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Written by Gevork Nazaryan

The castle of Azgit lies en route from Andirin to Coxon. It served as a chain of fortifications, which stretched from the Castle of Shoghakan [Armenian for Dawn of Light] to Berdunk. The castle had a strategically important position and was an outpost of the Rubinian dominion. The castle is built of limestone and lime mortar connected with numerous well-situated pinnings. Some of the limestone blocks are of considerable size, measuring up to 95 cm and 53 cm. Overall; a number of them appear to bear the marks of careful application of smoothing and flattening of the blocks.



THE GREAT LUSIGNAN ROYAL ESCUTCHEON. KINGS AND QUEENS OF
ARMENIA, CYPRUS AND JERUSALEM. UPON GOLDEN FIELD
TWO RED LIONS BOTH FACING RIGHT, FLANK THE LUSIGNAN CROSS
[FOUR EQUILATERAL CROSSES FLANK FIFTH TAU CROSS
IN THE CENTER...ALL IN GOLD] THE BLACK [ALT. DARK BLUE]
VERT. LINE/SPINE UNITES WITH THE 3 BLACK HORIZ. LINES
TO FORM THE FIFTH LETTER...E [EPSILON]...


EFFIGY OF LEVON VI [LEON V]...THE LAST LUSIGNAN SCION KING OF ARMENIA IN
SAINT-DENIS BASILICA OF EUROPEAN ROYALTY.

THE ROYAL SEAL OF LEVON VI LUSIGNAN AFFIXED ON THE THE LAST SURVIVING
LETTER
[OCTOBER 19, 1383] -- WRITTEN IN EXILE IN MADRID, SPAIN IN THE
COURT OF THE KING'S ROYAL COUSINS -- THE HOUSE OF SAVOY --
CALLING FOR LIBERATION OF ARMENIA FROM FOREIGN YOKE.


HISTORIC BUST OF THE IMMORTAL KING LEVON VI [1340-93]
OF THE HOUSE OF LUSIGNAN IN THE VERSAILLES.



REVERSE SIDE OF ONE OF THE COINS OF LEVON VI LUSIGNAN.

VENETIAN DECREE ISSUED IN DECEMBER OF 1201 DURING THE REIGN OF
LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT. THE VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES [ASV],
SECRETA LIBRI PACTORUM,
I, c. 169r.


ENGRAVING OF THE RUINS OF THE ADJOINING CASTLE-ISLAND OF KORYKOS [THE
ISLAND CASTLE HAD ITS MAINLAND TWIN ON THE SEASHORE.


INSCRIPTION OF KING HETUM [HAYTON] I ON THE ISLAND-CASTLE OF KORYKOS.


GENERAL PLAN OF THE CASTLE OF KORYKOS ON THE ISLAND.


GENERAL PLAN OF THE CASTLE OF KORYKOS ON THE MAINLAND.

GENERAL PLAN OF KORYKOS INCLUDING THE CITY ON
MAINLAND AND THE FACING ISLAND-CASTLE.

VENETIAN DECREE ISSUED IN NOVEMBER OF 1261 DURING THE REIGN OF HETUM I.
THE VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES [ASV], SECRETA,MISCELLANEA
ATTI DIPLOMATICI E PRIVATI,,
b. 5, nr. 177.


THE SPHINX OF KING LEVON [LEO...LIT. LION...SOLAR KING OF TERRA FIRMA
....HIGHER SELF/SPIRIT OVERCOMES THE ANIMAL NATURE/LOWER SELF...]
THE MAGNIFICENT. STRUCK ON ROYAL COINS AND SEALS DURING HIS ILLUSTRIOUS
REIGN. RECREATED SCULPTURE BY NISHAN TOOR...HIS LAST WORK BEFORE
HIS UNTIMELY DEATH...THE SCULPTOR LIKE THE GREAT ARCHITECT HISTORIAN
MARTIROS KAVOUKJIAN...USED HIS LAST FORCES
TO COMPLETE THE SCULPTURE IN THE LAST MONTH OF HIS LIFE
WHEN HE WAS ALREADY IN TERMINAL ILLNESS.



TAGAVORAKAN OF KING LEVON [LEO] THE MAGNIFICENT OBVERSE: DEPICTING
THE KING AS LION-MAN SPHINX [DIVINE CONSCIOUSNESS]...THE FUSION OF
THE HOMINID AND FELINE...REVERSE: UPON TWIN PARALLEL LINES = THE
PATRIARCHAL DOUBLE-BAR CROSS [SPLIT WITH MARKED POINTS AT THE TIPS]
FLANKED BY TWO PENTAGRAM STARS.


