Tezekend

Tezekend 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 lies 25 km to the northwest of the town of Gamarli, to the southeast of the city of Iravan, at the foot of Bughutu Mountain (Buğutu dağı), at a height of 865 m above sea level. It was marked as “Tezekend” on the five-verst map of the Caucasus. In Russian literature it is noted as “Tatar’s Tezekend”. Until the formation of Zangibasar district in 14 January 1969, it had been subordinated to the Echmiadzin district.

The village was solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis: 224 in 1897 and 75 in 1914. In 1919 the Azerbaijanis were deported from the village having been exposed to the aggression of Armenian armed units. In 1919- 1920 the Armenians removed from Türkiye were settled in the village. At present, only Armenians live there.

The toponym was coined on the basis of the oeconym “Tezekend” consisting of the components “teze” meaning “new” and “kend” meaning “a settlement” to denote “a new settlement”. In 1920 the name of the village was literally translated into Armenian as “Tezegyugh”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 10 November 1970, it was renamed “Ayntap”. 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.

Geographic coordinates: latitude 40°05’ N., longitude 44°28’ E.