HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

/ hy, Շուշի , settlement_type =
City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots ( hy, Ղազանչեցոց),), ''Kazanchetsots'' (russian: Казанчецоц). In A ...
 •
Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque ( az, Yuxarı Gövhər Ağa məscidi, Armenian: վերին մզկիթ) is a mosque located in the city of Shusha, Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The mosque also bears the name ''Boyuk Juma'' ...

Shusha fortress The Shusha fortress ( az, Şuşa qalası) or Shushi fortress ( hy, Շուշիի բերդ) is a fortress surrounding the historical centre of Shusha, also called Shushi. Newly established castle town was called "'' Panahabad fortress''" named afte ...
 • Shusha mountains
House of Mehmandarovs , image = Շուշիի պատմաերկրագիտական թանգարանի շենքը.JPG , building_type = , architectural_style = , structural_system = , owner = Karim bey Mehmandarov , address ...
 • City center
Shusha skyline •
House of Khurshidbanu Natavan , native_name_lang = az , image = Palace of Khurshidbanu Natavan, 2021.jpg , image_size = 250px , caption = The house in 2021 , map_type = Azerbaijan , map_size = 250px , coordinate ...
, pushpin_map = Azerbaijan#Republic of Artsakh , coordinates = , subdivision_type =
Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...
, subdivision_name =
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Artsakh controls a part of the former ...
(claimed) , subdivision_type1 =
District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...
(Azerbaijan) , subdivision_name1 =
Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...
, subdivision_type2 =
Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...
(Artsakh, claimed) , subdivision_name2 =
Shushi / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...
, established_title = Founded , leader_title1 =
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
, leader_name1 =
Bayram Safarov Bayram Safarov ( az, Bayram Səfərov; born 1951) is an Azerbaijani politician who is serving as the mayor of Shusha following a four-day long battle, the Head of the Executive Power of city and the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorn ...
, leader_title2 = Special representative , leader_name2 = Aydin Karimov , area_total_km2 = 5.5 , elevation_max_m = 1,800 , elevation_min_m = 1,400 , population_as_of = 2015 , population_footnotes = , population_total = 4,064 , population_demonym = Şuşalı ("Shushaly"; in
Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...
)
Շուշեցի ("Shushets'i"; in Armenian) , timezone =
AZT Zidovudine (ZDV), also known as azidothymidine (AZT), is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. It is generally recommended for use in combination with other antiretrovirals. It may be used to prevent mother-to-child ...
/
AMT Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
, utc_offset = +4 , iso_code = AZ-SUS , registration_plate = 58 AZ , website = Shusha ( az, Şuşa, ) or Shushi ( hy, Շուշի) is a city in
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
, in the disputed region of
Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is m ...
. Situated at an altitude of 1,400–1,800 metres (4,600–5,900 ft) in the
Karabakh Karabakh ( az, Qarabağ ; hy, Ղարաբաղ, Ġarabaġ ) is a geographic region in present-day southwestern Azerbaijan and eastern Armenia, extending from the highlands of the Lesser Caucasus down to the lowlands between the rivers Kura and ...
mountains, the city was a mountain resort in the
Soviet era The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...
. Most sources date Shusha's establishment to the 1750s by
Panah Ali Khan Panah Ali Khan Javanshir (, ; 1693 – 1759 or 1763) was the founder and first ruler of the Karabakh Khanate under Persian suzerainty. Ancestry Panah Ali Khan was from the Sarijali branch of the clan of Javanshir, who with their associate clan o ...
, founder of the
Karabakh Khanate The Karabakh Khanate was a semi-independent Turkic Caucasian khanate on the territories of modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan established in about 1748 under Iranian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas. The Karabakh Khanate came under ...
, coinciding with the foundation of the fortress of Shusha. Some attribute this to an alliance between Panah Ali Khan and Melik Shahnazar, the local Armenian prince () of Varanda. In these accounts, the name of the town originated from a nearby Armenian village called Shosh or Shushikent (see for alternative explanations). Conversely, some sources describe Shusha as an important center within the self-governing Armenian
melikdoms of Karabakh The Five Melikdoms of Karabakh, also known as Khamsa Melikdoms (), were Armenian feudal entities on the territory of modern Nagorno-Karabakh and neighboring lands, from the dissolution of the Principality of Khachen in the 15th century to the ...
in the 1720s, and others say the plateau was already the site of an Armenian fortification.Krunk Hayots Ashkharhin. 8 (1863): p. 622, cited in From the mid-18th century to 1822, Shusha was the capital of the Karabakh Khanate. The town became one of the cultural centers of the
South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
after the Russian conquest of the Caucasus region from
Qajar Iran Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
in the first half of the 19th century. Over the course of the 19th century, the town grew in size to become a city, and was home to many Armenian and Azerbaijani intellectuals, poets, writers and musicians (including Azerbaijani
ashik An ashik ( az, aşıq, ; tr, âşık; fa, عاشیق) or ashugh ( hy, աշուղ; ka, აშუღი) is traditionally a singer-poet and bard who accompanies his song—be it a dastan (traditional epic story, also known as '' hikay ...
s,
mugham Mugham ( az, Muğam) or Mughamat ( az, Muğamat) is one of the many classical compositions from Azerbaijan, contrasting with tasnif and ashik. It is a highly complex art form that weds classical poetry and musical improvisation in specific ...
singers and kobuz players). The town has religious, cultural and strategic importance to both groups. Shusha is often considered the cradle of Azerbaijan's music and poetry, and one of the leading centres of the
Azerbaijani culture Azerbaijani culture may refer to: Regions *Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ( az, Azərbaycan mədəniyyəti) combines a diverse and heterogeneous set of elements which developed under the influence of Turkic, Iranic and Cauc ...
.Mattew O'Brien. ''Uzeir Hajibeyov and His Role in the Development of Musical Life in Azerbaijan''. – Routledge, 2004. – С. 211. – , 9780415302197 Shusha also contains a number of
Armenian Apostolic , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
churches, including
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots ( hy, Ղազանչեցոց),), ''Kazanchetsots'' (russian: Казанчецоц). In A ...
and
Kanach Zham Saint John the Baptist Church (), commonly known as Kanach Zham ( hy, Կանաչ Ժամ) is an Armenian Apostolic church in Shusha (known to Armenians as ''Shushi'') in Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, located just uphill ...
, and serves as a land link between Nagorno-Karabakh and
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...
, via the
Lachin corridor The Lachin corridor ( hy, Լաչինի միջանցք, Lachini mijantsk; az, Laçın dəhlizi or ; ) is a mountain road that links Armenia and the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Being the only road between these two territories, it is has been oft ...
to the west. Throughout modern history, the city fostered a mixed Armenian–Azerbaijani population. The first available demographic information about the city in 1823 suggests the city had an Azerbaijani majority. The Armenian inhabitants of the city steadily grew over time to constitute a majority of the city's population until the
Shusha massacre The Shusha massacre or Shushi massacre ( hy, Շուշիի ջարդեր, translit=Shushii jarder), also known as the Shusha pogrom, was the mass killing of the Armenian population of Shusha and the destruction of the Armenian half of the city in 1 ...
in 1920, in which the Armenian half of the city was destroyed by
Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...
forces, resulting in the death or expulsion of the Armenian population, up to 20,000 people. The city has suffered significant destruction and depopulation during the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaij ...
. After the
capture of Shusha The Battle of Shusha) and by Azerbaijanis as the Occupation of Shusha ( az, Şuşanın işğalı) was the first significant military victory by Armenian forces during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The battle took place in the strategically i ...
in 1992 by Armenian forces during
First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 t ...
, the city's Azerbaijani population fled, and most of the city was destroyed. Between May 1992 and November 2020, Shusha was under the ''
de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...
'' control of the breakaway
Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Artsakh controls a part of the former ...
and administered as the centre of its
Shushi Province Shushi Province ( hy, Շուշիի շրջան) is a province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The province has 7 communities of which 1 is considered urban and 6 are rural. The town of Shushi ...
. On 8 November 2020, Azerbaijani forces retook the city during the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerba ...
following a three-day long battle. The Armenian population of the city fled, and multiple reports emerged that the Armenian cultural heritage of the city was being destroyed.


