Haji Elyaz is a village in the Iravan uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Zangibasar (Masis) district, and currently in the Ararat province. The provincial centre is located 23 km to the northwest of the town of Gamarli, at a height of 840 m above sea level. It was marked as “Haji Ilyas” in “The Iravan Province Review Book” and as “Haji Elyaz” on the five-verst map of the Caucasus. Armenian authors indicate the name of the village as “Haji Eylaz” and “Eylas” in their works. The name of the village was used as “Haji Ellaz” among the local inhabitants.

The village was solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis: 445 in 1831, 1,095 in 1873, 1,073 in 1886, 1,457 in 1897, 1,097 in 1908, 1,187 in 1914 and 1,467 Azerbaijanis in 1916. In 1918 Azerbaijanis were deported by Armenian armed forces, and Armenians removed from Türkiye were settled in the village. Following the establishment of Soviet power in the territory of present-day Armenia, the surviving Azerbaijanis managed to return to their native lands. The village was inhabited by 582 Azerbaijanis and 71 Armenians in 1922, 586 Azerbaijanis and 50 Armenians in 1926, 680 Azerbaijanis and 9 Armenians in 1931. According to the decision of the USSR Council of Ministers “On the resettlement of collective farmers and other Azerbaijani population from the Armenian SSR to the Kur-Araz lowland of the Azerbaijan SSR” dated 23 December 1947, the Azerbaijanis were forcibly relocated to Azerbaijan, and the Armenians from Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Türkiye were settled in the village. At present, Armenians live there.

The toponym was coined on the basis of a personal name. The village was renamed “Ipakli”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 4 April 1946, it was renamed the settlement “Masis sovkhoz”. At present, it is called “Darakert”. 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 Ararat province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 40°06’ N., longitude: 44°24’ E.