The total area of Upper Armenia was . It consisted of 9 cantons : Upper Armenia was famous for its lakes , rivers ( especially the Euphrates ) , gold mines and fields . In the 2nd millennium BC , Upper Armenia 's wester parts were conquered by Hittite Empire ; from the 15th century BC , it was conquered by Hayasa-Azzi . From 189 BC , it became part of the Kingdom of Armenia . Upper Armenia was famous for its pagan temples . From 62 AD , it became part of the Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia . As it was an outlying province it served as a defense shield against enemies . According to Pavstos Buzand , Armenian Arsacid Kings were buried in Ani ( Upper Armenia ) . In 387 , Upper Armenia passed to the Roman Empire . It was renamed into Inner Armenia , which was ruled by a Count . Inner Armenia 's capital was Teodosupolis ( Karin ) . During the reign of Justinian I , Inner Armenia was made a province with the name of First Armenia . In the 8th century , western parts of Upper Armenia were conquered by Arabs , thereafter many Arab tribes settled in the border regions in order to separate Armenia from the Byzantine Empire . In 885 , Upper Armenia became part of Bagratuni Kingdom of Armenia . In the 11th century , Upper Armenia was once again conquered by the Byzantine Empire . In 1071 , it passed to the Seljuq dynasty ; in 1157 , it was conquered by the Sultanate of Rum . In 1207 , Upper Armenia 's eastern parts were liberated by Zakarids . In 1242 , Mongols conquered Upper Armenia ; in 1502 , it was conquered by Persia ; in 1514 by the Ottoman Empire . Upper Armenia maintained a large Armenian population until the Armenian Genocide in 1915
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Upper Armenia