Gatar was a village in the territory of the Zangezur uezd of the former Yelizavetpol (Ganja) governorate, later in the former Gafan district, and present-day Syunik province. The village was built at the foot of the chain of rocks.

The village was inhabited by 12 Azerbaijanis in 1831, 132 in 1873, 250 in 1886, 380 in 1904, 139 in 1914 and 5,124 Azerbaijanis and Armenians together in 1916. Armenian armed units committed massacre in the village in July of 1906. The Azerbaijanis were attacked, massacred or ousted from the village by Armenian armed units in 1918. After the establishment of Soviet power in present-day Armenia, the inhabitants that survived managed to return to their homes. The village was abolished in early 20th century after being merged with the town of Gafan.

The toponym is an orotoponym and was coined on the basis of the word “gatar” meaning “a chain of low mountains or rocks” in Azerbaijani.