Qarqarçay

The Qarqarçay (Gargarchay) or Karkar (Կարկառ) is a river located in Azerbaijan, in the drainage basin of the Kura. Parts of the river flow through the Nagorno Karabakh. Its length is 115 km, the area of the basin is 1,490 sqkm. The river begins on the Karabakh Plateau at an altitude of 2,080 m and is formed by the confluence of the rivers Zarysly and Khalfali. The main tributaries are Ballyja, Badara and Daghdaghan. The Qarqar is fed by rain, snow and underground waters.

The Askeran fortress is situated on the banks of the Qarqar.

Hydronym
Qarqarçay, romanized as Gargarchay, consists of the name Gargar and the Turkic suffix -chay (-çay), meaning "river". German scientist Heinrich Hübschmann explains that Karkar (Կարկառ) is etymologized from Armenian – meaning “heap of stones”.