AKHENATEN AS A SPHINX [INCARNATION OF RA-HORAKHTY]...FROM AMARNA DURING
AKHENATEN'S [1353-1336] REIGN. FROM WEST WALL OF THE TOMB OF [H]AY
[MITANNIAN-ARMANI ROYAL ORIONIC-PHARAONIC FAMILY NEFERTITI-AKHENATEN
BLOODLINE] ON DISPLAY IN THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS IN BOSTON.
ATEN/ATON AS THE SUN DISK-COILED WINGED SERPENT...
THE FIRST SATELLITES LAUNCHED INTO SPACE IN THE 1950s
WERE IN THE SHAPE OF THE SACRED FLYING DISK...



THE SUN-DISC ON THE HIEROGLYPH FOR HORIZON, WHICH IS ITSELF
SUPPORTED BY THE AKER-LIONS THAT MARK THE ENTRANCE AND
EXIT TO THE DUAT-UNDERWORLD...AND...


...LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT'S ROYAL THRONE...TWO LIONS FACING
EAST AND WEST SUPPORT THE GAH...THE SUN-DISC UPON THE HORIZON
IN THE CENTER...NOTE THE TRUNCATION AT THE PYRAMIDAL APEX
ALONG WITH THE TWO SMALLER FLANKING CIRCLES [TRIUNE...
DAWN...ZENITH...NADIR]. THE SEAT [WITH REMOVED EMBROIDERED CLOTH]
 OF POWER IN AND OF ITSELF IN X-SHAPE [CRUX ANSATA] AS THE COSMIC GATE
[HIGHER DIVINE CONSCIOUSNESS] WITH THE CIRCLE[S] AT THE CORE
[WHICH AT THE VERY HEART HAS THE ENCIRCLED ROSETTE...]



OBVERSE SIDE OF ONE OF THE COUNTLESS ROYAL TAKVORINS
OF LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT. THE KING ENTHRONED ON THE
LION DUAT THRONE...HOLDING THE ORB [CAPPED WITH THE SOLAR
CROSS PATTÉE] IN HIS RIGHT HAND AND THE FLEUR-DE-LYS
[DIVINE RIGHT] IN HIS LEFT HAND. YET AGAIN THE SUN UPON
THE HORIZON SYMBOLIZED BY THE EQUILATERAL CROSS
IN THE CENTER ABOVE [AT THE ARCHING MARK] OF THE INNER CIRCLE



ONE OF LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT'S TAGAVORAKANS

THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN [RHODES], GRAND MASTER  DIEUDONNÉ DE GOZO [1346-53]


VENETIAN DECREE ISSUED ON NOVEMBER 10, 1333 DURING THE REIGN OF LEVON V.
THE VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES [ASV], SECRETA LIBRI PACTORUM, III, c. 50r.



REVERSE OF LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT'S TAGAVORAKAN.
THE CROWNED SPHINX WITH THE DOUBLE-BAR CROSS...


TWO OF THE LONG BATTLE SWORDS OF THE ARMENIAN KNIGHTS
FOUND DURING ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS BEARING
THE MARKINGS OF KING LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT
INCLUDING THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS.

CLOSE UP OF THE CROSS OF LORRAINE ON THE SWORD HANDLE
IN THE SHAPE OF DIAMOND WITH EXTENDED ARMS.


COIN OF AIMERY DE LUSIGNAN [1197-1205] OF THE KINGDOM OF JERUSALEM.
OBVERSE: CROSS PATTÉE, AMALRICVS REX, ANNULET IN 2ND AND 3RD QUARTER.


COIN OF AIMERY DE LUSIGNAN [1197-1205] OF THE KINGDOM OF JERUSALEM.
REVERSE: CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER, + DEIERVSALEM AROUND.


GENOESE DECREE ISSUED IN 1272 DURING THE REIGN OF LEVON III.
THE VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES [ASV], SECRETA LIBRI PACTORUM, III, c. 42r.

 



TAGAVORAKAN [TAKVORIN] OF LEVON V. THE LAST
MONARCH OF THE HETUMID DYNASTY.
OBVERSE ENTHRONED LEVON. REVERSE CROSS PATTÉE WITH
MARKED EIGHT DOTS [FOUR CARDINAL POINTS AND FOUR DIRECTIONS].

TEUTONIC KNIGHT. WOODCUT BY GEORG SLUYTERMAN VON LANGEWEYDE.


MONUMENT OF FREDERICK BARBAROSSA AT KYFFHÄUSERDENKMAL.


