Tigranocerta (Greek: Τιγρανόκερτα, Tigranόkerta; Tigranakert; Armenian: Տիգրանակերտ), also called Cholimma or Chlomaron in antiquity, was a city and the capital of the Armenian Kingdom between 77 and 69 BCE. It bore the name of Tigranes the Great, who founded the city in the first century BC. There is so far no common agreement on the precise location of Tigranakert; it was either near present-day Silvan, Arzan (Arzn, in the Armenian province of Arzanene or Aghdznik), east of Diyarbakır, Turkey, or in the valley of the Garzan river mentioned by T. A. Sinclair. It was one of four cities in historic Armenia named Tigranakert. The others were in Nakhichevan, Artsakh and Utik, the 4 cities being in the old Armenian provinces Aldznik, Goghtn, Utik, Artsakh.
Its population has been estimated at up to 100,000, "over a quarter of a million", possibly 300,000, or even 500,000. These are partly or entirely based on Appian, who in Mithridatic War §67 attests that Tigranes carried 300,000 people from Cappadocia to Tigranocerta. Many scholars cite the number without critical examination, while Thomas Sinclair found it exaggerated.
