Armenia Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Armenia appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 21 different states, among them Armenia, Persia, USSR, Ottoman Empire, Emirate of the White Sheep Turks.
ArmeniaExplore the history of Armenia in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Armenia as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Armenia, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Armenia?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Armenia belonged to Armenia, Persia, USSR, Ottoman Empire, Emirate of the White Sheep Turks, central Asian khanates, along with 15 other states.
What was Armenia part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Armenia lay within Armenia.
What was Armenia part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Armenia lay within Emirate of the White Sheep Turks.
What was Armenia part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Armenia lay within Persia.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.