Aygestan ( hy, Այգեստան) or Ballyja ( hy, Բալուջա, Baluja; az, Ballıca) is a village that is, ''
de facto'', in the
Askeran Province
Askeran Province ( hy, Ասկերան) is a province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' part of the Khojaly District of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is in the center of Artsakh, surrounding the capital, Stepanakert. It is not ...
of the
breakaway Republic of Artsakh; ''
de jure'', it is in the
Khojaly District
Khojaly District ( az, Xocalı rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the Karabakh Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Kalbajar, Lachin, Shusha, Agdam and K ...
of
Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of
Nagorno-Karabakh. The village has an ethnic
Armenian-majority population, and also had an Armenian majority in 1989.
History
The modern village was founded in the 17th century.
During the
Soviet period, the village was part of the
Askeran District of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
Historical heritage sites
Historical heritage sites in and around the village include tombs from the 2nd–1st centuries BCE, a 12th/13th-century village, the 12th/13th-century Tamtsi Church ( hy, Թամցի եկեղեցի), the 12th/13th-century shrine of ''Prshni Nahatak'' ( hy, Փռշնի Նահատակ), a 13th-century
khachkar
A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...
, a cemetery from between the 17th and 19th centuries, and the church of ''Surb Astvatsatsin'' ( hy, Սուրբ Աստվածածին, ) built in 1850.
Economy and culture
The population is mainly engaged in
agriculture and
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
, as well as in different state institutions. As of 2015, the village has a municipal building, a house of culture, a secondary school, a kindergarten, and a medical centre.
The village is home to the Artsakh Brandy Company.
Demographics
The village had 1,091 inhabitants in 2005,
and 1,084 inhabitants in 2015.
Gallery
Այգեստանի_եկեղեցին.jpg, St. Astvatsatsin Church
Այգեստանի գյուղապետարանը.jpg, Municipal building
Այգեստան_գյուղի_դպրոցը.jpg, School
Տեսարան, Այգեստան.jpg, Beekeeping
Այգեստան գյուղ.jpg, Street
Գյուղի տեսարաններից.jpg, A view of the village
Հայրենական_Մեծ_պատերազմին_նվիրված_հուշակոթող.jpg, WWII (Great Patriotic War) monument
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aygestan
Populated places in Askeran Province
Populated places in Khojaly District