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Vorotan (river)

river in Armenia and Azerbaijan

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 12, 2026
Entity authorityQ737363 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Vorotan (Armenian: Որոտան), or Bargushad (Armenian: Բարգուշատ), is a transboundary river in the South Caucasus that is the largest right tributary of the Hakari river. It starts from the northwestern slopes of the Syunik Plateau, from the Tsalk pond and adjacent springs at an altitude of 3,045 m, receives the water of streams flowing from several small ponds, as well as the springs of Gorayk village, then it flows in a southeastern direction through the territory of Sisian and Goris regions. It flows through Armenia for 119 kilometres (74 mi) in a generally south-easterly direction. The river enters Azerbaijan again, flowing for 43 km (27 mi) through the districts of Qubadli and Zangilan. The lower section of the Hakari, from its confluence with the Vorotan until its confluence with the Araks river, is sometimes considered to be part of the Vorotan.

Course of the river

The river flows mostly through mountainous regions of Armenia and in several places has formed deep canyons. The towns of Sisian and Qubadli lie along its course. Six kilometers from Sisian, the river forms a waterfall — the "Shaki Waterfall" (Armenian: Շաքիի ջրվեժ) — that is 18m high. The river forms a natural monument – the "Devil's Bridge" — near Tatev Monastery. There are mineral pools at the base of the travertine arch.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Vorotan (river)” as river in Armenia and Azerbaijan. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Vorotan, river and Armenia.

Editorial reviewA valuable geographic starting point for tracing changing names, boundaries, uses and administrative responsibility. The current 219-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Vorotan, river and Armenia providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Vorotan (river)”, the useful work is to connect “river in Armenia and Azerbaijan” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q737363. Authority coordinates are 39.863, 45.853. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.

Critical limits

Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Vorotan (river)”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Vorotan (river) primary sources, Vorotan (river) archive and Vorotan research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Vorotan (river)”?
  2. Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
  3. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Vorotan (river)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.