Churs

For the administrative division, see Churs Rural District.

Churs Persian: چورس
Village
Churs
Coordinates: 38°49′51″N 45°02′07″E / 38.83083°N 45.03528°E / 38.83083; 45.03528[1]
Country	Iran
Province	West Azerbaijan
County	Chaypareh
District	Central
Rural District	Churs
Population  (2016)[2]
• Total	2,081
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST)

Churs (Persian: چورس)^[a] is a village in, and the capital of, Churs Rural District^[4] in the Central District of Chaypareh County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran.

History

The location of modern-day Churs proved to be extremely pivotal in Armenian history. On 26 May 451 AD, a decisive battle was fought at the location that would be one of the single most important events in Armenian history.

On the Avarayr Plain, at what is modern-day Churs in the West Azerbaijan Province, the Armenian Army under Vardan Mamikonian clashed with Sassanid Persia. Although the Persians were victorious on the battlefield itself, the battle proved to be a major strategic victory for Armenians, as Avarayr paved the way to the Nvarsak Treaty (484 AD), which affirmed Armenia's right to practice Christianity freely.^[5][6]

Demographics

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the village's population was 2,367 in 636 households, when it was in the former Chaypareh District of Khoy County.^[7] The following census in 2011 counted 2,430 people in 733 households,^[8] by which time the district had been separated from the county in the establishment of Chaypareh County. The rural district was transferred to the new Central District.^[9] The 2016 census measured the population of the village as 2,081 people in 660 households. It was the most populous village in its rural district.^[2]

See also

Iran portal

Notes

1. Armenian: Ճուաշ or Չորս; also romanized as Chowras, Chowrs, and Chūrs; also known as Choras, Chors, and Jūres^[3]

References

1. OpenStreetMap contributors (25 September 2024). "Churs, بخش مرکزی [Central District], Chaypareh County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran" (Map). OpenStreetMap (in Persian). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
2. سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1395 : استان آذربایجان غربی [General Population and Housing Census 2016: West Azerbaijan Province]. مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran] (in Persian). Archived from the original (Excel) on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
3. Churs can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3058837" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
4. Mousavi, Mir-Hossein (22 April 1987) [تاریخ تصویب (Approval date) 1366/02/02 (Iranian Jalali calendar)]. ایجاد و تشکیل تعداد 12 دهستان شامل روستاها، مزارع و مکانهای واقع در شهرستان خوی تابعه استان آذربایجان غربی [‌Establishment and formation of 12 rural districts including villages, farms and places located in Khoy County, West Azerbaijan province]. لام تا کام [Lam ta Kam] (in Persian). ‌وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior]. هیات وزیران [Council of Ministers]. شناسه [ID] 225318FD-4A06-4814-BC42-D402AE1BE7AD. شماره دوره [Course number] 66, شماره جلد [Volume number] 4. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
5. Hewsen, Robert H. (17 August 2011). "AVARAYR". Encyclopædia Iranica. So spirited was the Armenian defense, however, that the Persians suffered enormous losses as well. Their victory was pyrrhic and the king, faced with troubles elsewhere, was forced, at least for the time being, to allow the Armenians to worship as they chose.
6. Susan Paul Pattie (1997). Faith in History: Armenians Rebuilding Community. Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 40. ISBN 1560986298. The Armenian defeat in the Battle of Avarayr in 451 proved a pyrrhic victory for the Persians. Though the Armenians lost their commander, Vartan Mamikonian, and most of their soldiers, Persian losses were proportionately heavy, and Armenia was allowed to remain Christian.
7. سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1385 : استان آذربایجان غربی [General Population and Housing Census 2006: West Azerbaijan Province]. مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran] (in Persian). Archived from the original (Excel) on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
8. سرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1390 : استان آذربایجان غربی [General Population and Housing Census 2011: West Azerbaijan Province]. Iran Data Portal—Syracuse University (in Persian). مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran]. Archived from the original (Excel) on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
9. Davoodi, Parviz (9 December 2007) [تاریخ تصویب (Approval date) 1386/09/18 (Iranian Jalali calendar)]. تصویب نامه درخصوص اصلاحات تقسیمات کشوری در استان آذربایجان غربی [‌Approval regarding the reforms of national divisions in West Azerbaijan province]. لام تا کام [Lam ta Kam] (in Persian). ‌وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior]. کمیسیون سیاسی دفاعی هیأت دولت [Political Defense Commission of the Government Board]. شناسه [ID] C87621A0-B504-45A5-A06D-DC28E1D1F3F9. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2025.