Strabo characterizes "Orchistenê" (Artsakh) as "the area of Armenia exposing the greatest number of horsemen". It is unclear when Orchistenê became part of Armenia. Strabo, carefully listing all gains of Armenian kings since 189 BC, does not mention Orchistenê, which indirectly shows that it probably has been transferred to the Armenian empire from the Persian satrapy of "East Armenia". There are ruins of the city of Tigranakert near the modern city of Agdam. It is one of four cities with this name that were built in the beginning of 1 BC by the king of Armenia, Tigranes the Great. Recently Armenian archaeologists have conducted excavation at the site of this city. Fragments of a fortress, and also hundreds of artifacts similar to those found in excavations of ancient sites in Armenia proper, have been unearthed. The outlines of a citadel and a basilica dated to the 5th–6th centuries AD have been revealed. Excavation have shown that the city existed since the 1st century BC until the 13th or 14th century AD.