Shaki is a village in the Zangezur uezd of the former Yelizavetpol (Ganja) governorate, later in the former Garakilsa (Sisian) district, and currently in the Syunik province. The provincial centre lies 103 km to the northwest of town of Gafan, at a height of 1,710 m above sea level. The famous Shaki waterfall is in the territory of the village. After the establishment of the Zangezur district in Soviet Armenia on 31 August 1921, the settlement was integrated into the administrative area of Armenia. The “Iravan Province Review Book” dating 1728 points out the existence of an area called “Shaki” on the list of villages included in the Sisian area with an annual revenue in the amount of 5,959 akchas.

The village was inhabited by 48 Azerbaijanis in 1831, 445 in 1873, 657 in 1886, 1,191 in 1897, 1,605 in 1908 and 1,584 Azerbaijanis in 1914. In August 1918 the Azerbaijanis were deported from the village having been exposed to the genocide by Armenian armed units (309, p.205). The Armenians from abroad were moved and settled in the village. Following the establishment of Soviet power in the territory of present-day Armenia, the surviving Azerbaijanis were able to return to their place. The village was inhabited by 282 Azerbaijanis, 12 Armenians in 1922, 385 Azerbaijanis, 407 Armenians in 1926, 557 Azerbaijanis, 510 Armenians in 1931. In early 1988 the village was inhabited by 1,930 Azerbaijanis (190 family). In November 1988 the Azerbaijanis were completely deported by the state of Armenia. At present, only Armenians live there.

The toponym was coined on the basis of the Cimmerian ethnonym “Sak”. Shaki is a phonetic variation of the ethnonym “Sak/saka”.

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 Syunik province.

Geographic coordinates: latitude 39°33’ N., longitude 45°59’ E