Paytakaran

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Paytakaran (Armenian: Փայտակարան), was the easternmost province of the Kingdom of Armenia.^[1]^[2] (also known as "Greater Armenia"). The province was located in the area of the lower courses of the rivers of Kura and Araks, adjacent to the Caspian sea.

1 Province of Greater Armenia
2 Previous history
3 The region today
4 References

[edit] Province of Greater Armenia

According to Anania Shirakatsi's Ashkharatsuyts ("World Atlas," 7th c. AD), Paytakaran was the 11th among the 15 provinces of the Kingdom of Armenia. It consisted of 14 cantons (gavars): Hrakot, Perozh, Vardanakert, Yotnporakyan Bagink, Krekyan, Vovtibagha, Kaghanost, Buros, Pitchanhani, Atshi, Bagavan, Spandaran-perozh, Vormizd-perozh, and Alevan. It was bounded by the Capsian Sea to the east, Araxes river to the north and north-west, Atropatene to the south, and the Armenian province of Vaspurakan to the west.^[3]

[edit] Previous history

Prior to becoming Paytakaran, the region was known as Caspiane by Greco-Roman authors. Caspiane was contested between the regional powers. According to Strabo: "To the country of the Albanians belongs also the territory called Caspiane, which was named after the Caspian tribe, as was also the sea; but the tribe has now disappeared".^[4] Also according to Strabo, both Caucasian Albania and Armenia had provinces with the name "Caspiane"^[5], but whether these were the same territory was not made clear.