Karkibash is a village in the Novo-Bayazid uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Basarkechar (Vardenis) district, and currently in the Gegharkunik province. The provincial centre lies 69 km to the southwest of the town of Kavar (Gavar), near Lake Goycha, at a height of 1,940 m above sea level.

The village was inhabited by 183 Azerbaijanis in 1873, 255 in 1886, 301 in 1897, 306 in 1908 and 369 Azerbaijanis in 1916. In 1919 the Azerbaijanis were massacred or expelled from the village by Armenian armed forces. Following the establishment of Soviet power in present-day Armenia in 1920, the surviving villagers managed to return to their native villages. The village was inhabited by 166 Azerbaijanis in 1922, 174 in 1926, 224 in 1931 and 315 Azerbaijanis in 1939. In accordance with the decision of the USSR Council of Ministers “On the resettlement of collective farmers and other Azerbaijani population from the Armenian SSR in the Kur-Araz lowland of the Azerbaijan SSR” dated 23 December 1947, the Azerbaijani population of the village was forcibly deported to Azerbaijan. Some of the deportees were later able to return to their native villages. The village was inhabited by 431 in 1959, 635 in 1970 and 725 Azerbaijanis in 1979. In 1988 the Azerbaijanis were expelled from their native village by the Armenian state again. Currently, the village is inhabited only by Armenians.

The toponym was derived from the ethnonym “Karkibashli” attributed to the Qazakh tribe.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 25 May 1967, the village was renamed “Shafag”, and by decision dated 3 April 1991, it was renamed “Vanevan”. 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 Gegharkunik province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 40°12’ N., longitude: 45°41’ E.