ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Kashunik 100 Monuments

NKR (Country) / Kashunik (District)

Historical Introduction
7 c․

In accordance with “Ashkharatsuyts”, which dates from the VII cent, Baghk was one of the 12 administrative districts included into the province of Syunik. During the Middle Ages the eastern and western parts of the district split and acquired new names. Correspondingly, the western part or the main Baghk was mentioned as Ajen or Ajanan (“The Baghk or Baghaki district, which is presently called Ajen”), while the eastern - elevated part of the district, which is more interesting for the purposes of this research, was called Kashunik. Since the 13th century Kashunik was also known as Barkushat. All of these three toponyms are mentioned by the historian side by side in regard of the famous Yeritsvank monastery, located in this part of the district (“... When they reached the doors of Yeritsvank, which is situated in Baghk, that is to say Kashunik, presently called Barkushat district”, or “the Kashunik district, which is presently called Barkushat...”).

Anania Shirakatsi, Matenagrutyun, Yerevan, 1979, p. 295 (in Arm.).
Stephanos Orbelian, History of Syunik, Yerevan, 1986, pp. 70, 110-111, 114 (in Arm.).
See also "Small Chronicles", vol. 1, Yerevan, 1951, p. 37 (in Arm.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 178-179.

12 c․

We know, that since the middle of the 12th century the district occurred under the Turk-Seljuks rule, and was liberated by princes Ivane and Zakare in 1201: “they overtook the area from Aran to Lower Basen, from Barkushat to Mzhnkert.”

St. Orbelian, History of Syunik, Yerevan, 1986, p. 316.
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 179.

16 — 17 cc․

Both toponyms Barkushat and Kashunik were used in parallel till the XVI century, later in the XVI-XVII cent the toponym Kashunik finally gave place to Barkushat. Kashunik is nowadays represented only in the form of ‘Kashuni’ to denote the river, flowing through the whole district and mixing with Vorotan at the right side (Turkish Chay-Zami). As regards the toponym Barkushat, a village and a fortress of identical name are recorded here since the 13th century already. The latter is recorded within the list of strongholds donated by Ivane Atabek to prince Liparit of Syunik, while the former is listed alongside with other villages of the Kashunik district (tax amounting 12 dahekan, which may lead to the conclusion that it was rather a large village).

St. Orbelian, History of Syunik, Yerevan, 1986, pp. 319, 401.
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 179.

17 — 18 cc․

In the XVII-XVIII cent Barkushat in its turn was divided to a number of smaller entities: the district of Maghanjugh in the northern and northwestern side (to the left of the Kashuni River), the district of Gilaberd - in the southern side, in the lower course of the Voghji River, and the district of Barkushat (or Barkashat, Bargushat) in the central part of the former Kashunik-Barkushat, which remained under the same name. So was called the lower course of the Vorotan River, limiting the district in the east.

Chronicle of St. Orbelian, Annex, Yerevan, 1942, p. 41 -42 (in Arm.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 179.

The mentioned administrative territorial division remained unchanged till the Russian rule, when it was included into the Zangezur uyezd of Yelizavetpol province. Upon the establishment of the Soviet power the three mentioned districts of Kashunik were partitioned and divided between Armenia and Azerbaijan. New borderline between the Soviet republics passed willfully through the central parts of all three districts, as a result Armenia received only the western, mountainous and insulated areas, while the most fertile plateaus passed to Azerbaijan. In 1923 the latter included this area into the newly formed Autonomous Region of Red Kurdistan, and in 1930 - upon its liquidation, the area entered into the Zangelan district of Azerbaijan. In 1964 the eastern parts of the former Maghanjugh and Barkushat districts and the areas east of the Hakari River, as well as certain pre-alpine zones of the historical Artsakh were included into a new administrative entity named after the village Ghubatlu, which was turned to a town type settlement (area - 802 sq. m) in 1962.

Azerbaijanian Soviet Encyclopaedia, vol. Ill, Baku, 1979, p. 254 (in Azerb.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 179.

Population
18 c․

The Armenians lived en masse in Kashunik-Barkushat till the first quarter of the 18th century, afterwards it was occupied by nomadic Muslim tribes. The Kurds still settled in their tents till at least 1825, but later moved to the deserted Armenian villages and within 60 years (1885) passed to the settled mode of life. Thus the first Kurdish villages, the number of which increased considerably during the Soviet period, were established between 1825 and 1885. In 1977 there had been 94 villages already.

S. Bahatrian, Zangezur, "Nor Dar", 1885, N 34, p. 2-3 (in Arm).
Azerbaijanian Soviet Encyclopaedia, vol. Ill, Baku, 1979, p. 254 (in Azerb.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 179.

Description

The whole area along the left bank of Hakari is covered by mainly old villages, which have lost their historical names. Presently they are known only under their Turkish and Kurdish names given by the nomads during the last two centuries.

Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 188.

Contrary to it, the settlements situated in the elevated parts of the Hakari river valley, above the, gorge, on the mountain slopes and especially in the woody pre-alpine zones east of the river have still preserved numerous traces of material culture of the former population.

Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 188.

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Ghubatli	1962 y․
Barkushat
Baghk
Barkashat
Bargushat