CARCATHIOCERTA
CARCATHIOCERTA (
Καρκαθιόκερτα:
Kharpút), the capital of
SOPHENE one of the cantons of Armenia. (
Strab. xi. p.527;
Plin. Nat. 6.10.) St. Martin (
Mém. sur l'Armenie, vol. i. p. 188) considers that this was the ancient and heathen name of the city of Martyropolis [
MARTYROPOLIS]; but Ritter (
Erdckunde, vol. x. p. 811) has shown satisfactorily that this cannot be the case. Carcathiocerta does not occur in the Byzantine writers, but must be the same as the strong fortress which Cedrenus (
Hist. Comp. vol. ii. p. 686) calls
Χάρποτε, and which commanded Mesopotamia.
It was called by the Syrians Kortbest (
Chartbist, D'Anville;
Khartabist, Herbelof;
Haretbaret, Assemann; comp. Von Hammer,
Gesch. den Osman, vol. i. p. 226, vol. ii. p. 345).
Kharpút is placed on an eminence at the termination of a range of mountains, commanding a beautiful and extensive plain.
At no great distance is a lake, which, though described as salt, is really freshwater (
Lake Goljik), which Kinneir (
Geog. Mem. Pers. Emp. p. 335) conjectures to be the lake Colchis of the ancients. (Comp.
Ptol. 5.13.)
The word
Kol, Kul, or
Gul frequently occurs in the interior of Asia, and signifies a tarn or mountain lake. (Ritter,
Erdkunde, vol. x. p. 103;
Journ. Geog. Soc. vol. vi. p. 207, vol. x. p. 3.65.)
[
E.B.J]
