Carved into the rock face on a low cliff at the base of the hill which the city was built upon (located north and along the road), is an ancient cuneiform inscription written by Rusa I.

Ishkanaberd was situated approximately eight kilometers northwest from another fortified town referred to as Karmrashen or "Khrber" by local residents.

The name Khrber is derived from the local dialect of the villages surrounding southeast Lake Sevan and roughly translates to “ruins”.

Foundations of stone structures, walls of a church, large tombs and a medieval graveyard may still be seen at ancient Karmrashen which sits nestled in the mountains near Lake Sevan.

There is also a late 14th-century monument named Yot Verk Matur meaning "Seven Wounds Chapel", dedicated to seven lords of seven villages who were killed during the invasions of Timur Lenk.

The lord of Ishkanaberd's wife had also learned of the affair and while he was sleeping, she bound him so that he could not escape and went to let her husband's rival into the walled fortress.

Ishkanaberd was destroyed by the other lord who proclaimed, “Now nothing shall live in this land except snakes and scorpions!” Therefore the name was referred to henceforth as Odzaberd meaning “Serpent’s Fortress”.