The Battle of Hayots Dzor is a legendary event rooted in Armenian national mythology, traditionally dated to 2492 BC. According to the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, the battle was fought between Hayk, the revered patriarch and symbolic founder of the Armenian nation, and Bel, a foreign tyrant often identified with the Babylonian ruler Bel.
Said to have taken place in the mountainous region of Vaspurakan, near the eastern shores of Lake Van, this mytho-historical confrontation represents a foundational moment in Armenian cultural memory. Hayk’s victory is not only portrayed as a triumph over oppression but also as the origin point of Armenian identity and autonomy—marking the beginning of a lineage and homeland named in his honor: Hayastan.
