Սիս / Sis (Sso Berd) (Kozan ( Sis ))

 castle, church, ruins, christianity, place with historical importance, Medieval / Middle Ages, interesting place, Armenian Apostolic church, historic capital, place of worship

Historical town of Sis (in Armenian: Սիս) had an important place in ecclesiastical history of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The names Sisan or Sisia are first mentioned in the fifth and sixth centuries in Greek and Latin sources. In 703 AD the city was conquered by Arabs. According to Arabic sources from the eighth century, Sis' population was mainly Armenian.
During Thoros I, Prince of Armenia's reign, Armenian forces with the help of native Armenians conquered Sis. Thoros also established the Drazark monastery, which later became the Rubenid dynasty's mausoleum. In 1173 AD Mleh made Sis Cilician Armenia's capital. During the reigns of Leo II and Hethum II Sis was rebuilt and beautified with palaces, civilian and religious buildings, and gardens. Sis is well presented in the works of Villebrand, an Austrian ambassador to Sis from 1211 to 1212. After Hromkla was conquered by Mamluks, Sis became the Catholicos' residence. In 1266 Mamluks looted and burnt the city. In 1275 Mamluks again surrounded the city, but were defeated by Armenian forces. A century later, in 1369 Mamluks again conquered the city, but were forced to leave. Finally, in 1375 Mamluks took the city, looted and burnt it, and captured the king and many lords. With Sis fallen also fell the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.
According to Gregory of Akanc,
“ They burned the town of Sis, which was the seat of the Armenian kings. They cast wood into the fire and great church which was the center of Sis and they burned it. They demolished the tombs of the kings.

In modren period - at the turn of the twentieth century, nearly three quarters (5,600) of its 8,000-strong population was Armenian. Most of them were killed or deported during the course of the Armenian Genocide. Kozan was occupied by France between March 8, 1919 - June 2, 1920 during Turkish-French War. After declaring republic in Turkey, Kozan became a province and a two thousands returnee Armenians of Sis were completely massacred in 1920 by Turks.

Prominent natives of the town of Sis: Nerses Palianetsi - Armenian ecclesiastical figure, politician, book publisher of 13th-14th centuries, Grigor Khul - Armenian musician of 12th century, Manase Sevak - Armenian biochemist and public character, member of New York Academy of Sciences and Soviet Armenia's Academy of Sciences (1897–1967), Grigor Kyulyan - Armenian writer (1912–1974).