CHORZE´NE
CHORZE´NE (
Χορσηνή,
Strab. xi. p.528), a mountainous district, situated to the NW. of the Greater Armenia, which had originally belonged to the Iberians. (St. Martin, Append. to Le Beau,
Bas Empire, vol. xv. p. 491.)
The capital of this district was the town which appears after the 10th century under the name of
Kárs (
Κάρς, Const. Porph.
de Adm. Imp. 100.44), and was well known as the residence of the Bagratid princes from A.D. 928--961. In A.D. 1064 the last of these princes gave up the district to Constantine Ducas in exchange for a principality in Armenia Minor (St. Martin,
Mém. sur l'Armenie, vol. i. p. 375).
The province has ever since retained the name of
Kárs. The snow fell to such depth in this mountain tract, that Strabo (
l.c.) speaks of whole caravans of travellers being buried in the drifts, and having to be dug out.
The same author (
l.c.) describes a curious kind of snow-worm which was found here. Mr. Brant in ascending the
Sapán Tágh was told by his Kurd guides that they had seen this animal; one of them went to a pool of melted snow to procure a specimen, but did not succeed in the attempt. (
Journ. Geog. Soc. vol. x. p. 410; Ritter,
Erdkunde, vol. x. p. 423, foil.)
[
E.B.J]
