Agulis (or Augulis, Aguillar, or Akoulis) was a historical Armenian village located in the Nakhichevan region of present-day Azerbaijan. [1] The village played an essential role in Armenian history due to its cultural, strategic, and historical significance. [2] [3] Dozens of Armenian churches existed up until 1919 when the Armenian population was massacred by Azeri and Turkish soldiers and which resulted in the destruction of the town. [4]
Agulis was an important center of Armenian culture and learning. The village was home to several notable Armenian schools, monasteries, and churches, including the Surb Astvatsatsin Church, also known as the Church of the Holy Mother of God, which was built in the 17th century. The church is known for its unique architectural design and its impressive wall paintings. The village was also home to several renowned Armenian scholars, writers, and religious leaders, including Mkhitar Gosh, who was born in Agulis and went on to become a prominent medieval Armenian scholar, lawyer, and statesman. During the 13th and 14th centuries trade among Asia Minor and Italy was provided mainly by Armenians, also many Armenian families in Agulis and Siunik were involved in the Italian trade. [5]
As a strategic fortress town, Agulis played a vital role in the defense of the Armenian kingdom against foreign invaders. The village was located along the border of the Armenian and Persian empires and was frequently attacked and occupied by hostile forces. Despite these challenges, Agulis remained a symbol of Armenian resistance and resilience for centuries. During the Seljuk invasion of Armenia in the 11th century, the village became a refuge for Armenian monks and scholars, and it played a significant role in preserving Armenian culture and language during a time of crisis.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Agulis was part of the Russian Empire, and it experienced a period of relative stability and prosperity. However, during World War I, the Ottoman Empire, which controlled present-day Azerbaijan, launched a campaign of genocide against the Armenian people. The Armenians of Agulis were among the many victims of this atrocity, and the village was destroyed, and its Armenian population was forced to leave. [6]
A map created by the USSR General Staff in 1977 marks several burial grounds and numerous ruins, although pinpointing medieval cemeteries poses significant difficulties. In Agulis, for instance, there were around 2,000 historical tombstones, and Ayvazyan had photographed and drawn many of them during the 1970s and 1980s. [7]
Karchevan is a village in the Meghri Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia.
Zar is a village in the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan.
Aşağı Əylis or Agulis is a village and municipality in the Ordubad District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. It is located in the near the Ordubad-Yuxarı Aylis highway, 3 km in the east from the district center, on the bank of the Aylis River. Its population is busy with gardening, farming, animal husbandry. There are secondary school, club and a medical center in the village. It has a population of 1007.
Yuxarı Əylis is a village and municipality in the Ordubad District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. It is located in the left and right sides of the Ordubad-Aylis highway, 12 km in the north-east from the district center. Its population is busy with gardening, farming, animal husbandry. There are secondary school, club, library, communication branch and a medical center in the village. It has a population of 1,916.
Çənnəb is a village and municipality in the Ordubad District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. It is located at the foot of the mountain, 32 km in the north-west from the district center. Its population is busy with gardening, beekeeping, farming and animal husbandry. There are secondary school, library, club and a medical center in the village. It has a population of 507.
Şurud, also Shorot or Shurut is a village and municipality in the Julfa District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. It is located 23 km to the north of the district center, on the slope of the Zangezur mountain range.
The Diocese of Artsakh is one of the largest dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is named after the historic province of Artsakh; the 10th province of the Kingdom of Armenia. The diocesan headquarters are located on Ghazanchetots street 72, in the town of Shushi. The seat of the bishop is the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. On 21 January 2022, Vrtanes Abrahamyan was appointed Primate of the Diocese.
Saint Thomas Monastery of Agulis was an Armenian Apostolic monastery, located in the Yuxarı Əylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. It was historically built in the Goghtn district of the historical Armenian province of Vaspurakan.
The Agulis massacre was a massacre of the Armenian population of Agulis by Azerbaijani state authorities and Azeri locals from Ordubad and refugees from Zangezur as part of the Muslim uprisings in Kars and Sharur–Nakhichevan against the First Republic of Armenia. The attack, lasting from December 24 to December 25, 1919, resulted in the destruction of the town of Agulis.
St. Stepanos Church was an Armenian church located on the slope of a hill in the northwestern Verin Get district of Yukhari Aylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.
St. Kristapor Church was an Armenian Apostolic Church located on the slope of Gindar hill in the central district of Yukhari Aylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.
St. Shmavon Church was an Armenian Apostolic Church located on the right bank of the Aylis (Agulis) River in Yukhari Aylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. It was located some 400-600m southwest of St. Kristapor Church of the same village. It has been completely erased by February 2000.
St. Hovhannes-Mkrtich Church was an Armenian Apostolic Church located in the lower district of Yukhari Aylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. It was located approximately 400-500m southwest of St. Shmavon Church of the same village.
St. Hakob-Hayrapet was an Armenian Apostolic Church located in the lower district of Yukhari Aylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. It was still a standing monument in the 1980s and had been already destroyed by 2000. It was located approximately 240 m northeast of St. Hovhannes-Mkrtich Church of the same village.
Mets Astvatsatsin Monastery was an Armenian monastery complex located on the slope of a hill, some 1.5 km east of Yukhari Aylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The monastery complex was completely erased in 2000–2009.
St. Nshan or Amarayin Church was an Armenian church located in the northwestern part of the Ashagy Aylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. It was located next to St. Stepanos Church. It was still a standing monument in the 1980s and was destroyed at some point between 1997 and 2000.
St. Stepanos or St. Yerordutyun Church was an Armenian church located in the northwestern part of the Ashagy Aylis village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. It was located next to St. Nshan Church. It was still a standing monument in the 1980s and was completely erased by 2000.
St. Stepanos Church was an Armenian church located in the northeastern district of the Kələki village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The church was still standing in the early 2000s.
St. Stepanos Monastery was an Armenian monastery located south of Çənnəb village of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The monastery was located on high ground in the former village of Mtsgun, some 3 km south of Çənnəb.
St. Stepanos Church was an Armenian church in Smyrna, Turkey.
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