Etymology

Several historians believe Shusha derives from the
New Persian New Persian ( fa, فارسی نو), also known as Modern Persian () and Dari (), is the current stage of the Persian language spoken since the 8th to 9th centuries until now in Greater Iran and surroundings. It is conventionally divided into thr ...
''Shīsha'' ("glass, vessel, bottle, flask"). According to the ''Oxford Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names'', when Iranian ruler
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar ( fa, آقا محمد خان قاجار, translit=Âqâ Mohammad Xân-e Qâjâr; 14 March 1742 – 17 June 1797), also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah (, ), was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, ru ...
approached the town with his army, he reportedly told the ruler of Karabakh
Ibrahim Khalil Khan Ibrahim Khalil khan Javanshir (1732–1806) was an Azerbaijani Turkic khan of the Karabakh Khanate from the Javanshir family, who succeeded his father Panah-Ali khan Javanshir as the ruler of the khanate. Early life He was born in c. 1732 i ...
: ''Panahabad'' ("City of Panah"), Shusha's previous name, was a tribute to
Panah Ali Khan Panah Ali Khan Javanshir (, ; 1693 – 1759 or 1763) was the founder and first ruler of the Karabakh Khanate under Persian suzerainty. Ancestry Panah Ali Khan was from the Sarijali branch of the clan of Javanshir, who with their associate clan o ...
, the first ruler of the
Karabakh Khanate The Karabakh Khanate was a semi-independent Turkic Caucasian khanate on the territories of modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan established in about 1748 under Iranian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas. The Karabakh Khanate came under ...
. According to the ''
Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary The ''Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopaedic Dictionary'' (Russian: Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона, abbr. ЭСБЕ, tr. ; 35 volumes, small; 86 volumes, large) is a comprehensive multi-volume ...
'', published in the final decades of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
, the town's name comes from the nearby village Shushikent (called ''Shosh'' in Armenian), which literally means "Shusha village" in the
Azerbaijani language Azerbaijani () or Azeri (), also referred to as Azeri Turkic or Azeri Turkish, is a Turkic language from the Oghuz sub-branch spoken primarily by the Azerbaijani people, who live mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan where the North Azerbai ...
. Conversely, the Armenian historian Leo (1860–1932) considered it more likely that the village Shosh received its name from the fortress, which he considered the older settlement. According to Armenian sources, the name Shusha most likely derives from the dialectal Armenian word ''shosh''/''shush'' (Armenian: շոշ/շուշ), meaning tree sprout or, figuratively, a high place, first applied either to the adjacent village Shosh or to Shusha itself. The form ''Shusha'' can also be explained as the genitive form of ''shosh''/''shush'', as ''-a'' or ''-ay'' is a common declensional ending for placenames in pre-modern and dialectal Armenian. One folk etymology connects it to another definition of ''shosh'' in the
Karabakh dialect The Karabakh dialect ( hy, Ղարաբաղի բարբառ, ''Ğarabaği barbař''), also known as Artsakh dialect (Արցախի բարբառ, ''Artsakhi barbař'') is an ancient Eastern Armenian dialect with a unique phonetic and syntactic structur ...
derived from Russian ''shosse'', meaning street or highway, although this is unlikely because the names Shusha and Shosh are older than Russian influence on the Armenian language. In the first written reference to the settlement in a 15th-century Armenian manuscript, the name is rendered as ''Shushu''.Khachikyan L. S., (1955)
Memorial records in Armenian manuscripts of 15 c., Part I (1401–1450)
, Publish. of Academy of Sciences of ArmSSR, p. 384. (in Armenian)
Besides the common Armenian name Shushi, the town has historically been referred to in Armenian by various names, including ''Shoshi/Shushva Berd'', ''Shoshi Sghnakh'', ''Shoshvaghala'', which all mean "Shosh/Shushi Fortress".


History


Foundation

A settlement at Shusha is first recorded in a 15th-century illustrated Armenian
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
kept on display at Yerevan's
Matenadaran The Matenadaran ( hy, Մատենադարան), officially the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, is a museum, repository of manuscripts, and a research institute in Yerevan, Armenia. It is the world's largest repository of Armenia ...
(archival number 8211), which mentions a "Shushu village". The gospel was written by the scribe and artist Ter-Manuel in 1428, and is the earliest known artifact from the town. Some Armenian sources identify Shusha with a fortress called ''Shikakʻar'' or ''Kʻaraglukh'', where the 9th-century Armenian prince
Sahl Smbatean Sahl Smbatean EṙanshahikMovses Kaghankatvatsi. ''History of Aghuank''. Critical text and introduction by Varag Arakelyan. Matenadaran" Institute of Ancient Manuscripts after Mesrop Mashtots. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 198 ...
is said to have defeated an invading Arab army. According to several sources, a settlement called Shosh served as an ancient fortress in the Armenian principality of Varanda, and had traditionally belonged to the Melik-Shahnazarian princely dynasty.Армяно-русские отношения в XVIII веке. Т. IV. С. 212, as cited in The fortress was described as a strategic stronghold in one of the Eastern Armenian military districts, called ''sghnakhs'', playing a key role in the Armenian commander
Avan Yuzbashi Avan Yuzbashi (; ca. 1670–1735) was an 18th-century Armenian military leader in Karabagh, and an important figure of the Armenian liberation struggle during the 1720s in Karabagh. Biography Avan and his family were originally from Lori. They ...
's campaign against Ottoman forces during their incursion into of the South Caucasus in the 1720s and 1730s. Armenian historian and Shusha native
Ashot Hovhannisian Ashot Garegini Hovhannisian ( hy, Աշոտ Գարգինի Հովհաննիսյան; russian: Ашот Гарегинович Иоаннисян, ''Ashot Gareginovich Ioannisyan''; June 17, 1887June 30, 1972) was an Armenian Marxist historiography, ...
wrote that the fortress walls must have been built by Avan Yuzbashi in 1724, if not earlier. Kehva Chelebi, an early Armenian national activist who maintained correspondence between the
meliks Мelik (also transliterated as ''Meliq'') ( ''melikʿ''; from ar, ملك ''malik'' (king)) was a hereditary Armenian noble title, in various Eastern Armenian principalities known as ''melikdom''s encompassing modern Yerevan, Kars, Nakhichev ...
of
Karabakh Karabakh ( az, Qarabağ ; hy, Ղարաբաղ, Ġarabaġ ) is a geographic region in present-day southwestern Azerbaijan and eastern Armenia, extending from the highlands of the Lesser Caucasus down to the lowlands between the rivers Kura and ...
and the Russian authorities, in a 1725 report describes Shusha as a town and a fort: 19th-century Georgian scholar Alexander Tsagareli's work ''Letters and other historical documents of the 18th century regarding Georgia, Vol. 1'' contains a 1769 letter by Georgian king
Erekle II Heraclius II ( ka, ერეკლე II), also known as Erekle II and The Little Kakhetian ( ka, პატარა კახი ) (7 November 1720 or 7 October 1721 C. ToumanoffHitchins, KeithHeraclius II. ''Encyclopædia Iranica Online edit ...
to Russian diplomat Count P. Panin, which states that there was "an ancient fortress in the realm of the Khamsa elikdoms which was "conquered, through deceit" by "one Muslim man from the Jevanshir tribe." The same information about the ancient fortress is confirmed by the Russian field marshal
Alexander Suvorov Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Суво́ров, Aleksándr Vasíl'yevich Suvórov; or 1730) was a Russian general in service of the Russian Empire. He was Count of Râmnicu Sărat, Rymnik, C ...
in a letter to Prince
Grigory Potemkin Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...
. Suvorov writes that the Armenian prince Melik Shahnazar of Varanda surrendered his fortress Shushikala to "certain Panah", whom he calls "chief of an unimportant part of nomadic Muslims living near the Karabakh borders." When discussing Karabakh and Shusha in the 18th century, the Russian diplomat and historian S. M. Bronevskiy writes in his ''Historical Notes'' that Shusha fortress was a possession of the Melik-Shahnazarian clan, which was given to
Panah Ali Khan Panah Ali Khan Javanshir (, ; 1693 – 1759 or 1763) was the founder and first ruler of the Karabakh Khanate under Persian suzerainty. Ancestry Panah Ali Khan was from the Sarijali branch of the clan of Javanshir, who with their associate clan o ...
in return for aid against the other Armenian
meliks Мelik (also transliterated as ''Meliq'') ( ''melikʿ''; from ar, ملك ''malik'' (king)) was a hereditary Armenian noble title, in various Eastern Armenian principalities known as ''melikdom''s encompassing modern Yerevan, Kars, Nakhichev ...
of Karabakh. Russian historian P. G. Butkov (1775–1857) writes that "Shushi village" was given to Panah Ali Khan by the Melik-Shahnazarian prince after they entered into an alliance, and that Panah Ali Khan fortified the village. The missionary
Joseph Wolff Joseph Wolff (1795 – 2 May 1862) was a Jewish Christian missionary born in Weilersbach, near Bamberg, Germany, named Wolff after his paternal grandfather. He travelled widely, and was known as "the missionary to the world". He published sev ...
(1795–1862), during his mission in the Middle East, visited "Shushee, in the province of Carabagh, in Armenia Major". Some sources, including Mirza Jamal Javanshir, Mirza Adigozal bey,
Abbasgulu Bakikhanov Abbasgulu agha Bakikhanov ( az, Abbasqulu ağa Bakıxanov) (21 June 1794, Amirjan – 31 May 1847, Wadi Fatima, near Jeddah), Abbas Qoli Bakikhanov, or Abbas-Qoli ibn Mirza Mohammad (Taghi) Khan Badkubi was an Azerbaijani writer, historian, journa ...
and
Mirza Yusuf Nersesov Mirza Yusuf Nersesov () or Mirza Yusif Qarabaghi (), born Hovsep Nersisyants (), was an Armenian historian, translator, and writer in the 19th century. Life Hovsep Nersisyants was born in Hadrut in 1798 to a family of blacksmiths. Together wit ...
, attest to the foundation of the town in 1750–1752 (according to other sources, 1756–1757) by Panah Ali Khan (), the founder and the first ruler of the
Karabakh Khanate The Karabakh Khanate was a semi-independent Turkic Caucasian khanate on the territories of modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan established in about 1748 under Iranian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas. The Karabakh Khanate came under ...
(1748–1822), which comprised both Lowland and Highland Karabakh. Hewsen, Robert H., ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001, p. 155. The mid-18th century foundation is supported by the second edition of the ''
Encyclopaedia of Islam The ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (''EI'') is an encyclopaedia of the academic discipline of Islamic studies published by Brill. It is considered to be the standard reference work in the field of Islamic studies. The first edition was published ...
'', and the ''Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary''. According to Mirza Jamal Javanshir, the author of the Persian-language text '' History of Karabakh'',Bournoutian George A. ''A History of Qarabagh: An Annotated Translation of Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi's Tarikh-E Qarabagh''. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 1994, p. 72. The original text by Mirza Jamal Javanshir calls the village "Shoshi." one of the most significant chronicles on the history of Karabakh in 18th-19th centuries, the Karabakh nobility assembled to discuss the danger of invasion from Iran and told Panah Ali Khan, "We must build among the impassable mountains such an inviolable and inaccessible fort, so that no strong enemy could take it." Melik Shahnazar of Varanda, who was the first of the Armenian ''meliks'' (dukes) to accept the suzerainty of Panah Ali Khan and who would remain his loyal supporter, suggested a location for the new fortress. Thus, Panahabad-Shusha was founded. According to Mirza Jamal Javanshir, before Panah Ali Khan constructed the fortress there were no buildings there and it was used as cropland and pasture by the people of the nearby village of Shoshi.Mirza Jamal Javanshir Karabagi. The History of Karabakh
.
Panah khan resettled to Shusha the population of Shahbulag and some nearby villages and built strong
fortifications A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''face ...
. Another account is presented by
Raffi Raffi Cavoukian, ( hy, Րաֆֆի, born July 8, 1948), known professionally by the mononym Raffi, is a Canadian singer-lyricist and author of Armenian descent born in Egypt, best known for his children's music. He developed his career as a " ...
(1835–1888), an Armenian novelist and historian, in his work ''The Princedoms of Khamsa'', which asserts that the place where Shushi was built was desolate and uninhabited before Panah Ali Khan's arrival. He states, " anah-Ali Khan and Melik-Shahnazar of Varandasoon completed the construction (1762) f the fortressand moved the Armenian population of the nearby village of Shosh (Շոշ), called also Shoshi, or Shushi into the fortress.″