ENGRAVING OF THE RUINS OF THE ENCHANTING CASTLE OF SIDON...
PHOENICIA [PHOENIX] -HURIA [HUR..LIT. FIRE..HARRAN] - SYRIA [SIRIUS...] FORMED
A KEY COMPONENT OF ARMANUM-MITANNI ENCOMPASSING VAST LANDS IN
 ARMENIAN HIGHLAND, ASIA MINOR AND MOST OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT.


ARMENIAN FELS [POGH] FROM THE SECOND HALF OF XIIITH CENTURY.
MINTED IN GREATER ARMENIA WITH THE ARMENIAN [MALTESE] SPLIT TAIL
EIGHT POINTED CROSS. MINTED UNDER ABAGA HULAGU [1265-82] WITH
ACCOMPANYING ARMENIAN INSCRIPTION AND MARKS OF THE ALLIED GOLDEN HORDE.
RUINS OF ALAHAN BASILICA.

RUINS OF THE XIITH CENTURY CASTLE OF PAPERON.


GENERAL PLAN OF PAPERON CASTLE.


GENERAL PLAN OF THE FORTRESS OF LAMBRON.


GENERAL PLAN OF THE FORTRESS OF SEHUN.



THE ARMENIAN ROYAL LION AND KING LEVON [LIT. LION] THE MAGNIFICENT
PLACED AS THE NICHE STONES. RUINS OF YILAN CASTLE.  ANOTHER NAME USED
BY THE CILICIAN MONARCHS WAS TOROS [LIT. BULL] THAT WAS ALSO GIVEN TO
THE TAURUS MOUNTAINS AND TARON [TURUBERAN] PROVINCE OF GREATER
ARMENIA. THE WORD TAVAR LITERALLY MEANS 'MEAT' AND HAS EVEN SURVIVED
IN RUSSIAN AS 'ITEM' OR 'PRODUCT' CONNECT WITH THE CONCEPT OF MATERIAL...
HENCE THE ARMANEN MITHRAS [THE LION...] WAS ALWAYS DEPICTED AS THE
SLAYER OF THE TAURUS [THE BULL...] IMPLYING THE SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE WORLD OF SPIRIT AND MATTER.

The main features and divisions of the vast and complex castle [which has been notably damaged] are the main entrance gateway, the bailey, the keep, the inner citadel and the church which for the most part has been greatly ravaged and obliterated. In 1938 Phoebe H. Brown undertook an archaeological expedition of the castles of Cilician Armenia. Azgit was among the numerous castles examined and partially excavated by the archaeological team headed by Brown.


THE HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR FREDERIC BARBAROSSA [1123-1190] WAS ONE
OF THE LEADERS OF THE THIRD CRUSADE. A CLOSE FRIEND OF
LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT [TEUTONIC ORDER] HE DROWNED
WHILE CROSSING A RIVER IN CILICIAN ARMENIA AS HE WAS CLAD
IN HEAVY ARMOR AND THE ACCOMPANYING ARMENIAN KNIGHTS
SCRAMBLED IN VEIN TO SAVE HIM FROM BEING SUBMERGED UNDER WATER.

OFFICIAL DECREE [VERTRAG] ISSUED BY THE TEUTONIC ORDER IN 1271 IN
ARMENIAN -- ONE OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OF THE BROTHERHOOD.
KING LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT WAS AMONGST THE FOUNDING MEMBERS
IN 1198 AND MANY ARMENIAN KNIGHTS WERE MEMBERS OF THE ORDER.
THE KING'S BODYGUARD WAS MADE UP OF THE BEST OF ARMENIAN, TEUTONIC
AND FRANKISH KNIGHTS. NOTE THE TRADITIONAL ARMENIAN SPLIT
 [EIGHT-POINTED FISH TAIL] CROSS THAT WOULD LATER EVOLVE
INTO THE MALTESE CROSS.


REVERSE AND OBVERSE [OR RECTO AND VERSO] OF THE SEAL OF FREDERICK
BARBAROSSA ATTACHED TO THE OLDEST PRESERVED PAPAL BULL [DAT. 1164,
ASV, A.A. ARM. I-XVIII, 7] KEPT ALONG WITH COUNTLESS GOLDEN BULL SEALS IN
THE VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES. LIKE LEVON THE MAGNIFICENT -- THE HOLY
ROMAN EMPEROR HOLDS A LILIED SCEPTER IN HIS RIGHT HAND AND A
GLOBE WITH A CROSS IN HIS LEFT HAND.