Yukhari Zaghali is a village in the Goycha uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Basarkechar (Vardenis) district, and currently in the Gegharkunik province. The provincial centre is located 70 km to the southeast of the town of Kavar (Gavar), at the foot of Dik Pillakan Mountain near Lake Goycha. The village was marked on the five-verst map of the Caucasus. Another name for the village was “Tatar Zaghalisi”. There are ruins of an ancient village and remains of the Oghuz cemetery at a distance of one km to the east from the village.
The village was inhabited by 98 Azerbaijanis in 1831, 515 in 1873, 717 in 1886, 774 in 1897, 917 in 1908, 1,018 in 1914 and 922 Azerbaijanis in 1916. In late 1918 and early 1919 the Azerbaijanis were massacred or expelled from the village by Armenian armed units. After the establishment of Soviet power in the territory of present-day Armenia in 1920, the Azerbaijanis were able to return to the village. Following 1922, the Armenians removed from the Mush region of Türkiye were settled in the village of Yukhari Zaghali. Along with the Armenians, the village was inhabited by 185 Azerbaijanis in 1926 and 206 Azerbaijanis in 1931. İn the village of Yukhari Zaghali the inhabitants numbered 629 in 1970 and 534 in 1979, out of which the Azerbaijanis constituted over 30 per cent. In 1988 the Azerbaijanis were expelled from their village by the Armenian state. At present, the village is inhabited only by Armenians.
The toponym was coined by adding the suffix “-li” to the word “zagha” meaning “a cave” in Azerbaijani. The word “yukhari” at the beginning of the toponym denotes a distinctive feature.
By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 25 January 1978, the village was renamed “Akhpadzor”. According to the law “On the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995, it was integrated into the administrative area of the Gegharkunik province.
Geographic coordinates: latitude 40°06’ N., longitude 45°39’E.