Conflict with the Qajars

Although Panah Ali Khan had been in conflict with
Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian ...
, the new ruler of Persia,
Adil Shah Ali-qoli Khan ( fa, علیقلی‌خان), commonly known by his regnal title Adel Shah (also spelled Adil; , "the Just King") was the second shah of Afsharid Iran, ruling from 1747 to 1748. He was the nephew and successor of Nader Shah (), th ...
, issued a ''
firman (decree) A firman ( fa, , translit=farmân; ), at the constitutional level, was a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in an Islamic state. During various periods they were collected and applied as traditional bodies of law. The word firman com ...
'' recognizing Panah Ali as the Khan of Karabakh.Mirza Adigozel-bek, Karabakh-name (1845), Baku, 1950, p. 54 Less than a year after Shusha was founded, the Karabakh Khanate was attacked by Mohammad Hassan Khan Qajar, one of the major claimants to the Iranian throne. During the
Safavid Empire Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
Karabakh was for almost two centuries ruled by Ziyad-oglu family of the clan of
Qajars The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic origin ...
(of Turkic origin), and therefore, Muhammed Hassan Khan considered Karabakh his hereditary estate. Muhammed Hassan Khan besieged Shusha (Panahabad at that time) but soon had to retreat because of the attack on his territory by his major opponent,
Karim Khan Zand Mohammad Karim Khan Zand ( fa, محمدکریم خان زند, Mohammad Karīm Khân-e Zand; ) was the founder of the Zand Dynasty, ruling from 1751 to 1779. He ruled all of Iran (Persia) except for Khorasan. He also ruled over some of the Ca ...
. His retreat was so hasty that he even left his cannons under the walls of Shusha fortress. Panah Ali Khan counterattacked the retreating troops of Mohammad Hassan khan and even briefly took
Ardabil Ardabil (, fa, اردبیل, Ardabīl or ''Ardebīl'') is a city in northwestern Iran, and the capital of Ardabil Province. As of the 2022 census, Ardabil's population was 588,000. The dominant majority in the city are ethnic Iranian Azerbaija ...
across the
Aras River , az, Araz, fa, ارس, tr, Aras The Aras (also known as the Araks, Arax, Araxes, or Araz) is a river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan excl ...
. In 1756 (or 1759), Shusha and the Karabakh Khanate underwent a new attack from
Fath-Ali Khan Afshar Fath-Ali Khan Afshar ( fa, فتحعلی خان افشار), was a chieftain from the Afshar tribe of Urmia, and one of the four contenders for supremacy in Iran between 1751–1763. He was ultimately defeated and captured in February 1763 by one o ...
, ruler of
Urmia Urmia or Orumiyeh ( fa, ارومیه, Variously transliterated as ''Oroumieh'', ''Oroumiyeh'', ''Orūmīyeh'' and ''Urūmiyeh''.) is the largest city in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran and the capital of Urmia County. It is situated at an al ...
. With his 30,000 strong army, Fath-Ali Khan also managed to gain support from the ''meliks'' of Jraberd and Talish (Gulistan), however, Melik Shahnazar of Varanda continued to support Panah Ali Khan. The Siege of Shusha lasted for six months and Fath-Ali Khan eventually had to retreat. When Karim Khan Zand took control of much of Iran, he forced Panah Ali Khan to come to
Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 p ...
(capital of Zand-ruled Iran), where he died as a hostage. Panah Ali Khan's son Ibrahim Khalil Khan was sent back to Karabakh as governor. Under him, the Karabakh Khanate became one of the strongest state formations and Shusha grew. According to travellers who visited Shusha at the end of 18th-early 19th centuries the town had about 2,000 houses and approximately 10,000 population. In summer 1795, Shusha was subjected to a major attack by
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar ( fa, آقا محمد خان قاجار, translit=Âqâ Mohammad Xân-e Qâjâr; 14 March 1742 – 17 June 1797), also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah (, ), was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, ru ...
, son of Mohammad Hassan Khan who had attacked Shusha in 1752. Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar's goal was to end with the feudal fragmentation and to restore the old Safavid State in Iran. By early 1795, he had already secured mainland Iran and was directly afterwards poised to bring the entire
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...
region back within the Iranian domains. For this purpose he also wanted to proclaim himself Shah of Iran. However, according to the Safavid tradition, the shah had to take control over the whole of South Caucasus and
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North Ca ...
before his coronation. Therefore, the Karabakh Khanate and its fortified capital Shusha were the first and major obstacle to achieve these ends. Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar besieged Shusha with the centre part of a 70,000-strong army, after having crossed the
Aras River , az, Araz, fa, ارس, tr, Aras The Aras (also known as the Araks, Arax, Araxes, or Araz) is a river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan excl ...
.Donald Rayfield
''Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia''
Reaktion Books, 15 feb. 2013 p 255
The right and left wings were sent to resubjugate
Shirvan Shirvan (from fa, شروان, translit=Shirvān; az, Şirvan; Tat: ''Şirvan''), also spelled as Sharvān, Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical Iranian region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both pre-Islam ...
-
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North Ca ...
and
Erivan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and ...
respectively. Agha Mohammad Khan himself led the centre part of the main army, besieging Shusha between 8 July and 9 August 1795. Ibrahim Khalil khan mobilized the population for a long-term defense. The number of militia in Shusha reached 15,000. Women fought together with men. The Armenian population of Karabakh also actively participated in this struggle against the Iranians and fought side by side with the Muslim population, jointly organizing ambushes in the mountains and forests. The siege lasted for 33 days. Not being able to capture Shusha, Agha Mohammad Khan ceased the siege and advanced to Tiflis (present-day
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...
), which despite desperate resistance was occupied and exposed to unprecedented destruction. Ibrahim Khalil Khan eventually surrendered to Mohammad Khan after negotiations, including the paying of regular tribute and to surrender hostages, although the Qajar forces were still denied entrance to Shusha. Since the main objective was Georgia, Mohammad Khan was willing to have Karabakh secured by this agreement for now, for he and his army subsequently moved further. In 1797, Agha Mohammad Shah Qajar, having successfully resubjugated Georgia and the wider Caucasus and having declared himself shah, decided to carry out a second attack on Karabakh. Trying to avenge his previous humiliating defeat, Agha Mohammad Shah devastated the surrounding villages near Shusha. The population had not recovered from the previous 1795 attack and also suffered from a serious drought which lasted for three years. The artillery of the attackers also inflicted serious losses on the city defenders. Thus, in 1797 Agha Mohammad Shah succeeded in seizing Shusha and Ibrahim Khalil Khan had to flee to
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North Ca ...
. However, several days after the seizure of Shusha, Agha Mohammad Khan was killed in mysterious circumstances by his bodyguards in the town. Ibrahim Khalil Khan returned to Shusha and ordered that the shah's body be honourably buried until further instructions from the nephew and heir of Agha Mohammad Shah, Baba Khan, who soon assumed the title of
Fath-Ali Shah Fath-Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, فتحعلى‌شاه قاجار, Fatḥ-ʻAli Šâh Qâjâr; May 1769 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah (king) of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the ir ...
. Ibrahim Khan, in order to maintain peaceful relations with Tehran and retain his position as the Khan of Karabakh, gave his daughter Agha Begom, known as Aghabaji, as one of the wives of the new shah.


