Aşağı Əylis

Aşağı Əylis (also, Ashaghy Aylis, Ashaga Aylis,Ashagy Aylis) or Agulis (Armenian: Ագուլիս) is a village and municipality in the Ordubad Rayon of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. It is located in the near the Ordubad-Yuxarı Aylis highway, 3 km in the east from the district center, on the bank of the Aylis River. Its population is busy with gardening, farming, animal husbandry. There are secondary school, club and a medical center in the village. It has a population of 1007.[1] The village was an important settlement of the Vaspurakan province of the Kingdom of Armenia or the Vaspurakan Kingdom, and many world-known Armenian merchants instrumental in Silk Road were of Agulis origin, which demonstrates the importance that this place has had in Armenian History. Some historical Armenian Apostolic Churches that were in the area include St. Christopher Church, St. Minas Church, and St. Stepanos Church. However, after the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian presence in Nakhchivan was steadily extinguished and with it the many religious and cultural testaments to the historical Armenian presence in Agulis.

Mosque of the 18th century in the village
Aşağı Əylis
Municipality
Aşağı Əylis
Coordinates: 38°55′11″N 45°59′11″E
Country Azerbaijan
Autonomous republicNakhchivan
RayonOrdubad
Population
(2005)
 • Total1,007
Time zoneUTC+4 (AZT)

Etymology

Əylis, or Agulis, was first mentioned in historical sources in the 11th century under the Armenian name Agulik (Armenian: Ագուլիք).[2]

Some ideas is put forward by various authors about the name of Əylis. The city cemetery of the Ordubad known as the holy cemetery, is called "Malik Ibrahim cemetery". Malik Ibrahim's grave is inside this sanctuary, who had died in 1419. Thus, the village which was given him as award for his bravery, was named Əl-Leys, where Əl-Leys means brave or fearless in Arabic[3]

References
  1. ANAS, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (2005). Nakhchivan Encyclopedia. volume I. Baku: ANAS. pp. 36–37. ISBN 5-8066-1468-9.
  2. (in Armenian) Barkhudaryan, Sedrak. «Ագուլիս» [Agulis]. Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1974, vol. 1, p. 61.
  3. Arxeoloq, fəlsəfə doktoru Bəhlul İbrahimli: “Əylis kəndi əslində onun adını daşıyır...”
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