Basarkechar district was established on September 9, 1930. Basarkechar was the center of the district with an area of 1151 km². The distance from there to the city of Iravan is 168 km.

The territory of the district was historically included in the Goycha district of the Iravan Khanate, and during the period of Tsarist Russia, it was included in the Novo-Bayazid district of the Iravan governorate.

The toponym was formed by adding the word “keçer” used in the indefinite future tense to the ethnonym “bazar//basar” of Kipchak origin. It means “the place where the Bazar (basar) tribe passes and goes”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated June 11, 1969, the name of the district was changed to “Vardenis”.

Since 1987, the native inhabitants of the district – Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their places of residence. In 1995, the district was abolished and included in the administrative territory of Gegarkunik province of Armenia.