Kachaghakaberd

The Kachaghakaberd fortress is in the Martakert region of the NKR, not far from the village of Kolatak which is 45 kilometres south-west to the centre. The village itself is 1000 metres above the sea level. 

A literary translation of Kachaghakaberd means a “fortress of magpies”. It is called so because of an old legend, according to which, when enemies attacked the region warriors retreated to the fortress and defended themselves for a long time. The enemy could not take the fortress so the best they could do was to lay a siege on it. All defenders and the population died in the siege as their water and other supplies ran out. When magpies started circling above the fortress, the enemy realized that there was no one left alive inside.