Sotk

According to J. Markwart and N. Adonts, the name Sotk may be connected to the name of a tribe called Tsavde (atsvots) mentioned in ancient Armenian sources,[3] while others connect it with the toponym Suta (or Shuta) of the Hittite sources [3] (the presence of the Hittites was proposed in the vicinity of Lake Sevan in 2009[4]).

Sotk has been well known for its mines throughout its history. The mines may have been exploited as early as the 2nd millennium BC, evidenced by the discovery of pits, funnels covered with grass, underground workings, wooden tools, stone mortars, washing pots, and more. The mines were used with interruptions until the 14th century AD, and later rediscovered in the 20th century.

Antiquity to Middle Ages

Map of Syunik (pink) in the 9th century

At some point during the late Iron Age, the highlands known as "Urartu" became known as "Armenia" (see Urartu § Fall). As the first Armenian political entity expanded eastwards, the regions around Sotk were incorporated as core regions of ancient Armenia.

During Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Sotk was part of Syunik, one of the regions of the ancient and the medieval kingdoms of Armenia, where it served as the capital of the region of the same name. Its location on the mountain pass was at a strategic point on the medieval Dvin-Partav road, connecting the southern and eastern regions of the South Caucasus.[7]

The 7th century St. Astvatsatsin Church, an Armenian basilica church with 13th century khachkars in its walls is located in the village.[9][10]

According to Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary at the end of the 19th century, the village of Zod had 1,088 Tatar (now known as Azerbaijanis) inhabitants.[11]

According to the "Caucasian calendar" of 1912, 1,778 people lived in the village of Zod, mostly "Tatars" (now known as Azerbaijanis).[12]

In 1988, the entire Azerbaijani population of the village fled and were expelled as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Their homes were repopulated by Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan.[2]

A gold mine near the village, called Zod by the Azerbaijanis, is one of the largest gold deposits in the South Caucasus.[13] It is located on the border of Kalbajar District in Azerbaijan and Gegharkunik Province in Armenia.[14] Kalbajar District was administrated by the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh from its occupation by the Armenian forces in 1993 after the Battle of Kalbajar, near the end of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War,[15] until 2020, as the Armenian side handed it over to Azerbaijan according to the ceasefire agreement, ending the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war.[16] The Azerbaijani forces entered the district on 25 November,[17] and on 26 November, the Armenian media reported that a group of 250 Azerbaijani soldiers had arrived at the gold mine, and demanded its handover,[18] establishing a military post at the mine.[19] The Armenian defense ministry refuted this account,[20] stating that Azerbaijani forces, having found an Armenian border checkpoint unacceptable, contacted the Armenian side via loudspeaker and negotiated with Russian peacekeepers over the issue. Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities started to demarcate the border on the same day.[21] Armenian military authorities then stated that half of the mine area had been passed to Azerbaijan.[22]

• 
  7th century St. Astvatsatsin Church in Sotk
• 
  Railroad station in Sotk
• 
  Nature around Sotk
• 
  Nature of Sotk
• 
  Khachkar from the St. Astvatsatsin Church in Sotk

• Ahliman Amiraslanov (born 1947), professor and Rector of Azerbaijan Medical University.

• Gegharkunik Province

• Sotk at GEOnet Names Server
• World Gazeteer: Armenia – World-Gazetteer.com
• Report of the results of the 2001 Armenian Census, Statistical Committee of Armenia
• Brady Kiesling, Rediscovering Armenia, p. 82; original archived at Archive.org, and current version online on Armeniapedia.org.