Aghaj pir

In Alexandropol district of Iravan Governorate, later in Avdibay village in Hamamli district

Hamamli district- Spitak, Avdibay village - since 04.05.1939 Tsakhkashen, Tsakhkaber since 21.10.1967

Architecture

It was not possible to visit after the deportation of Azerbaijanis from their historicalethnic lands in 1987-1991. Pir was appropriated by Armenians.

The toponym originated from the personal name Avdibay, typical of Azerbaijanis. Pir, sacred places and pilgrimages were very important for the spiritual world of people. The Aghaj (“tree”) pir is located on a high hilly area on the outskirts of the village. 

The only tree in the area was considered sacred by the people and turned into a shrine like a pir. People who came to the Aghaj pir, which represents a sacred way of belief, made an intention and tied a cloth to the branch of the tree. Seven Azerbaijanis lived in the village in 1897¹. 

It is an anthroponym. It is a simple toponym in structure². At the beginning of the 20th century (1905-1906), Azerbaijanis were deported from the village. Armenians live now.

1. Qorqodyan Z. 1831–1931-ci illərdə Sovet Ermənistanının əhalisi (erməni dilində). İrəvan: “Melkonyan fond”, 1932, səh.40–41 (Gorgodyan Z. Population of Soviet Armenia in 1831–1931 (in Armenian))

    

2. Bayramov İ.M. Qərbi Azərbaycanın türkmənşəli toponimləri /red.: B.Ə.Budaqov, H.İ.Mirzəyev, S.A.Məmmədov. Bakı: “Elm”, 2002, 696 səh. (Bayramov I.M.
   Toponyms of Turkic origin of Western Azerbaijan)