Castle in the village of Qapili

In the village of Qapili in the Agin district of the Shorayel district

Agin district – Ani since 12.10.1961, Gapili village was renamed Gusanagyug “Ashiq” village since 03.02.1947.

Architecture

The remains and walls of a ruined castle built during the Urartian period near the village still stand today. It is presented as an "Armenian monument."

The Urartian-era castle is located in the village of Gapili, 15 km southwest of the district center, near the Western Arpachay, on the Iravan-Gumru road. It is believed that the castle, which dates back to the Urartian period, was built in the 13th century BC. Its thick walls indicate that special attention was paid to the construction of the castle. Despite the passage of centuries, the remains of the castle walls have survived to the present day, which indicates the level of cultural development at that time. The name of the village is mentioned in the “Compendium of the Iravan Province” and on the 5-mile map of the Caucasus.

The large basilica on the territory of the village, as well as the castle, which has a very ancient historical past, show that the area was central and strategically important. The toponym was formed by adding the suffix “-lı” to the word “kapı”, which in Turkish means “the upper part of a narrow gorge divided into crevices”, “a gorge on a mountain slope”. It is an orotoponym. It is a structurally correct toponym.