ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Aghbashlar 2 Monuments

Azerbaijan (Country) / Northern Artsakh (Area) / Touz (District) / Aghbashlar (Village)

Location

The village is situated on the right bank of the river Zakam, 39 kilometres south of the district centre, at an altitude of 1,040 to 1,160 metres above sea level.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 526.

Historical Introduction
1890 y․

The only person to have investigated the neighbourhood of Aghbashlar is S. Kamalian, who travelled in the region in 1890. Below follows his record on the local monuments, “Leaving Pendekhlu early in the morning, I went north-east and descended the gorge, where several streams merged together, forming the river Zakam. Keeping along the left bank of the river for an hour, I reached a simple, wooden bridge, within 30 steps of which, i.e. on the right bank of the river, on the upper section of the road, the resonant waters of Atti-Bulagh ran. It falls from a crack at a height of 2 arshins so that you can drink its water even on horseback; hence comes its name. Tzatur told me that some silver coins had been found from below a cross-stone lying by the source of the spring. I tried to find it, but in vain. I thought it must be something simple and ordinary, but how great was my amazement when I found out what I had been told about was a natural block of stone. Its southern side bore a large cross with the following inscription, ‘May this Holy Cross protect kind-hearted David, who built Jasat’s Bridge in the year 1607 in perpetuation of his soul.’ After I had read it, I looked around and caught sight of a part of the bridge pier on the right bank of the river.
“Keeping downwards from Atti-Bulagh, we saw Mharli Gorge on the left side of the river. Then we came across several dwellers at the beginning of the gorge, below which lay the ravine of Chanaghchi. There was another bridge on our way, with its middle part demolished. Due to its dilapidated state, the road, once under construction, had been left incomplete. As my companion told me, that gorge was not difficult to traverse any more, while formerly it was absolutely difficult of access, especially during the periods the river overflowed its banks. Now carts were used for transportation purposes and there was a guard-house, called Keorpi Gyoz, opposite the bridge, on the right bank of the river. Below, on the left lay the gorges of Shamlut and Agh-Dara.”

The Armenian original of the inscription reads, «Ս(ուր)բ խաչս բարեխոս է բարեմիտ Դաւթին, որ շինեաց Ջասատի կամու(ր)ճն յիշատակ հոգոյ իւրոյ. թվ(ին) ՌԾԶ (1607)»: Yeghishe Charents Art and Literature Museum. Sargis Kamalian Fund, copy-book No. 1, VI-11, pp. 34-35.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 526.