Gipchak is a village in the Alexandropol uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Artik district, and currently in the Shirak province. The provincial centre lies 22 km to the southeast of the town of Gumru, at a height of 2,020 m above sea level. It is marked in “The Iravan Province Review Book” and on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

The village was originally inhabited by Azerbaijanis, and following the settlement of Armenians in the area according to the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828), the population gradually left the village. Armenians were relocated to the village from the Erzurum, Bayburd and Mush provinces of Türkiye.

The toponym was coined on the basis of the ethnonym “Kipchak”, one of the ancient Turkic tribes.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 31 May 1946, the village was renamed “Harij” (“Foreigners” in honour of the Armenians emigrated from Iran). There are several medieval Kipchak temples in the village. According to the law “On the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995, it was integrated into the administrative territory of the Shirak province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 40°35’ N., longitude: 44°00’E.