Terp is a village in the Sharur-Daralayaz uezd of the Iravan govenorate, later in the former Pashali (Azizbeyov, Vayk) district, and currently in the Vayots Dzor province. The provincial centre lies 35 km to the south of the town of Keshishkend (Yeghegnadzor), near the Kochbekchay, the right tributary of the Jul River, at a height of 1,720 m above sea level. The name of the village was first mentioned in the 13th century. It is given in Armenian literature as “Derbi”.

The village was solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis: 96 in 1831, 243 in 1873, 215 in 1886, 376 in 1897, 384 in 1904, 422 in 1914 and 504 Azerbaijanis in 1916. In 1918 the Azerbaijanis were deported from the village having been exposed to the aggression of 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 ancestral lands. The village was solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis: 80 in 1922, 222 in 1926 and 408 Azerbaijanis in 1931. According to the decision of the USSR Council of Ministers “On the resettlement of collective farmers and other Azerbaijani population from the Armenian SSR to 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 those who were deported were later able to return to their native village after 1950. In November 1988 the Azerbaijani population of the village were again deported by the state of Armenia. At present, only Armenians live there.

The toponym was formed on the basis of the word “tarp/terp” used to mean “a hillock” in Azerbaijani. This word is used in Arabic in the form of “derb” and means “a mountain pass or pass”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 27 February 1956, the village was renamed “Saravan”. 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 Vayots Dzor province.

Geographic coordinates: latitude 39°43’ N., longitude 45°38’ E.