Ashaghi Alchali

Ashaghi Alchali is a village in the Novo-bayazid uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Garanlig (Martuni) district, and currently in the Gegharkunik province. The provincial centre lies 53 km to southeast of the town of Kavar (Yeni Bayazid, Kamo), at a 2 km distance from Lake Goycha, by the Alchali River, and at a height of 1,950 m above sea level. It was marked on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

The village had been inhabited by Azerbaijanis until the 1920s. Following the Treaty of Turkmenchay, the Armenians removed from the Alashkirt region of Türkiye were settled there in 1829–1830. Since that time the Azerbaijanis had been driven out of the village.

The toponym was coined by combining the word “ashaghi” denoting a distinguishing feature and the name of a plant “alcha” with the possessive ending “-lı”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 27 September 1968, the village was renamed “Ardzvanist”. 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 Gegharkunik province.

Geographic coordinates: latitude: 40°09’ N., longitude: 45°30’ E.