Kelbajar received the status of an administrative district on August 8, 1930. Kelbajar district is allocated at Small Caucasus, in the western side of the Republic. Then area center - Kelbajar city. Name of the city in translation means "high locality", "high passage". That mountain area is known by its medicinal high debit mineral sources. Here it is allocated Istisu resort region. Istisu in translation means "hot water".