Ortakilsa is a village in the Alexandropol uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Duzkend (Akhuryan) district, and currently in the Shirak province. The provincial centre lies 6 km to the northwest of the town of Gumru, at a height of 1,660 m above sea level.

The village was originally inhabited by Azerbaijanis, and after the settlement of Armenians in the region, the Azerbaijani population gradually left the village. Until 1937 it had been subordinated to the Leninakan district. It was marked in “The Iravan Province Review Book, and on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

The toponym was coined on the basis of the name of the religious temple- church situated in the village. As there are several churches in the area, the lexical unit “orta” (means “middle”) was added to the toponym as a distinguishing word and a village called “Ortakilsa” was established.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 26 April 1946, the village was renamed “Mayisyan”. 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 Shirak province.

Geographic coordinates: latitude 40°51’ N., longitude 43°49’ E.