Goris (Armenian: Գորիս; also known as Hin Kores, Kyuryus and Zangizour) (Urdu and Persian: گوریس) is a city in the Syunik Marz of Armenia. Located in the valley of river Goris (Vararak), it is about 240 km away from the Armenian capital Yerevan and 70 km from the Syunik Marz center Kapan. Goris forms an urban community (municipality). The National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia (ARMSTAT) reported its population was 23,022 in 2010, down from 23,261 at the 2001 census. Goris is located in an alpine climate zone, the weather is characterized with mild snowy winters and hot summers. The average temperature in January is –1.3 C and +19 C in July. Annual precipitation level is 700 mm.
Goris is famous for the medieval cave-dwellings carved out of the soft rock in the southern part of town. There is an airport in the town of Goris and it will be operating in 2016. It is being renovated by the Armenian government. Shinuyar Airport will bring tourists to see Tatev and other amazing tourist sights as well. New hotels and tourist areas are also going to be built with in the next 2 years.
Nestled in a bowl of green hills and mountains, with interesting formations and many previously inhabited caves in them, Goris has some of the nicest overall Armenian architecture in Armenia. Somehow the traditional methods have been preserved overall in this city, while everywhere else the Soviet blueprints seem to have overwhelmed historic designs.
There are different explanations of the name. It is supposed that the name comes from the Indo-European prelanguage words "gor"(rock), "es" (to be), i.e. Goris "Kyores" means a rocky place. There was a dwelling in the ancient times in the same area of the town. The humankind settled here since the Stone Age. Goris was first mentioned in the history by the Urartian period. King Rusa I (8th century B.C.) left a cuneiform, where he mentioned that among the 23 countries conquered by him, "Goristsa" country was one of them. The scientists suppose that it is the same Goris.
The old small town of Goris is famous for its thousands of dwellings carved into the rock. In 401 BC, during the retreat of the Ten Thousand (Anabasis), Xenophon passed through Armenia, in his account of the expedition he mentions the Armenian troglodytes of Khndzoresk and Goris.
During the middle ages, the town-settlement was situated in the eastern part of the present Goris, on the left bank of Goris river. It was called old Goirs and coincided with one of the villages of Goru and Goraik mentioned by Stepanos Orbelyan (13th century).
The present spelling of the name was first mentioned in 1624, in a handwriting by Barsegh Yerets. In 17-18th centuries Melik Husenyans ruled Goris. In the beginning of the 19th century, on 13 October 1813 according to the "Gyulistan agreement", Goris fell under the domination of Emperial Russia. In the 1870s Goris became the center of Zangezour province within the Russian Empire. In 1876, the new town of Goris was founded near the Old Goris with the initiative of the head of "Starastky province" and recommendation of Manuchar-Bek Melik Husenyan and the plan was designed by a German architect. At the end of the 19th century the economical and cultural life of the town was rather improved.
After the fall of the Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1920, the 2nd Pan-Zangezurian congress held in Tatev on 26 April 1921, announced the independence of the self-governing regions of Daralakyaz (Vayots Dzor), Zangezur, and Mountainous Artsakh, under the name of the Republic of Mountainous Armenia (Lernahaystani Hanrapetutyun), with Goris as a capital city (de-facto).
Culture and education:
Goris is home to the Axel Bakunts house-museum, commemorating one of Armenia’s great prose writers, who died in prison in 1937, one of many who paid the price for "nationalist deviationism". There is a regional geological museum and a dramatic theatre as well.
Goris is an important educational centre in Syunik. Nowadays, there are 7 secondary schools, 2 intermediate colleges, 7 kindergartens, 2 sports, 2 musical and 1 art schools. The Goris state University is operating in the town since 1967. Branches of State Engineering University of Armenia and Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography are operating as well in Goris.
Not far from Goris, at the beginning of the road to Khndzoresk there is an 18th century local Melik’s house.
The Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator in Goris is the seat of the diocese of Syunik of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Goris is home to Zankezour football club and municipal football stadium.
With deep-rooted heritage, the home-made fruit vodkas are particularly good and famous in Goris.
Notable people:
- Axel Bakunts, Armenian writer
- Sero Khanzadyan, Armenian writer
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