The Arshakuni dynasty was the largest Armenian royal dynasty, whose reign in Armenia lasted for almost four centuries – from 52 (officially – from 66-68) to 428.
The Armenian historian of the 5th century Pavstos Buzand reports that in 359 the troops of King Shapukh II from the Sassanid clan suddenly invaded Armenia and captured the fortress of Ani-Kamakh in the province of Daranakh. Having destroyed the graves of the Armenian kings buried there, the Persians “took with them the remains of the kings of Arshakuni, but could not open only the crypt of King Sanatruk – a huge, incredibly strong and very ingenious structure.”
Hoping to break the fortitude of the Armenians and weaken the power of the Armenian state, the Persians tried to take the stolen remains to their country, believing that this step would add to their glory. Having learned about this, the sparapet Vasak Mamikonyan set off in pursuit of the Persian army and, having defeated the enemy, returned the captured royal remains to Armenia, reburying them in the crypt church built for this purpose in Akhtsk and thus returning the lost royal reputation and glory of the country. At the same time, the relics of Christian kings were buried separately from the remains of pre-Christian kings.
The tomb remained untouched until the very end of the Arshakuni dynasty, after which it was subject to invasions and several earthquakes. The father of Armenian history, Movses Khorenatsi, wrote that, in the end, it was decided to transfer the royal remains to Vagharshapat.
The royal tomb is rectangular on the outside and a cross-shaped semi-underground composition on the inside, measuring 2.6 by 3.8 m with a vaulted ceiling. It was built from black and red hewn tuff using lime mortar.
