Modern-day Agarak is located in the
Arevik canton of the historic province of
Syunik of
Greater Armenia. The area was mentioned in the 12th and 13th centuries by historian
Stepanos Orbelian as a rural settlement. However, the region was historically known for its copper and lead mines. The current name of the village is derived from the nearby village of
Agarak, literally meaning
farm or
estate in
Armenian. Two churches dating back to the 17th century lie in the vicinity of Agarak. The church of Surp Amenaprkich (the Holy Saviour) is located in the nearby village of
Kuris, north of Agarak, and the Aknakhach church in Agarak. The Geographical and Statistical Dictionary of the Russian Empire, mentions that the village of Agarak, as of 1861, was located in the
Ordubad uezd of the
Erivan Governorate. The village at that time was notable for the mine and factory located there. According to the publication, in 1860, the village produced 500 pounds of copper. Contemporary Agarak was founded in 1949, during the period of
Soviet Armenia, as a settlement to accommodate workers from the nearby copper-molybdenum combine, along with their families. The community grew with the expansion of the combine, making Agarak an important industrial centre on the southern borders of the
USSR. During the
Khrushchev Thaw, this growing importance was reflected in a state visit by
Anastas Mikoyan to Agarak in March 1962. In the first days of its foundation, the settlement was mainly characterized by two-storied residential buildings. By the end of the 1970s, the population had grown so much that three, four, and five-storied buildings were also being constructed in Agarak. The village currently has two kindergartens, one secondary school, one art school, a cultural palace, two libraries and a football stadium. ==Geography==