SEARCH SYSTEM OF THE ARMENIAN HIGHLAND MONUMENTS

Hokam 4 Monuments

Georgia (Country) / Javakhk (District) / Akhalkalak (District) / Hokam (Village)

Location

Hokam lies 14 kilometres south-west of Akhalkalak in a straight line, at an altitude of 1,740 metres above sea level.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 341.

Historical Introduction
1595 y․

As reported by the Turkish tax list of 1595, the village had 20 houses and paid 31,000 akches to the state.

”გურჯისტანის ვილაიეთის დიდი დავთარი”, էջ 216-217: Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 341.

1704 — 1710 yy․

After the forced Islamisation of the local inhabitants, in the days of Village Head Hasan, viz. between 1704 and 1705, Hokam paid a state tax of 29,000 akches, which was reduced to 10,600 during the governance of Mehmed (in the same year), and to 2,000 under the rule of Ali, in 1709 to 1710.

”ჩილდირის ეიალეთის ჯაბა დავთარი 1694-1732 წწ.”, pp. 109-110, 133. Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 341.

Population

The remains of a church and a cemetery, still preserved in the middle of the village, attest that the local residents adhered to the Greek faith during the 10th and 11th centuries, but re-converted—at least partly—to the Apostolic creed between the 15th and 16th centuries. In the first half of the 17th century, some of the inhabitants of Hokam resorted to apostasy (i.e. converted to Islam) to be able to continue their existence in their native village. In 1914 the Islamised inhabitants of the village totaled 917.

“Кавказский календарь на 1915 г.”, Тифлис, 1914, стр. 168. Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 341.

1944 y․

The people of Hokam did not escape the terror of the wide-spread banishment of the Muslim elements of the region in 1944. Later the village which had been reduced to a devastated and derelict site provided home for 40 families from the Georgian village of Kilda. In the course of time, it was also re-populated by Armenians who mostly arrived here from Kumurdo.

Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 341.

1987 y․

In 1987 Hokam comprised 74 houses, including 298 Armenians and Georgians.

As attested by the Village Council. Karapetian. Samvel, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2011, p. 341.

Type Photo
View Exterior
Direction From the south
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1988 — 1989 yy․