Within the Russian Empire

From the early 19th century,
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
ambitions in the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...
to increase its territories at the expense of neighbouring
Qajar Iran Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
and Ottoman Turkey began to rise. Following the annexation of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
in 1801, some of the khanates agreed to become Russian protectorates in the immediate years afterwards. In 1804, the Russian general
Pavel Tsitsianov Prince Pavel Dmitriyevich Tsitsianov (russian: Павел Дмитриевич Цицианов), also known as Pavle Dimitris dze Tsitsishvili ( ka, პავლე ციციშვილი; —) was a Georgian nobleman and a prominent genera ...
directly
invaded An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
Qajar Iran Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
, initiating the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813. Amidst the war, in 1805, an agreement was made between the
Karabakh Khanate The Karabakh Khanate was a semi-independent Turkic Caucasian khanate on the territories of modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan established in about 1748 under Iranian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas. The Karabakh Khanate came under ...
and the Russian Empire on the transfer of the Karabakh Khanate to Russia during the war, but was not fully realized, as both parties were still at war and the Russians were unable to consolidate any effective control over Karabakh. The Russian Empire consolidated its power in the Karabakh Khanate following the
Treaty of Gulistan The Treaty of Gulistan (russian: Гюлистанский договор; fa, عهدنامه گلستان) was a peace treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and Iran on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan (now in the Goranboy Distr ...
in 1813, when Iran was forced to recognize the Karabakh Khanate, along most of the other khanates they possessed in the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...
, as belonging to
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, comprising present-day
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North Ca ...
and most of the modern-day
Republic of Azerbaijan A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
, while officially ceding Georgia as well, thus irrevocably losing the greater part of its Caucasian territories. Absolute consolidation of Russian power over Karabakh and the recently conquered parts of the Caucasus from Iran were confirmed with the outcome of the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828 and the ensuing
Treaty of Turkmenchay The Treaty of Turkmenchay ( fa, عهدنامه ترکمنچای; russian: Туркманчайский договор) was an agreement between Qajar Iran and the Russian Empire, which concluded the Russo-Persian War (1826–28). It was second ...
of 1828. During the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828, the citadel at Shusha held out for several months and never fell. After this Shusha ceased to be a capital of a khanate, which was dissolved in 1822, and instead became an administrative capital first of the Karabakh province (1822–1840), and then of the
Shusha Uyezd / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...
of the
Elisabethpol Governorate The Elizavetpol Governorate, also known after 1918 as the Ganja Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Yelisavetpol (present-day Ganja). The area of the governorate st ...
(1840–1923). Shusha grew and developed, with successive waves of migrants moving to the city, particularly Armenians, who formed a demographic majority in the surrounding highlands.''The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge''
. 1833.
''The 1823 Russian Survey of the Karabagh Province: A Primary Source on the Demography and Economy of Karabagh in the Early 19th Century'', trans. George A. Bournoutian. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2011.Bournoutian, George A. A History of Qarabagh: An Annotated Translation of Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi's Tarikh-E Qarabagh. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 1994, page 18 Beginning from the 1830s the town was divided into two parts: Turkic-speaking Muslims lived in the eastern lower quarters, while Armenian Christians settled in the relatively new western upper quarters of the town. The Muslim part of the town was divided into seventeen quarters. Each quarter had its own
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
,
Turkish bath A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...
, water-spring and also a quarter representative, who would be elected from among the elders (''aksakals'') and would function similarly to the head of a modern-day municipality. The Armenian part of the town consisted of 12 quarters, five churches, a town and district school and a girls' seminary. The population of the town primarily dealt with trade, horse-breeding, carpet-weaving and wine and vodka production. Shusha was also the biggest centre of silk production in the Caucasus. Most of the Muslim population of the town and of Karabakh, in general, was engaged in sheep and horse-breeding and therefore, had a semi-nomadic lifestyle, spending wintertime in lowland Karabakh in wintering pastures and spring and summer in summering pastures in Shusha and other mountainous parts. In the 19th century, Shusha was one of the great cities of the Caucasus, larger and more prosperous than either
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...
or
Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
. Waal, Thomas de (2013)
''Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War''
NYU Press. p 201
Standing in the middle of a net of caravan routes, it had ten
caravanserais A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
. It was well known for its silk trade, its paved roads, brightly coloured carpets, big stone houses, and fine-bred horses. In 1824, George Keppel, the Earl of Albemarle, passed through the city. He found two thousand houses in the town, with three-quarters of the inhabitants Azerbaijanis and one-quarter Armenian. He furthermore noted regarding the town;


