Vayk
Vayk () is a town and the centre of the Vayk Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. As per the 2016 official estimate, Vayk had a population of around 4,700. However, as of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 5,877, down from 6,024 reported in the 2001 census. Etymology Literally meaning "sorrows", the name Vayk is derived from the Vayots Dzor canton of the historic Armenian province of Syunik. History Historically, the area of Vayk belongs to the Vayots Dzor canton of Syunik province; the 9th province of Armenia Major, ruled by the Siunia dynasty. At the beginning of the 16th century, Eastern Armenia fell under the Safavid Persian rule. The territory of modern-day Vayk became part of the Erivan Beglarbegi and later the Erivan Khanate. The period between the 16th and 17th centuries is considered to be the darkest period in the history of Vayots Dzor. The region was turned into a frequent battlefield between the invading troops of the Turkic and Iranian tribes. As a result, many significant monuments and prosperous villages were destroyed and the population was displaced. In 1747, the region became part of the newly-formed Nakhichevan Khanate. As a result