It is located in the west of the country in the Karabakh Economic Region.

Following the massacre, most of the district was captured and made part of the Askeran Province of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh.

Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Azerbaijan recaptured some villages in the district, while most of the district, including its capital, was put under Russian peacekeeping control.

After the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, the entire district fell under the control of Azerbaijan after the capitulation of the Artsakh Defence Army in the area.

The highest altitudes are Qirkhqiz and Gizgala, the main rivers are Gargar and Badara.