Early 20th century

The beginning of the 20th century marked the first Armenian-Tartar clashes throughout
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
. This new phenomenon had two causes. Firstly, it was the result of increased tensions between the local Muslim population and Armenians, whose numbers increased throughout the 19th century as a result of Russian resettlement policies. Secondly, by the beginning of the 20th-century, the peoples of the Caucasus, similar to other non-Russian peoples in the periphery of the Russian Empire, began to seek cultural and territorial autonomy. Political instability within Russia, particularly the
1905 Revolution The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...
and 1917 Revolutions, caused these social movements to acquire the character of national liberation movements. The initial clashes between ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis took place in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...
in February 1905. Soon, the conflict spilled over to other parts of the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...
, and on August 5, 1905, first conflict between the Armenian and Azerbaijani inhabitants of Shusha took place. As a result of the mutual pogroms and killings, hundreds of people died and more than 200 houses were burned. After
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
and subsequent collapse of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
, Karabakh was claimed by Azerbaijan to be part of the
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian A ...
, a decision hotly disputed by neighbouring Armenia and by Karabakh's Armenian population, which claimed Karabakh as part of the
First Republic of Armenia The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...
. With the capture of Baku, a small force of Turkish troops entered Shusha on 7 October 1918, also occupying the road to
Aghdam Aghdam ( az, Ağdam) is a ghost town and the nominal capital of the Aghdam District of Azerbaijan. Founded in the 18th century, it was granted city status in 1828 and grew considerably during the Soviet period. Aghdam lies from Stepanakert at ...
. Whilst the Armenians of Shusha did not resist the Turks to avoid violence, the Turks with their limited troops were unable to seize the countryside of Karabakh which was held by an armed milita of local Armenians. After the defeat of
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
in the
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Armenian forces under Andranik Ozanian defeated Azerbaijani forces under
Khosrov bey Sultanov Khosrov bey Alipasha bey oghlu Sultanov ( az, Xosrov bəy Əlipaşa bəy oğlu Sultanov; 1879 – 1943), also spelled as Khosrow Sultanov, was an Azerbaijani statesman, General Governor of Karabakh and Minister of Defense of the Azerbaijani Democ ...
in Abdallyar (
Lachin Lachin ( az, Laçın, , ; hy, Բերձոր, translit=Berdzor; ku, Laçîn) is a town in Azerbaijan and the administrative center of the Lachin District. It is located within the strategic Lachin corridor, which links the disputed region of N ...
), and began heading down the
Lachin corridor The Lachin corridor ( hy, Լաչինի միջանցք, Lachini mijantsk; az, Laçın dəhlizi or ; ) is a mountain road that links Armenia and the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Being the only road between these two territories, it is has been oft ...
towards Shusha. Shortly before Andranik could arrive,
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
troops under General W. M. Thomson encouraged him to retreat, out of concerns that Armenian military activity could have an adverse effect on the region's status, which was to be decided at the
1919 Paris Peace Conference Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the co ...
. Trusting Thomson, Andranik left, and British troops occupied Karabakh. The British command provisionally affirmed Sultanov (appointed by the Azerbaijani government) as the governor-general of Karabakh and
Zangezur Zangezur ( hy, Զանգեզուր) is a historical and geographical region in Eastern Armenia on the slopes of the Zangezur Mountains which largely corresponds to the Syunik Province of the Republic of Armenia. It was ceded to Russia by Qajar I ...
, pending the final decision by the Paris Peace Conference. Ethnic conflict began to erupt in the region. Оn 5 June 1919, 600 Armenian inhabitants of the villages surrounding Shusha were massacred by Azerbaijani and Kurdish irregulars. Sultanov stated that the irregulars were not under his control.Michael P. Croissant. ''The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict: Causes and Implications''. p. 16 In August 1919, the Karabakh National Council was forced to enter into a provisional treaty agreement with the Azerbaijani government, recognizing the authority of the Azerbaijan government until the issue of the mountainous part of Karabakh was settled at the Paris Peace Conference. Despite signing the agreement, the Azerbaijani government continuously violated the terms of the treaty, and Sultanov employed severe measures against them, such as terror, blockade and famine. Sultanov gathered troops in the region and on 19 February 1920 issued an ultimatum to the Armenians, demanding they accept unconditional unification with Azerbaijan, and then massacred the population of several Armenian villages, including Khankendi ( Stepanakert). A minority of Karabagh National Council representatives gathered in Shusha to accept Sultanov's demands, while the rest met in nearby
Shushikend Shosh ( hy, Շոշ), Shushikend ( hy, Շուշիքենդ; az, Şuşikənd) or Shushakend ( az, Şuşakənd) is a village ''de facto'' in the Askeran Province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Khojaly District of Azerbaija ...
to reject the ultimatum. The strife culminated in an Armenian uprising, which was suppressed by the Azerbaijani army. In late March 1920, the Armenian half of the police forces was reported by a British journalist to have murdered the Azerbaijani half during the latter's traditional Novruz Bayram holiday celebrations. The Armenian surprise attack was organised and coordinated by the forces of the Armenian Republic.Richard G. Hovannisian. ''The Republic of Armenia'', Vol. III: From London to Sèvres, February–August 1920 Azerbaijani outrage for this surprise attack ultimately led to the massacre and expulsion of the Armenian population in March 1920, in which 500–8,000 to 20,000 Armenians were killed, others were forced to flee, and the Armenian half of the city, 1,675 of 1,700 homes, were destroyed. A report from
Dashnak The Armenian Revolutionary Federation ( hy, Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն, ՀՅԴ ( classical spelling), abbr. ARF or ARF-D) also known as Dashnaktsutyun (collectively referred to as Dashnaks for short), is an Armenian ...
archives states that 8,000 Armenians escaped from the city, whilst 5,000–6,000 remained behind. According to the description of an Azerbaijani communist Ojahkuli Musaev:
Nadezhda Mandelstam Nadezhda Yakovlevna Mandelstam ( rus, Надежда Яковлевна Мандельштам, p=nɐˈdʲeʐdə ˈjakəvlʲɪvnə mənʲdʲɪlʲˈʂtam, , Хазина; 29 December 1980) was a Russian Jewish writer and educator, and the wife of ...
wrote about Shusha in the 1920s, "in this town, which formerly of course was healthy and with every amenity, the picture of catastrophe and massacres was terribly visual. ... They say after the massacres all the wells were full of dead bodies. ... We didn't see anyone in the streets on the mountain. Only in downtown—in the market-square, there were a lot of people, but there wasn't any Armenian among them; all were Muslims".


Soviet era

In 1920, the Bolshevik
11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first atteste ...
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...
invaded Azerbaijan and then Armenia and put an end to the national de facto governments that existed in those two countries. Thereafter, the conflict for the control of Karabakh entered the diplomatic sphere. To attract Armenian public support, the Bolsheviks promised to resolve the issue of the disputed territories, including Karabakh, in favour of Armenia. However, on July 5, 1921, the
Kavbiuro Kavbiuro was an organisation set up by the Bolsheviks in April 1920 to supervise the subordination of Caucasia to the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik). Kavbiuro was set up on 8 April 1920 under the leadership of the Georgian Grigory Ordzhonik ...
of the Communist Party adopted the following decision regarding the future status of Karabakh: "Proceeding from the necessity of national peace among Muslims and Armenians and of the economic ties between upper (mountainous) and lower Karabakh, of its permanent ties with Azerbaijan, mountainous Karabakh is to remain within AzSSR, receiving wide regional autonomy with the administrative centre in Shusha, which is to be included in the autonomous region." As a result, the Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Region was established within the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923. A few years later, Stepanakert, named after the Armenian communist leader
Stepan Shaumyan Stepan Georgevich Shaumian (; , ''Step’an Ge'vorgi Shahumyan''; 1 October 1878 – 20 September 1918) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and politician active throughout the Caucasus. Arzumanyan, M. Շահումյան, Ստեփան Գևորգի. ...
, became the new regional capital of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), DQMV, hy, Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Ինքնավար Մարզ, ԼՂԻՄ was an autonomous oblast within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic that was created on July 7, 1923. Its cap ...
and soon became its largest town. The decision make Nagorno-Karabakh an autonomous region within Azerbaijan is frequently attributed to
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet Union, Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as Ge ...
, who was Commissar of Nationalities at the time, purportedly with the purpose of ensuring Moscow's position as power broker between the Armenian and Azerbaijani SSRs. Stalin participated in the Kavbiuro's meetings on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh but did not vote. The town remained half-ruined until the 1960s when the town began to gradually revive due to its recreational potential. In 1977 the Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve was established and the town became one of the major resort-towns in the former USSR. The Armenian quarter continued to lie in ruins until the beginning of the 1960s. In 1961, Baku's communist leadership finally passed a decision to clear away much of the ruins, even though many old buildings still could have been renovated. Three Armenian and one Russian church were demolished and the Armenian part of the town was built up with plain buildings typical of the Khrushchev era.


Nagorno-Karabakh conflict


1988–1994 Nagorno-Karabakh war

With the start of the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 t ...
in 1988 Shusha became the most important Azerbaijani stronghold in Karabakh, from where Azerbaijani forces constantly shelled the capital Stepanakert for half a year, leading to hundreds of Armenian civilian casualties and causing mass destruction in Stepanakert. On May 9, 1992, the town was captured by Armenian forces in an operation to lift the siege of Stepanakert and the Azerbaijani population fled. According to Armenian commander
Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan Arkady Ivani Ter-Tadevosyan ( hy, Արկադի Իվանի (Հովհաննեսի) Տեր-Թադևոսյան; russian: Аркадий Иванович Тер-Тадевосян; May 22, 1939 – March 31, 2021), also known by his nom-de-guerre Kom ...
, the city was looted and burnt by Armenian citizens from nearby Stepanakert, who had endured months of bombing and shelling from Azerbaijani forces. He also noted it was part of a Karabakh Armenian superstition of burning houses to prevent the enemy from returning. A British journalist witnessed Armenian soldiers using minarets of a mosque in Shusha as shooting targets. As of 2002, ten years later after the city's capture by the Armenian forces, some 80% of the town was in ruins. Armenians also dismantled and sold off historic dark bronze busts of three Azerbaijani musicians and poets from Shusha. Another British journalist who visited Shusha in 1997 reported that the gravestones in the Azerbaijani cemetery on the edge of town were "methodically smashed and vandalised". After the end of the war, the town was repopulated by Armenians, mostly refugees from Azerbaijan and other parts of Karabakh, as well as members of the Armenian diaspora. The population of the town was significantly less than the pre-war number, and the demographic of the town had changed from mostly Azerbaijani to completely Armenian. The
Goris Goris ( hy, Գորիս) is a town and the centre of the urban community of Goris, in Syunik Province at the south of Armenia. Located in the valley of the Goris (or Vararak) River, it is 254 km from the Armenian capital Yerevan and 67  ...
- Stepanakert Highway passes through the town and is a transit and tourist destination for many. There were some hotels in the city, and cultural monuments such as the
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots ( hy, Ղազանչեցոց),), ''Kazanchetsots'' (russian: Казанчецоц). In A ...
and the
Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque ( az, Yuxarı Gövhər Ağa məscidi, Armenian: վերին մզկիթ) is a mosque located in the city of Shusha, Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The mosque also bears the name ''Boyuk Juma'' ...
were restored by Armenian authorities. After the war, a T-72 tank commanded by the Karabakhi Armenian Gagik Avsharian was placed as a memorial. The tank had been hit during the town's capture, killing the driver and gun operator, but Avsharian jumped free from the hatch. The tank was restored and its number, 442, repainted in white on the side.


