Garagaya is a village in the Sharur-Daralayaz uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Keshishkend (Yeghegnadzor) district, and currently in the Vayots Dzor province. It lies adjacent to the village of Erdapin, on the right bank of the Arpachay, at a height of 2,200 m above sea level. It is marked on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

The village was solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis: 141 in 1873, 214 in 1886, 259 in 1897, 177 in 1904, 194 in 1914 and 303 Azerbaijanis in 1916. In 1918 the villagers were deported having been exposed to aggression by Armenian armed forces. Following the establishment of Soviet power in the territory of present-day Armenia, the surviving villagers managed to return to their ancestral lands. The village was solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis: 193 in 1922, 97 in 1926, 140 in 1931, 161 in 1939, 152 in 1959, 133 in 1970, 208 in 1979 and 400 Azerbaijanis in 1987. In November-December 1988 the Azerbaijanis were deported from their historical and ethnic lands by the Armenian government. Currently, the village is inhabited only by Armenians.

The toponym was coined from the word “gara” used in the Azerbaijani language to mean color (black) and the word “gaya” used to mean “a mountain”.

The village was renamed “Sevajayr”. 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 Vayots Dzor province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 39°54’ N., longitude: 45°28’ E.