Armenians often consider the breed to be historically Armenian, as the Lake Van area was inhabited by Armenians since antiquity until their local extermination during the genocide of 1915. Some authors associate the cat with the Armenian people, a population of whom have historically lived in the Lake Van area, who have been said to have "revered" the cat. Prior to 1915, the area had a large Armenian population, and the Armenian homeland is centred on Lake Van, which was important even in ancient Armenian culture. The Armenian inhabitants of Van have been said to have "loved" Van cats.