Garaisa

Garaisa is a village in the Borchali uezd of the former Tiflis governorate, later in the former Vorontsovka (Kalinino) district, and currently in the Lori province. The provincial centre lies 47 km to the northwest of the town of Boyuk Garakilsa (Vanadzor). Until 1937 it had been subordinated to the former Jalaloghlu (Stepanavan) district. It was integrated into the Kalinino district on 31 December 1937.

 The village was inhabited by 128 Azerbaijanis in 1922, 163 in 1926, 196 in 1931, 197 in 1939, 107 in 1959, 228 in 1970 and 173 Azerbaijanis in 1979. In the late 1950s, the village was subordinated to the Ilmazli Soviet (a rural council). In late 1988 the Azerbaijanis were deported from their historical and ethnic lands by the Armenian government. At present, the village is inhabited only by Armenians.

The toponym was formed on the basis of the name of the Garaisali Turkic tribe attributed to the “Uchokh” branch of the Oghuz.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 3 April 1991, the village was renamed “Meghvahovit”. 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: 41°07’ N., longitude: 44°09’ E.