Historically, the territories of modern-day Lori are associated with the cantons of Tashir, Boghnopor and Dzorapor of Gugark province of Ancient Armenia.

Lori is a mountainous region, dominated by the ranges of Javakheti, Bazum, Pambak, Gugark, Halab and Somkheti.

[8] The main water resource of the province is the Debed river with its tributaries Dzoraget, Pambak and Martsaget.

Excavations conducted in 1931 testify that the region of modern-day Lori was most probably settled during the 1st half of the 2nd millennium BC.

At the end of the 9th century, most of the Gugark province became part of the newly established Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia.

Later in 1185, the province became ruled by the Mkhargdzeli dynasty after Queen Tamar of Georgia appointed the Sargis Mkhargrdzeli as its governor.

[12] In 1800–01, together with the Georgian provinces of Kartli and Kakheti, Lori and Tavush were annexed by the Russian Empire to become part of the Georgia Governorate.

[13][7] Lori became officially part of the Russian Empire at the Treaty of Gulistan signed on 1 January 1813, between Imperial Russia and Qajar Persia, following the Russo-Persian War of 1804–13.

On 28 May 1918, the Turks retreated from Karakalisa, Abaran and Sardarabad, paving way towards the declaration of the Republic of Armenia on the same day.

In January 1919, the British brokered a peace agreement which left northern Lori as a neutral zone between the two countries.

When Armenia was invaded by Turkish forces in November 1920, Georgia occupied the whole province, with permission by the Armenian government.

[7] During the Soviet period, modern-day Lori was divided into the raions of Kalinino, Tumanyan (Alaverdi until 1969), Kirovakan, Aragats, Spitak and Stepanavan.

According to the 1989 Soviet census, the Lori Province (then part of the Gugark, Tashir, Spitak, Stepanavan, and Tumanyan districts in 1930–1995)[14] had a population of 229,459.

According to the Diocese of Gougark, as of February 2016, Lori is home to 259 places of worship, of which 3 monasteries, as well as 36 churches and 23 chapels, are active.

[17] The 793 individuals of the Yazidi community are found in the southern villages of the province including Lermontovo and Lernantsk.

Small Greek communities could be found in the towns of Alaverdi, Akhtala, Stepanavan, Noyemberyan and Vanadzor.

As a result of the administrative reforms in November 2017, Lori is currently divided into 57 municipal communities (hamaynkner), of which 7 are urban and 50 are rural:[18][19][20][21][22] During the recent years, many rural settlements in Lori became abandoned, including the villages of Gyulludara, Kizilshafak and Kizkala.

Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the monasteries of Haghpat, Sanahin, Kobayr and Bardzrakash in Dsegh served as centers of Armenian culture, theology and science.

Lori is connected to other parts of Armenia through a railway, national highways and a network of regional roads.

The M-8 highway connects Lori with Tavush Province to the east The provincial centre Vanadzor has a railway station with a South Caucasus Railway express service that connects the city with Yerevan via Gyumri, and Tbilisi via Ayrum.

In April 2012, a replacement bridge over the Zamarlu gorge just west of Vahagnadzor was opened in order to secure the safe ongoing use of the line to Ayrum,[23] but not before the all station service between Gyumri and Ayrum was discontinued leaving the likes of Spitak and Alaverdi without a passenger service.

Many sanatoriums, hotels, resorts and spas serve the province, mainly around Vanadzor, Stepanavan, Alaverdi, Dsegh and along the rivers of Dzoraget and Deped.

It offers a wide array of resources for children and their families through technologically advanced classrooms and labs.

[33][34] In 2017 the newly founded Lori FC made its debut in the Armenian First League, representing the city of Vanadzor.