Avshar is a village in the Iravan uezd of the former Iravan governorate, in the Vedibasar area, later in the former Vedi (Ararat) district, and currently in the Ararat province. The provincial centre lies 13 km to the southeast of the town of Gamarli (Artashat), by the canal flowing from the Vedi River, and at a height of 835 m above sea level. It was marked as “Avshar” in “The Iravan Province Comprehensive Data Book” compiled in 1590, as “Afsharyerli” in the Vedi area in “The Iravan Province Review Book” compiled in 1728, and as “Afshar” in the five-verst map of the Caucasus. In their works the Armenian authors state that the village was founded in 1831. Actually, the history of the village is very ancient. That is, “The Iravan Province Comprehensive Data Book” pointed out the existence of a village by the name “Avshar” in the Vedi area in the 16th century.

The village was inhabited by 80 Azerbaijanis in 1831, 886 in 1873, 1,059 in 1886, 1,166 in 1897, 1,094 in 1904, 1,203 in 1914 and 1,160 Azerbaijanis in 1916. In 1918–1919 the Azerbaijanis were ousted having been exposed to massacres by Armenians. The Armenians removed from abroad were settled in the village. The surviving Azerbaijanis, who had been ousted from the village, managed to return to their land following the establishment of Soviet power in the present-day Armenian territory in 1920. Along with the Azerbaijanis, Armenians also lived in the village after 1920. The village was inhabited by 420 Azerbaijanis, 322 Armenians in 1922, 533 Azerbaijanis, 317 Armenians in 1926, 608 Azerbaijanis, 327 Armenians in 1931. Until 1831–1916, only Azerbaijanis lived in the village. According to the decision of the USSR Council of Ministers “On the resettlement of collective farmers and other Azerbaijani population from the Armenian SSR to the Kur-Araz lowland of the Azerbaijan SSR” dated 23 December 1947, the Azerbaijanis were forced to move to Azerbaijan in 1948–1950.

At present, only Armenians live there.The toponym was coined on the basis of the name of the Avshar Oghuz tribe meaning “nimble and fond of hunting”. 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: 39°50’ N., longitude: 44°41’ E.