Shikhlar 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 117 km to the northwest of the town of Gafan, at a height of 1,800 m above sea level. After the establishment of the Zangezur district in Soviet Armenia on 31 August 1921, the settlement was integrated into the administrative area of Armenia. Its name was indicated as “Sheykhler” in “The Iravan Province Review Book”, marked as “Shikhlar” on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

The village was inhabited by 44 Azerbaijanis in 1831, 312 in 1873, 306 in 1886, 544 in 1897, 590 in 1908 and 585 Azerbaijanis in 1914. In 1918 the Azerbaijanis were massacred or deported from the village by Armenian armed units. 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 326 Azerbaijanis in 1922, 391 in 1926, and 411 Azerbaijanis in 1931. In late 1988 the Azerbaijanis were deported by the state of Armenia. At present, only Armenians live in the village.

The toponym was coined on the basis of the ethnonym “Sheykhler” (Shikhlar), which belongs to the Turkic Gazakh tribe.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 2 March 1940, the village was renamed “Gizil Shafaq” and by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 8 August 1991, it was renamed “Torunik”. 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 46°02’ E.