Parağa is a village and municipality in the Ordubad District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. It is located in the near of the Ordubad-Tivi highway, 48 kilometres (30 miles) in the north-west from the district centre, on the left bank of the Gilanchay river, on the slope of the Zangezur ridge. Its population is engaged in gardening, vegetable-growing, and animal husbandry. There are secondary school, club, library and a medical centre in the village. It has a population of 306 in 2005.[1]
Armenian monuments
The Surp Shimavon church (a dome-less church dating from between the 12th and 17th century) was located in Paragha village.[2] The church was destroyed at some point between 1997 and 2000.[2]
In the countryside was the Surp Hakob monastery, dating from the 12th century, with its main church, probably from the 17th century, being a large domed basilica.[3][4] The monastery was located adjacent to the slope of a hill 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) northwest of the village.[3] It was destroyed at some point between 1997 and 2000.[3]
There was an old Armenian cemetery located on high ground in the northern part of the village.[5] The cemetery consisted of 800–820 tombstones. By August 13, 2009, the cemetery had been erased, its surface bulldozed and graded, and a subdivision of 13 new homes built atop the cemetery.[5]
Demographics
According to the Russian Empire Census in 1897, where the village was mentioned as Paraga (Russian: Парага), it had a population of 935 consisting of 800 Armenian Apostolics and 135 Muslims. The village had 417 men and 518 women.[6]
