Hajav seen from south.
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One of the most significant settlements in the province, the historical village of Hajav, is situated 3.5 km north of the regional centre Karvajar, on a bare slope extending like an amphitheatre over the stream, 1690-1820 m above the sea. During the Soviet period the village inhabited by assimilated Kurds, was twice renamed - to Molotov, then - to Oktyabrkand.
Hajav is one of the oldest settlements that have fully preserved the planning peculiarities of the medieval period (similar to Tzar, Mos, Jrag and other villages). It is really remarkable for the density of building, and other details characteristic of old Armenian settlements: houses built on bare rocks along the streets, long basement walls built of huge stones.
Although this settlement was first mentioned in the XIII cent., and for the second time - in 1661 only. about ten khachkars standing in situ witness that the settlement had been one of the most densely populated and flourishing villages in the province.
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As witnessed by the inscription made on the face of a stone reservoir (dimensions: 236x86x58 cm) beneath the spring in the centre of the village, the spring was constructed in 1677.
During the building works over the spring the masons re-used two window casings of some medieval church putting them in its foundation and fastened two old khachkars into the walls. The spring was surrounded by displaced gravestones, khachkar pedestals and 10 fragmented but finely carved khachkars. Only one of them (lying on the edge of the street) had an undated inscription of six lines.
Investigation of the ornaments and palaeography of the khachkar enables us to date it by the XII-XIII cent., i. e. approximately the same period when Hajav was first mentioned by historical sources.
The spring in Hajav (1677). Eaves of the church windows reused for the spring. Khachkars, paving the approaches to the spring. Fragmented khachkar of the XIII Cent in Hajav. Base of the khachkar and fragmented cross in the destroyed cemetery of Hajav.
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