TOPONYMICS A

AGHVANK (PROPER): Aghvank Proper, Country of Aghvank, Country of Albania covered the territory between the River Kura and Major Caucasus Range. In the east it reached the Caspian Sea and bordered on Georgia in the west. According to the medieval Armenian sources, Aghvank Proper incorporated 11 districts (regions). In the 1st century BC 26 tribes lived in the Country of Aghvank which were merged into a single kingdom ruled by one of the branches of the Partev Arshakuni Dynasty. Close relations were maintained with Armenia. At the end of the 4th century Christianity was adopted in Aghvank Proper. After the division of Armenia and the institution of the supremacy of Persia in East Armenia Aghvank Proper was included in Aghvank Province. During the period of the Arabic domination (7th century) it was merged into Arminia Province. As a result of the regular invasions of the foreign aggressors (Persians, Kurds, Arabs, Turkish Seljuks, Ogus-Turkmens, etc.) the ethnic composition of Aghvank radically changed. Armenians lived in Aghvank Proper since the ancient ages. In particular, Kambenjan-Shaki District was exclusively inhabited by authentic Armenians.

AGHDAM is situated near the Yevlakh-Shushi highway. It is inhabited with Turkish-Tatars. Before 1920 government agencies, such as the police station, post-office, operated in Aghdam. The police was responsible for the control over the main roads leading to Nagorno Karabagh. In 1918-20 the population of Aghdam, including Mourad-Beghlu, Ali Mardanili, Marijalu, Sharaflu, was 2100. According to the census of 1970, the number of the residents was 21,300.

AGHJABEDI REGION: The administrative region of Aghjabedi was established in 1930. As of 1976 the region constituted one town and 44 villages.
The territory of today's Aghjabedi region corresponds to Uti-Arandzak Province and the northwest sector of Paitakaran of the historical Great Armenia. In the Middle Ages the region was known by the name of Bekhamej.
Today the area of Aghjabedi region covers the major part of the extensive Aran plateau, including the entire area between the rivers Kura and Arax. It is known that because of the extremely unfavorable conditions for the organization of the defense the aborigines abandoned the region before the late medieval ages. The authentic inhabitants fled away and settled in the highlands of Artsakh. Later the wide valley was inhabited by nomadic tribes. This is why most of the Armenian cultural monuments preserved in the territory of today's Aghjabedi region belong to the pre-Christian and early Christian periods.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION OF TRANSCAUCASUS: The problem arose concurrently with the establishment of Zemstvos, the institution of self-governance, in the region and was the topic of discussion for more than twenty years. It was proposed to create the Zemstvos, based on the geographic, climatic, historical-political and ethnic features. One of the versions assumed division of Yelizavetpol Province into two sections with the Armenian section of Gandzak where the Armenians constituted the majority of the populace, including Karabagh (Artsakh), Zangezur, Gardman with the administrative center of the Armenian part of Yelizavetpol, right bank of the River Gandzak and the Moslem part of the Province which basically included the lowland districts with the left bank section of Yelizavetpol as its center. This version was approved by the Interim Government but its implementation was disrupted as the result of the October Revolution in 1917.

ARTSAKH was the tenth province of Great Haik (Armenia). In the inscriptions of Urartu (IX-VI centuries BC) Artsakh is referred to as "Urtekhe", "Urtekhine". In the Hellenic-Roman Sources Artsakh is noted as "Orkhistene". In the north its borders stretch along the River Kura southwards through the River Yeraskh (Arax). The territory of Artsakh include part of Moukhank (Moughan) Valley in the east and the eastern shore of the Lake Sevan in the west. In the early medieval sources Artsakh was called Eastern Armenian side because it entirely encompassed the area adjoining the eastern borders of Great Haik. Artsakh was also known by the name of Siunik Minor. The borders with Siunik Major were not precisely defined. Artsakh comprised 12 districts: Second Aband (as opposed to Aband of Siunik Major), Vaikunik, Berdadzor, Mets Arank, Mets Kokhmank (Mets Kvenk), Parisos (Parnes), Moukhank, Mokhek, Piank, Parskank, Argkhank, Kokht. According to the Royal Military Registry, 1000 soldiers from Artsakh were regularly recruited to the Army.

ATERPATAKAN - AZERBAIJAN: The geographical name of the territory of Persia which borders on the River Arax (Yeraskh) in the northeast. The name was pronounced by the Arabic and Tatar conquerors according to their linguistic standards: the Arabs called it "Aderbaijan", "Azerbaijan", and the Turks called it "Azrbaijan". At present two provinces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, i.e., Western and Eastern with the administrative centers of Tebriz and Zenjan respectively, bear the name "Azerbaijan". The name does not have anything in common with name of the Republic of Azerbaijan which is situated northwards the River Arax. The name was assigned to the republic in mid-1918.

ANDABERD FORTRESS: Andaberd is of special notice among the fortresses with powerful fortification system not only of Tsar Province but the whole Artsakh and the "Eastern Lands" of Armenia. The Fortress is situated between the present villages of Chapni and Ganlikend, 600 meters southwards the left bank of the River Lev, on top of a steep woody mountain.
Andaberd Fortress crowned with a remarkable history is often mentioned in the Armenian historiography.
In 1312 Andaberd was mentioned in one of the notes of the Holy Bible of Targmanchats Monastery (Khachakap) as one of the fortification structures of Dopian Principality.
The inside area of the fortress which is surrounded with a rectangular wall was 92 х 60 meters. The average thickness of the defense wall is 1,3 meters. The maximal height of the preserved walls is 8 meters.

AMARAS TEMPLE was the spiritual and cultural center of Artsakh. It was erected in a settlement which was situated in the area of Other Aband of Artsakh (Martuni Region of MKAO as of January 1, 1988). The temple was constructed in the 4th century by Grigor the Enlightener. Until the 6th century Amaras was the residence of the head of Aghvan Eparchy. The tomb of Grigor with a well-preserved inscription (489) on it is beneath the altar. Since the early times schools functioned in the temple. The temple is surrounded with defense towers where the people were sheltered during the times of danger. The temple seriously suffered from the invasions and offenses of the foreigners, but was restored more than once. Today it is in a satisfactory state.

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