ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Gharaghshlagh 4 Monuments

NKR (Country) / Kashatagh (District) / Gharaghshlagh (Village)

Historical Introduction
1888 y․

This village is marked under the same name both in the pre-Soviet and Soviet maps. The only map marking the name as Karigshtag (in a map of 1888) should be considered a misprint. Nevertheless, paying no attention to a number of other evidences A. Karaghyozian identified the latter with the historical center of the province, Kashatagh and located the Kashatagh fortress nearby that village. However, we investigated the area and found no fortress at all (not even ruins), as the relief of that area doesn’t provide conditions necessary for a fortress). The same is true in regard of the historical Verin Shen village (mentioned in the Chronicle of S. Orbelian), which A. Karaghyozian located 2-3 km southeast of Gharaghshlagh. It deserves mentioning that the place represents a mountain range serving a watershed, with steep, bare, rocky waterless slopes, a relief where apparently no village could exist, therefore it was natural, that we found no traces of any settlements there.

The map of Kondratenko, published in Tbilisi in 1888 (Yelisavetpol Province, Statistical Up-Date, extracted from the Family Lists of the Caucasus Population, Tiflis, 1888.)
Armen Karagyozian, On Localization of the Kashatagh District, "Lraber", 1987, N 1, pp. 40-41.
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 136:

Yet, we have no sufficient data to clarif y the exact historical name of this village.

Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 136.

Population
1914 y․

In 1914 Gharaghshlagh had 949 Kurdish residents.

"Caucasian Calendar for 1915", Tiflis, 1916, p. 135 (in Rus.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 136.

Location

It was in the administrative subordination - of the Minkand group of villages, subject to the Zangezoor uyezd (district) of Yelisavetpol province.

"Caucasian Calendar for 1917", Tiflis, 1916, p. 54 (in Rus.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 141.

Population
1977 y․

In 1977 the population of the village consisted of 1152 people - totally assimilated Kurds.

Azerbaijanian Soviet Encyclopaedia, vol. Ill, Baku, 1979, p. 73 (in Azerb.).
In regard of the enforced assimilation of the Kurds in this area see: Vardan Grigorian, Enforced Assimilation in Azerbaijan, (Azerbaijanian Alternative of the Solution of the Kurdish cause), Yerevan, 1992, p. 25-31 (in Rus.).
Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 136.

Location

The village is situated on the altitude of 1220-1290 m, in a beautiful valley, between bare high rocks, at the left bank of the Aghavnaget, mainly on the southern slope of the mountain.

Samvel Karapetian, Armenian Cultural Monuments in the Region of Karabakh, Yerevan, 2001, p. 141.

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Black-and-white negative

Name	Year/Century	Etymology
Gharghshlagh