Kolatak ( hy, Քոլատակ; az, Kolatağ) is a village ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...

'' in the Martakert Province of the breakaway

Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Artsakh controls a part of the former ...

, ''

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legall ...

'' in the

Kalbajar District Kalbajar District ( az, Kəlbəcər rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the East Zangezur Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Lachin, Khojaly, Agdam, Tart ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

, in the disputed region of

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is mos ...

. The village has an ethnic

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

-majority population, and also had an Armenian majority in 1989. Situated on a mountain above the village is the Armenian monastery of

Hakobavank Hakobavank ( hy, Հակոբավանք, translation=monastery of Hakob), also known as Metsaranits Monastery ( hy, Մեծառանից վանք), is an Armenian monastery, which is situated near the village of Kolatak in the disputed region of Nag ...

, from between the 7th and 13th centuries.

History

During the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

period, the village was a part of the Mardakert District of the

Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), DQMV, hy, Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Ինքնավար Մարզ, ԼՂԻՄ was an autonomous oblast within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic that was created on July 7, 1923. Its cap ...

Historical heritage sites

Historical heritage sites in and around the village include the monastery of ''

'' ( hy, Հակոբավանք; also known as the monastery of ''Metsaranits'', ) from between the 7th and 13th centuries, the fortress of '' Kachaghakaberd'' ( hy, Կաչաղակաբերդ) in the mountains to the south - an important fortress in the medieval Armenian

Principality of Khachen The Principality of Khachen ( hy, Խաչենի իշխանություն, Khacheni ishkhanutyun) was a medieval Armenian principality on the territory of historical Artsakh (present-day Nagorno-Karabakh). The provinces of Artsakh and Utik wer ...

, the medieval fortress of ''Berdakar'' ( hy, Բերդաքար),

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, i ...

s from between the 9th and 13th centuries, the church of ''Koshik Anapat'' ( hy, Կոշիկ անապատ), the fortress of ''Isarantsots'' ( hy, Իսարանցոց) and a cemetery from between the 12th and 13th centuries, a 13th-century church, the village of ''Alan Veran'' ( hy, Ալան Վերան) and a cemetery from between the 16th and 18th centuries, the 17th-century Mandur Church ( hy, Մանդուռի եկեղեցի, Manduri Yekeghetsi), the 17th/18th-century village of ''Hndzan'' ( hy, Հնձան), a 19th-century

oil mill An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

, and a cave.

Economy and culture

The population is mainly engaged in

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peop ...

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, star ...

. As of 2015, the village has a municipal building, a secondary school, and a medical centre.

Demographics

The village had 273 inhabitants in 2005, and 250 inhabitants in 2015.

Gallery

Арснакар и Качагакаберд, вид из Колатака.JPG, A view of the village Վանական համալիր «Մեծառանից վանք» (Սբ. Հակոբավանք) 23.jpg,

complex Вид на крепость Качахакаберд2.JPG, Scenery around Kolatak Վանական_համալիր_«Մեծառանից_վանք»_(Սբ._Հակոբավանք)_03.jpg, Armenian-language inscription in the monastery of

Вид на крепость Качахакаберд.JPG, Mountains around Kolatak «Կոշիկ անապատ» վանական համալիր.jpg, The 12th/13th-century Koshik Anapat Church

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kolatak Populated places in Martakert Province Populated places in Kalbajar District