Afandi village tombstone monuments

Monument date:
XII c.
Placement /
Previous toponym:

It is located in Afandi village, Sevan district, Yeni Bayazid uezd, Iravan Go­vernorate.

Placement /
Current toponym:

Afandi village - from 01.4.1938 - was named Norashen.

Classification:

Architecture

Current situation

Some of the an­cient grave mo­nu­ments were destroyed by the Armenians. The rest are presented as Ar­menian monu­ments.

Information:

Other names of the village are also mentioned in Armenian sources as Rahmankand and Norashen. However, the ancient and original name of the village was Afandikand. In the 1930s, it was part of Kavar (Kamo) district. Only Azerbaijani lived there: 28 people in the village in 1831, 224 people in 1873, 314 people in 1886, 422 people in 1897, 479 people in 1904, 654 people in 1914, and 650 people in 1916. In 1918, the inhabitants of the village were ex­pelled by Armenians. Armenians were mo­­ved here from Turkey in 1918-20. Af­ter the establishment of the Soviet go­vernment in present-day Armenia, the sur­­viving Azerbaijanis were forced to return to their native villages and live together with Armenians. In 1922, along with Armenians, 7 people lived here, in 1926 – 5 people, and in 1931 10 Azer­baijanis lived here. In the 1940s, Azer­baijanis were completely deported. There are historical monuments belonging to Azerbaijanis from the 12th century in the village. In the ancient cemetery of the village, there are many Turkish-Oghuz graves with statues on them. Horse, ram sculptures and inscriptions and images on many tombstones 2-3 meters high prove that Azerbaijanis have lived in the area since ancient times.

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