2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war

During the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerba ...
, Armenia accused the Azerbaijani army of shelling civilian areas and the city's
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots ( hy, Ղազանչեցոց),), ''Kazanchetsots'' (russian: Казанчецоц). In A ...
. Three journalists were wounded while they were inside the cathedral to film the destruction of a previous shelling on the same day. Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence has denied the shelling of the cathedral by stating that "destruction of the church in Shusha has nothing to do with the activities of the Army of Azerbaijan" The House of Culture was also badly damaged in the fighting. On November 8, 2020, Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev ( az, İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, ; born 24 December 1961) is the fourth president of Azerbaijan, serving in the post since 31 October 2003. The son and second child of the former Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev, ...
announced that the Azerbaijani army took control of the city of Shusha. The next day, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence released a video from the city, confirming full Azerbaijani control. On the same day, Artsakh authorities confirmed that they had lost control of Shusha. A ceasefire signed two days later reaffirmed Azerbaijan's gains, resulting in the city staying under its control. The Armenian government and the
Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
subsequently claimed that Azerbaijani soldiers had vandalised Armenian churches and cultural landmarks, including
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots ( hy, Ղազանչեցոց),), ''Kazanchetsots'' (russian: Казанчецоц). In A ...
and
Kanach Zham Saint John the Baptist Church (), commonly known as Kanach Zham ( hy, Կանաչ Ժամ) is an Armenian Apostolic church in Shusha (known to Armenians as ''Shushi'') in Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, located just uphill ...
, which was supported by reports from
FreedomHouse Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Will ...
and CaucasusHeritageWatch. Azerbaijani officials claimed that the
Mamayi Mosque Mamayi Mosque ( az, Mamay məscidi; sometimes called Mamay Mosque) is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Azerbaijan about from the capital Baku. The mosque is located on G. Asgarov street of Mamayi neighborhood of Shusha. Mamayi neighbourhoo ...
and a nearby fountain was vandalised by the Armenians forces.


Culture

Shusha contains both Armenian and Azerbaijani cultural monuments, while the surrounding territories also include many ancient Armenian villages.''Crossroads and Conflict: Security and Foreign Policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia'', by Gary K. Bertsch - 2000 - 316 pages, p. 297 Shusha is often considered the cradle of Azerbaijan's music and poetry and one of the leading centres of the
Azerbaijani culture Azerbaijani culture may refer to: Regions *Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ( az, Azərbaycan mədəniyyəti) combines a diverse and heterogeneous set of elements which developed under the influence of Turkic, Iranic and Cauc ...
, having been declared the cultural capital of Azerbaijan in January 2021. The city is particularly renowned for its traditional Azerbaijani genre of vocal and instrumental arts called
mugham Mugham ( az, Muğam) or Mughamat ( az, Muğamat) is one of the many classical compositions from Azerbaijan, contrasting with tasnif and ashik. It is a highly complex art form that weds classical poetry and musical improvisation in specific ...
. For the Azerbaijanis, Shusha is the "
conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...
of the Caucasus".
Khurshidbanu Natavan Khurshidbanu Natavan ( az, خورشیدبانو ناتوان / Xurşidbanu Natəvan; 6 August 1832 – 2 October 1897) was an Azerbaijani poet and philanthropist. She is considered one of the best lyrical poets of Azerbaijan. Her poems are in ei ...
, Azerbaijan's most famous woman poet, composer
Uzeyir Hajibeyov Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn oghlu Hajibeyov ( az, Üzeyir bəy Əbdülhüseyn oğlu Hacıbəyov; russian: Узеир Абдул-Гусейн оглы Гаджибеков, translit=Uzeir Abdul-Guseyn ogly Gadzhibekov; September 18, 1885November 23, 19 ...
, opera singer
Bulbul The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia ...
and one of Azerbaijan's first twentieth-century novelists, Yusif Vezir Chemenzeminli, were born here. Molla Panah Vagif, a prominent Azerbaijani poet and vizier of the Karabakh khanate, lived and died in Shusha. Vagif Poetry Days were held in Shusha annually since 1982. The tradition was resumed in 2021. Shusha is also a historical Armenian religious and cultural center. The Armenian population of the town historically had four main churches, each named after the place of origin of the Armenian inhabitants: Ghazanchetsots (after Qazançı; officially named Holy Savior Cathedral), Aguletsos Holy Mother of God Church (after Agulis), Meghretsots Holy Mother of God Church (after
Meghri Meghri ( hy, Մեղրի) is a town and the center of the urban community of Meghri, in Syunik Province in southern Armenia, near the border with Iran. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 4,580. According to the 2020 official es ...
), and Gharabakhtsots (after the region of Karabakh; the church is better known as
Kanach Zham Saint John the Baptist Church (), commonly known as Kanach Zham ( hy, Կանաչ Ժամ) is an Armenian Apostolic church in Shusha (known to Armenians as ''Shushi'') in Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, located just uphill ...
). Shusha was also home to a monastery complex called Kusanats Vank ("Virgins' Monastery") or Anapat Kusanats ("Virgins' Hermitage")․ In 1989,
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots ( hy, Ղազանչեցոց),), ''Kazanchetsots'' (russian: Казанчецоц). In A ...
was made the seat of the newly reestablished
Diocese of Artsakh The Diocese of Artsakh ( hy, Արցախի թեմ, Artsakhi t'em) is one of the largest dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. It is named after the historic province of Artsakh; the 10th provi ...
of the
Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
. Shusha serves an important role in the history of
Armenian music The music of Armenia ( hy, հայկական երաժշտություն ''haykakan yerazhshtut’yun'') has its origins in the Armenian highlands, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, and is a long-standing musical tradition that encompass ...
, being the hometown and headquarters of Armenian composer
Grikor Suni Grikor Mirzaian Suni (Armenian language, Armenian Գրիգոր Միրզայեան Սիւնի) (originally Grikor Mirzaian, given name also transliterated as Grigor) (September 10, 1876, Getabek (now Gədəbəy), at the time a village in Elisabethpo ...
and his chorus. Suni was an instrumental figure in establishing the national identity of Armenian music and considered one of the many founders of modern Armenian music. In addition, the Khandamirian or Shushi theater which opened in 1891 would become regionally famous for its important contributions to the Armenian cultural arts, especially music. In the Khandamirian theater, Suni gave his first ever performance. By 1902, Suni had organized his Oriental Cultural Ensemble in Shusha and had their first big concert which would get them in trouble with Russian authorities forcing the ensemble out of Shusha where they went on to spread Armenian cultural music around the world. Shusha was also the hometown of Arev Baghdasaryan, the prominent Armenian singer, dancer, and
People's Artist of the Armenian SSR People's Artist of the Armenian SSR (Народный артист Армянской ССР), is an honorary title awarded to citizens of the Armenian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is awarded for outstanding performance in the performing arts, wh ...
. Shusha is also well known for sileh rugs, floor coverings from the
South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
. Those from the Caucasus may have been woven in the vicinity of Shusha. A similar
Eastern Anatolia The Eastern Anatolia Region ('' tr, Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi'') is a geographical region of Turkey. The most populous province in the region is Van Province. Other populous provinces are Malatya, Erzurum and Elazığ. It is bordered by the Bl ...
n type usually shows a different range of colours. In November 2020, the organizers of the
Turkvision Song Contest The Turkvision Song Contest (TSC, tr, Türkvizyon Şarkı Yarışması), also known as the Türkvizyon Song Contest, is a recurring song contest created by Turkish music channel TMB TV, inspired by the format of the Eurovision Song Contest. ...
stated that they were exploring the possibility of holding the contest's 2021 version in Shusha, and in January 2021, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture started preparatory activities on the Khari Bulbul Festival and Days of the Poetry of Vagif.


