The first reference to the town of Aparan was made by Ptolemy during the 2nd century. Ptolemy referred to the settlement as "Casala"; the Hellenized version of the Armenian name of "Kasagh". It was the centre of "Nig" canton of the Ayrarat province of ancient Armenia. Kasagh was under the administration of the "Gntunik" Armenian noble family, under the rule of the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia. The Gntunik princes founded the Basilica of Kasagh by the end of the 4th and beginning of the 5th centuries.