Kichik Arikhveli

Kichik Arikhveli is a village in the Alexandropol uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Artik district, and currently in the Shirak province. The provincial centre lies 28 km to the southeast of the town of Gumru, at a height of 1,960 m above sea level. It was marked in “The Iravan Province Review Book”, and on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

The Armenians from the Turkish provinces of Kars, Mus and Khnis (Hnis) were settled in the village in 1828–1829.

The toponym was coined by combining the word “kichik” (small) of Azerbaijani toponymy denoting a distinguishing feature and the combination of the word “arikh” reflecting the name of the Arikhli tribe and the personal name “Vali”, and means “the village belonging to Vali from the Arikhli tribe”. Over time, “Arikhveli” itself became an ethnonym.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 3 January 1935, the village was renamed “Pokr Mantash”. 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 Shirak province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 40°39’ N., longitude: 44°03’ E.