Museums

During the Soviet period, Shusha was home to museums such as the
Shusha Museum of History Shusha Museum of History ( az, Şuşa tarix muzeyi) was one of 8 museums located in Shusha, Azerbaijan. It was founded in 1969 and contained up to 5,000 exhibits. The museum was closed after the capture of Shusha on May 8, 1992. History The i ...
, the
house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a v ...
of Azerbaijani composer
Uzeyir Hajibeyov Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn oghlu Hajibeyov ( az, Üzeyir bəy Əbdülhüseyn oğlu Hacıbəyov; russian: Узеир Абдул-Гусейн оглы Гаджибеков, translit=Uzeir Abdul-Guseyn ogly Gadzhibekov; September 18, 1885November 23, 19 ...
, the
house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a v ...
of the Azerbaijani singer
Bulbul The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia ...
, and the
Shusha Carpet Museum Shusha Carpet Museum is the Shusha branch of the State Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets and Applied Art, established by the Order of the Ministry of Culture of the Azerbaijan SSR No. 502 of September 26, 1985 to study, preserve and live the tradit ...
. The
Azerbaijan State Museum of History of Karabakh Azerbaijan State Museum of History of Karabakh ( az, Azərbaycan Dövlət Qarabağ Tarixi Muzeyi) was a museum located in Shusha, Azerbaijan. History In February 1991, by the order of the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Polad ...
was founded in Shusha in 1991 shortly before the outbreak of the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 t ...
. While the city was under Armenian control, a number of museums were operated there: the State Museum of Fine Arts, G. A. Gabrielyants State Geological Museum, the Shushi History Museum, the
Shushi Carpet Museum Shushi Carpet Museum ( hy, Շուշիի գորգերի թանգարան) was founded by Vardan Astsatryan in 2011. The museum opened its doors to the public in 2013, when its location, Shusha ( hy, Shushi, Շուշի), was under the control of t ...
and the Shushi Art Gallery. The Shushi History Museum is located in a 19th-century mansion, in the centre of the historical quarter, and had a collection of artefacts related to Shusha from ancient to modern times. The collection of the museum contains many ethnographic materials, including the goods of local masters. The museum contains household articles, photographs, and reproductions illustrating life of 19th-century inhabitants of Shusha. There are also sections dedicated to the 1920 Shusha Massacre and the
capture of Shusha The Battle of Shusha) and by Azerbaijanis as the Occupation of Shusha ( az, Şuşanın işğalı) was the first significant military victory by Armenian forces during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The battle took place in the strategically i ...
by Armenian forces in 1992. The G. A. Gabrielyants State Geological Museum, named after and created by Armenian geologist Grigori Gabrielyants, was opened in the building of
Taza Mahalla Mosque Taza Mahalla Mosque ( az, Təzə məhəllə məscidi; which can also be transliterated as Teze Mehelle in English) is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha about 350 km from capital Baku. The name of the mosque in translation means "New Nei ...
in Shusha in 2014. It contains 480 samples of ore and fossil from 47 countries of the world. Except for the rugs kept at the
Shushi Carpet Museum Shushi Carpet Museum ( hy, Շուշիի գորգերի թանգարան) was founded by Vardan Astsatryan in 2011. The museum opened its doors to the public in 2013, when its location, Shusha ( hy, Shushi, Շուշի), was under the control of t ...
, which were removed, the collections of the museums in Shusha were left behind and remained in the city after the capture of Shusha by Azerbaijani forces in 2020. In August 2021, satellite images released by Caucasus Heritage Watch (a watchdog group of researchers from
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mo ...
and
Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
) revealed that between April 10 and June 5, 51 sculptures in the park of the Museum of Fine Arts were removed and the area completely cleared: "CHW is concerned about the condition of these artworks, which are the property of that museum. CHW asks Azerbaijani authorities to disclose the location of the confiscated sculptures and plans for public access" read the Facebook page of the organization.


Demographics

According to the first Russian-held census of 1823 conducted by Russian officials Yermolov and Mogilevsky, in Shusha were 1,111 (72.5%) Muslim families and 421 (27.5%) Armenian families. Seven years later, according to 1830 data, the number of Muslim families in Shusha decreased to 963 (55.8%) and the number of Armenian families increased to 762 (44.2%)."Review of Russian possessions in Transcaucasus" (''"Obozreniye Rossiyskih vladeniy za Kavkazom"''), vol. III, St.-Petersburg, 1836, p. 308 George Keppel, the Earl of Albemarle, who wrote on his way back to England from India arrived in Karabakh from Persia in 1824, wrote that “Sheesha contains two thousand houses: three parts of the inhabitants are Tartars (i.e. Azerbaijanis), and the remainder Armenians”. A survey prepared by the Russian imperial authorities in 1823 shows that all Armenians of Karabakh compactly resided in its highland portion, i.e. on the territory of the five traditional Armenian principalities, and constituted an absolute demographic majority on those lands. The survey's more than 260 pages recorded that the five districts had 57 Armenian villages and seven Tatar villages. The 19th century also brought some alterations to the ethnic demographics of the region. Following the invasions from Iran (Persia), Russo-Persian wars and subjection of Karabakh khanate to Russia, many Muslim families emigrated to Iran while many Armenians moved to Shusha. In 1851, the population of Shusha was 15,194 people, Caucasian Calendar (Кавказский Календарь), 1853, p. 128 in 1885 – 30,000, and in 1910 – 39,413. By the end of the 1880s, the percentage of the Muslim population living in the Shusha district (part of the earlier Karabakh province) decreased even further and constituted only 41.5%, while the percentage of the Armenian population living in the same district increased to 58.2% in 1886. By the second half of the 19th century, Shusha had become the largest town in the Karabakh region. However, after the pogrom against the Armenian population in 1920 and the burning of the town, out-migration, and its decreasing economic importance in relation to other regional cities like Yerevan and Baku, Shusha was reduced to a small provincial town of some 10,000 people. Its population afterward progressively dropped year by year, reaching 5,104 by 1926. Armenians did not begin to return until after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. It was not until the 1960s that the Armenian quarter began to be rebuilt. According to the last population census in 1989, the town of Shusha had a population of 17,000 and
Shusha district Shusha District ( az, Şuşa rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the Karabakh Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Khojaly, Lachin, and Khojavend. Its capit ...
had a population of 23,000. 91.7% of the population of Shusha district and 98% of Shusha town were Azerbaijani.Amirbayov, Elchin. "Shusha's Pivotal Role in a Nagorno-Karabagh Settlement" in Dr. Brenda Shaffer (ed.), Policy Brief Number 6, Cambridge, MA: Caspian Studies Program, Harvard University, December 2001, . Following the capture of Shusha by the Armenian forces in 1992, the Azerbaijani population of the town, consisting of 15,000 people, was killed and expulsed. Before the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerba ...
, the population consisted of over 4,000 Armenians, mainly refugees from
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...
, and other parts of Karabakh and Azerbaijan. As a result of the first war, no Azerbaijanis live in Shusha today, although Azerbaijani authorities plan to repopulate it with Azerbaijani displaced persons who fled Shusha during the first war. Shusha's Armenian population fled shortly before the city was recaptured by Azerbaijani forces during the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerba ...
.


Economy and tourism

While the town was under Armenian control, there were efforts to revive the city's economy by the Shushi Revival Fund, the ArmeniaFund, and by the government of Artsakh. Investment in tourism led to the opening of the Shushi Hotel, the Avan Shushi Plaza Hotel and the Shushi Grand Hotel. A tourist information office was also opened, the first in the
Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Artsakh controls a part of the former ...
. The two remaining Armenian churches ( Ghazanchetsots and
Kanach Zham Saint John the Baptist Church (), commonly known as Kanach Zham ( hy, Կանաչ Ժամ) is an Armenian Apostolic church in Shusha (known to Armenians as ''Shushi'') in Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, located just uphill ...
) were renovated, and schools, museums and the Naregatsi Arts Institute have opened. After retaking the town, Azerbaijani authorities renovated and inaugurated Khari Bulbul and Karabakh hotels. In August 2021, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev laid foundation stone for Hotel and Conference Center in Shusha.


Twin towns – sister cities

*
Gyöngyös Gyöngyös (; german: Gengeß) is a town in Heves county in Hungary, east of Budapest. Situated at the foot of the Sár-hegy and Mátra mountains, it is the home of numerous food production plants, including milk production and sausage factori ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
*
Kayseri Kayseri (; el, Καισάρεια) is a large industrialised city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri province. The Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality area is composed of five districts: the two central districts of Kocasina ...
,
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
* Turkistan,
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
*
Erzurum Erzurum (; ) is a city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. The city uses the double-headed eagle as ...
,
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
*
Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo ( bg, Велико Търново, Veliko Tărnovo, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a town in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred as the "''City of the Tsars''", Veliko Tarnovo ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...


