Albanian temple in Haji Gara village

In Haji Gara village, Uchkilsa district, Iravan governate.

Uchkilsa district, Echmiadzin, Haji Gara village, from 03.01.1935 – Aygeshad

Architecture

The Albanian temple was destroyed by the Armenians because it was not an "Armenian monument". The right, left, and back walls of the area are half blown away and the ruins of the right wall of the front side remains.  (Source: photo published on 26.12.2011)

The Albanian temple in the village of Haji Gara was built with large stones carved in a square shape during the time when the Albanians lived in the village. The temple was 3.5 meters wide, 4-4.5 meters long, and 5 meters high. There is an oval window in the back part, 50 cm wide and 1 meter long. The upper ceiling and part of the front door of the temple near the village fell and collapsed. The stones of the half-demolished temple are scattered around. Compiled in 1590, in the "Detailed Notebook of Iravan Province" as Haji Garali on the 5 verst map of the Caucasus, it is mentioned as Haji Gara. Azerbaijanis lived in the village until 1828. Armenians were moved here from the Khoy province of Iran in 1829 after the Treaty of Turkmenchay. Along with Armenians, 27 Azerbaijanis lived here in 1831 and 8 Azerbaijanis in 1897. Azerbaijanis have been deported from their historical-ethnic lands since the beginning of the XX century.
 

The toponym Gara Hajili was created on the basis of the Turkish ethnonym. The ethnonym Gara Hajili was inverted and turned into Haji Gara, Haji Garali. It is an ethnotoponym. Simple in structure. The historical information mentioned about the toponym and the temple show that the area is the homeland of Azerbaijanis.