Garal is a village in the Alexandropol uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Hamamli (Spitak) district, and currently in the Lori province. The provincial centre lies 31 km to the west of the town of Boyuk Garakilsa (Vanadzor), adjacent to the Beykend River, at a height of 1,720 m above sea level. It was marked on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

The village was originally inhabited by Azerbaijanis, and following the settlement of Armenians in the area, the population moved to Türkiye. Armenians were relocated from the Turkish provinces of Mush and Kars in 1828–1830 and settled in the Garal village.

The toponym was coined on the basis of the Turkic ethnonym “garael” (garal) and means “great people, tribe”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 26 April 1946, the name of the village was changed to “Katnajur”. 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 Lori province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 40°49’ N., longitude: 44°08’ E.