▁the ▁region ▁made ▁up ▁part ▁of ▁historical ▁Armen ia . ▁The ▁parts ▁of ▁historical ▁Armen ia ▁within ▁what ▁is ▁modern - day ▁A zer ba ij an ▁compr ise ; ▁Nor ▁Sh ira kan , ▁V asp ur ak an , ▁and ▁Pay t ak aran . ▁V asp ur ak an , ▁of ▁which ▁large ▁parts ▁were ▁located ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁modern - day ▁Iran ian ▁A zer ba ij an ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁cr ad le ▁of ▁Armen ian ▁civil ization . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 6 ▁May ▁ 4 5 1 ▁AD , ▁a ▁very ▁important ▁battle ▁was ▁fought ▁that ▁would ▁prove ▁imm ens ely ▁p iv otal ▁in ▁Armen ian ▁history . ▁On ▁the ▁A var ay r ▁P lain , ▁at ▁what ▁is ▁modern - day ▁Ch urs ▁( mod ern - day ▁West ▁A zer ba ij an ▁Province ), ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁Army ▁under ▁V ard an ▁Mam ikon ian ▁cl ashed ▁with ▁S ass an id ▁Pers ia . ▁Although ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁were ▁vict orious ▁on ▁the ▁battle field ▁itself , ▁the ▁battle ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁major ▁strateg ic ▁victory ▁for ▁Armen ians , ▁as ▁A var ay r ▁p aved ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁N vars ak ▁Tre aty ▁( 4 8 4 ▁AD ), ▁which ▁aff ir med ▁Armen ia ' s ▁right ▁to ▁practice ▁Christian ity ▁freely . ▁ ▁Her ac lius , ▁the ▁By z antine ▁em peror , ▁briefly ▁held ▁the ▁region ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th