Joghaz

Joghaz is a village in the Gazakh uezd of the former Yelizavetpol (Ganja) governorate, later in the former Karvansara (Ijevan) district, and currently in the Tavush province. The ancient name of the village was Jughaz. The provincial centre lies 22 km to the north of the town of Karvansara, and at a height of 700 m above sea level.

 The toponym was coined by combining the phonetic form “ju” of the word “su” in Old Turkic and the variant “ghaz” (xaz, qaz, qas) of the Old Turkic ethnonym “Ğas/Qaz/Xaz”. This ethnonym has maintained its trace clearly in the Gazakh and Caucasian toponyms. The word “ju” used in the sense of “su” (water) manifests itself as “ju” in the word “juvar”, as well as in Armenian “jur” (water). Also, the initial component “ju” of the word “jurdak” used in the sense of a narrow-necked water jug made of clay, earthenware, glass is the phonetic form of the word “su” (water).

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 25 January 1978, the village was renamed “Berkaber”. 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 Tavush province.

Geographic coordinates: latitude: 41°03′ N., longitude: 45°08′ E.