Eleşkirt

Eleşkirt

The name Eleşkirt is mentioned as Alashkert in old Armenian sources. However, Armenian sources generally use this for Toprakkale village, which was the district center of that period. Because this is a settlement surrounded by walls with an Urartian castle in history. In Ottoman sources, for example in Şemseddin Sami's Kamus-ül' Alam, the district center is mentioned as Aleşkerd. On the other hand, there are Meskhetian Turks and Azeri Terekemes living in the region. Kurds call the entire district, which includes the district center and the Zêtka plain, as Elajgir. As a district affiliate, it is affiliated with the district center, excluding the center; It consists of 3 towns, 61 villages and 8 neighborhoods. It is said that until 1926, the district center was on the Toprakkale side, which is now a village. When the European E-road E80 road passed through Eleşkirt, the district center was moved here. Previously, Amet, Keşiş, Soğan villages of Eleşkirt district were connected to Ağrı Central district in 1946, Dedemaksut, Güvendik, Kayabey villages in 1985, Badıllı, Yorgunsöğüt, Çobanbeyi villages in 1988, Çatalipaşa, Sarıca, Söğütlü villages in 1989. Tahir, Yayladüzü, Yücekapı villages became towns after 2000. After 2012, the independent villages of Aşağıcihanbey, Değirmengeçidi and Gökçayır became neighborhoods of Yayladüzü town, Aydıntepe village became a neighborhood of Tahir town, and Oklavalı Village became a neighborhood of Yücekepı town.