Pasinler

History

The first ancient kingdom that had a control of this territory was Urartu, when it was called Biani. One of the versions of the name Pasinler - it is derived from the ancient tribe called Phasians (Phazians). The name of this tribe seems to have survived in latter-day regional toponyms – Armenian Passen, Greek Phasiane, Georgian Basiani, and Turkish Pasin. Based upon pottery finds, Pasinler was part of the Kingdom of Urartu during the Iron Age. The territory of Basean belonged to Greater Armenia from 4th century BC to 5th century AD and was part of an Armenian province - Ayrarat. According to the Armenian chronicler Movses Khorenatsi (5th century), this land was the family estate of the Armenian Ordun dynasty, established by Armenian King Vagharshak, who ruled in 117 - 138/140 AD. In the story of the Armenian chronicler Favstos Buzand (5th century), the thief of the Orduni clan attacked the power of King Khosrov III, seizing and destroying the royal house, as a result of which the princes of the Orduni clan were executed by order of Khosrov. Their ancestral lands, located in the area of Basean, with all their bounds, were given to the bishop of Basean, a native of Ordor. After AD 428 this land became part of Sasanian Armenia, right up to the Arab invasions in 7th-9th centuries. In 9th century Basean became part of Bagratid Armenia. In the 10th century, the border between the Byzantine Empire and expanding early Georgian Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti ran along the Aras river, therefore part of northern Basean/Basiani became a domain of the Georgian Bagratids. In 1001, after the death of David Kuropalates, Basean/Basiani was acquired by the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, who annexed the Armenian lands (Tayk/Tao, Basean/Basiani), previously subdued by King David Kuropalates. and…