It is 50 kilometers away from the provincial capital ofGyumri.[4]
A mosque dating to the 19th or 20th century is located in the village.[5] The remains of an ancient fortress and gravesite are located on the hill to the northeast of the village.[3][5]
The main economic activities of the village are animal husbandry and the cultivation of vegetable crops.[2]
The population of the village since 1886 is as follows:[2]
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1886 | 205 |
| 1912 | 398[6] |
| 1922 | 119 |
| 1931 | 205 |
| 1964 | 300 |
| 1970 | 440 |
| 1979 | 472 |
| 1989 | 212 |
| 2001 | 152 |
| 2004 | 109 |
| 2011 | 145[1] |
Capital:Gyumri | ||
| Urban settlements |  | |
| Akhuryan Municipality | ||
| Amasia Municipality | ||
| Ani Municipality | ||
| Artik Municipality | ||
| Ashotsk Municipality | ||
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