Bargiri

Bargiri, called Berkri in older Armenian and later called Muradiye, lies in the Armenian Highlands of Van Province. The district contains wooded hills, high pastures and open valleys watered by streams descending toward Lake Van. Its position between the lake basin and the mountains of the Caucasus made it part of routes linking eastern Anatolia, Iran and Transcaucasia.

A Byzantine administrative text of the tenth century names the place as Perkri. At the beginning of the ninth century it belonged to Ashot I Bagratuni, ruler of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom. After the death of Ashot's son Smbat, the settlement passed to the Arab ruler Abu Sawada. Armenian princes, Arab emirs and local lords competed for its castles and revenues during the medieval period.

Bargiri later became a district of the Ottoman province of Van. The surrounding economy rested on grain, orchards, wool and livestock, while the highlands supported seasonal pastures. A fortress and regional market gave the small town administrative importance, and Armenian churches and Muslim villages reflected the mixed society of the region. Its history is one of dynastic rivalry, mountain agriculture and the passage of armies across the Armenian highlands.