Shirak, Armenia

🇦🇲 Shirak (Շիրակ) is a village in the Akhuryan Municipality of the Shirak Province of Armenia, belongs to the Marmashen community.

History It is located 16 km from the district center. Until 1937, it was under Leninakan district. It is mentioned as Gonagghiran in the "Iravan Province Review Book", and in the form of Gonak Granon the 5 verst map of the Caucasus. In a source from 1728, it is mentioned as the name of a village in Shirakel district.

Toponymy The toponym Gonagghiran is derived from the combination of the word Gonag (Azerbaijani: qonaq) and Giran (Azerbaijani: Qıran) which literally stand for "guest" and "stop", "resting place", respectively, in the ancient Turkish language and the word "kuren" or "kran", which means "camp", "temporary stopping place for cattlemen". It is a toponym with a complex structure based on relief. The name of the village was changed into Shirak by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 2 February 1940. In Turkic languages, it consists of the words kunak, konak "stop", "resting place" and kuren "military camp". In the 19th century, Kunag-Tau (mountain name) and Kunak-tepe in Maykop district of Kuban province in the North Caucasus, Kunakh-Ay (mountain and river name) in Zagatala district, and Gonag-Chir (river name) in Batum district of Batum province. is the same. In the Middle Ages, there was a fortress called Kunak Castle (now known as "Karagala" in Turkey) south-east of Sürmeli.

Population In 1878, the population of Azerbaijani Turks was expelled and Armenians from Turkey were settled there