Notable natives

*
Ibrahim Khalil Khan Ibrahim Khalil khan Javanshir (1732–1806) was an Azerbaijani Turkic khan of the Karabakh Khanate from the Javanshir family, who succeeded his father Panah-Ali khan Javanshir as the ruler of the khanate. Early life He was born in c. 1732 i ...
(1732-1806), Azerbaijani khan of the
Karabakh Khanate The Karabakh Khanate was a semi-independent Turkic Caucasian khanate on the territories of modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan established in about 1748 under Iranian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas. The Karabakh Khanate came under ...
. *
Gasim bey Zakir Gasim bey Zakir (also spelled Kāṣīm Bey Ḏh̲ākir) ( az, Qasım bəy Zakir; died 1857) was an Azerbaijani poet of the 19th century and one of the founders of the critical realism and satirical genre in Azerbaijani literature. He is consider ...
(1784–1857), Azerbaijani poet. *
Jafargulu agha Javanshir Jafargulu agha Javanshir ( az, Cəfərqulu ağa Məhəmmədhəsən ağa oğlu Sarıcalı-Cavanşir; 1782 or 1787–1866) was an Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijani poet, figure and a major-general of the Imperial Russian Army, Russian Army. Early li ...
(1787–1867), Azerbaijani poet and major general of the Imperial Russian Army. *
Abbasqoli Mo'tamad-dawla Javanshir Abbasqoli khan Mo'tamad-dawla Javanshir () was an Iranian statesman, first Minister of Justice of Iran from 1859 to 1862. Biography Of Azerbaijani descent, he was born in Shusha, Karabakh Khanate to Abulfat agha Javanshir sometime after 1804. ...
(1804-1862), Azerbaijani statesman and first minister of justice of Iran. *
Karbalayi Safikhan Karabakhi Karbalayi Safikhan Karabakhi ( az, Kərbəlayı Səfixan Sultanhüseyn oğlu Qarabaği) (c. 1817 - 1910) was an Azerbaijani architect and one of the representatives of Karabakh architecture schools. Buildings by Kerbalai Sefikhan Karabagi included ...
(1820–1879), Azerbaijani architect and one of the representatives of Karabakh architecture schools. *
Ivan Davidovich Lazarev Ivan Davidovich Lazarev ( hy, Հովհաննես Դավթի Լազարյան, Hovhannes Davti Lazarian; russian: Иван Давыдович Лазарев; 17 October 1820 – 14 August 1879) was an Imperial Russian Army general of Armenian ...
(1820–1879), Armenian lieutenant-general of the Imperial Russian Army. *
Usta Gambar Karabakhi Usta Gambar Karabakhi ( az, Usta Qəmbər Qarabağı; 1830s, in Shusha – 1905, in Shusha) was an Azerbaijani ornamentalist painter, author of impressive decorative paintings with egg tempera (plant and zoomorphic motifs) in the interior of the ...
(1830–1905), Azerbaijani ornamentalist painter. *
Khurshidbanu Natavan Khurshidbanu Natavan ( az, خورشیدبانو ناتوان / Xurşidbanu Natəvan; 6 August 1832 – 2 October 1897) was an Azerbaijani poet and philanthropist. She is considered one of the best lyrical poets of Azerbaijan. Her poems are in ei ...
(1832–1897), one of the best lyrical poets of Azerbaijan. * Sadigjan (1846–1902), Azerbaijani musician. *
Muratsan Grigor Ter-Hovhannisian ( hy, Գրիգոր Տեր-Հովհաննիսյան; December 1, 1854 – September 12, 1908), better known as Muratsan ( hy, Մուրացան), was a prolific Armenian writer, known best for writing '' Gevorg Marzpetuni'' ( ...
(1854–1908), Armenian writer and novelist. *
Karim bey Mehmandarov Abdul Karim bey Mirza Mustafa bey oghlu Mehmandarov ( az, Əbdül Kərim bəy Mirzə Mustafa bəy oğlu Mehmandarov, 2 December 1854, Shusha–20 December 1929, Shusha) was a Russian Empire and Soviet medical doctor of Azerbaijani ethnicity. He was ...
(1854-1929), Azerbaijani physician, founder of the Russian-Azerbaijani Shusha girls school. * Amanullah Mirza Qajar (1857–1937), prince of Iran's
Qajar dynasty The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic origin ...
. Major general in the Russian Empire and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, later military figure and politician in Iran. * Leo (1860–1932), Armenian historian. *
Stepan Aghajanian Stepan Meliksetovich Aghajanian ( hy, Ստեփան Մելիքսեթի Աղաջանյան; 16 December 1863 – 13 December 1940) was an Armenian painter; known primarily for portraits and landscapes. Biography He was born in Shusha. His father w ...
(1863–1940), Armenian painter. *
Hambardzum Arakelian Hambardzum Arakelian ( hy, Համբարձում Առաքելյան ''Shahriar'' ( hy, Շահրիար), 1865, Shusha, Russian Empire - 1918, Tbilisi) was an Armenian journalist, writer and public activist, the founder of The Relief Committee for Ar ...
(1865–1918), Armenian journalist and public activist. *
Alexander Atabekian Alexander Movsesi Atabekian ( hy, Ալեքսանդր Մովսեսի Աթաբեկյան; 2 February 1868 – 4 December 1933) was a prominent Armenian anarchist, author and publisher of anarchist literature in Russian. Biography Alexander Movse ...
(1868–1933), prominent Armenian anarchist. *
Ahmet Ağaoğlu Ahmet Ağaoğlu, also known as Ahmet Bey Ağaoğlu ( az, Əhməd bəy Ağaoğlu; December 1869 – 19 May 1939), was a prominent Azerbaijani and naturalized Turkish politician, publicist and journalist. He was one of the founders of Pan-Turkis ...
(1869–1939), Azerbaijani politician and journalist. * Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev (1870–1933), Azerbaijani playwright, stage director, politician and public figure. * Feyzullah Mirza Qajar (1872–1920), prince of Iran's
Qajar dynasty The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic origin ...
. Major general in the Russian Empire and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, later military figure and politician in Iran. *
Suleyman Sani Akhundov Suleyman Sani Rzagulu bey oghlu Akhundov ( az, Süleyman Sani Rzaqulu bəy oğlu Axundov; 3 October 1875 – 29 March 1939), was an Azerbaijani playwright, journalist, author, and teacher. He chose the name Sani (Arabic for "the second") to avoid ...
(1875–1939), Azerbaijani playwright and journalist. * Vartan Sarkisov (1875–1955), Soviet-Armenian architect. *
Freidun Aghalyan Freidun Aghalyan (November 20, 1876 in Shusha, Russian Empire – February 1, 1944 in Yerevan) was an Armenian architect. In 1903 Aghalian finished a building for the Saint-Petersburg Institute of Civil Engineering. Between 1903 & 1921 he ove ...
(1876–1944), Armenian architect. *
Tuman Tumanian Tuman Tumyan ( hy, Թուման Թումյան; 1879–1906) was an active participant of the Armenian national liberation movement. Tuman Tumyan was born in 1879 in Shusha, Russian Empire and had his local education there; one of his classmates ...
(1879–1906), Armenian liberation movement leader. *
Zulfugar Hajibeyov Zulfugar Abdulhuseyn oghlu Hajibeyov ( az, Zülfüqar bəy Əbdülhüseyn bəy oğlu Hacıbəyov, 17 April 1884 – 30 September 1950) was an Azerbaijani composer and a member of a family noted for its musical talents. He was one o ...
(1884–1950), Soviet-Azerbaijani composer. *
Ahmed Agdamski Ahmed Agdamski ( az, Əhməd Ağdamski) also known by the stage name of Ahmed Bashir oglu Badalbeyli ( az, Əhməd Bəşir oğlu Bədəlbəyli) (January 5, 1884, in Shusha, Elisabethpol Governorate (Russian Empire) – April 1, 1954, in Agdash, ...
(1884–1954), Soviet-Azerbaijani opera singer. *
Arsen Terteryan Arsen Harutyuni Terteryan ( hy, Արսեն Տերտերյան; 22 December 1882, Shusha – 6 October 1953, Yerevan) was a Soviet Armenian literary critic, academic of Science Academy of Armenia, awarded by ''Renowned scientist'' title (1940). G ...
(1882–1953), Soviet-Armenian scientist. * Artashes Babalian (1886–1959), a politician of the
First Republic of Armenia The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...
. *
Sahak Ter-Gabrielyan Sahak Mirzayi Ter-Gabrielyan ( hy, Սահակ Միրզայի Տեր-Գաբրիելյան; 1886 – 19 August 1937) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet Armenian statesman. Born in Shushi to the family of a tailor, he became a member of the R ...
(1886–1937), Soviet-Armenian statesman. * Hayk Gyulikekhvyan (1886–1951), Armenian literary critic. * Ashot Hovhannisyan (1887–1972), Soviet-Armenian statesman and historian. *
Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli ( az, Yusif Vəzir Çəmənzəminli), also spelled Chemenzeminli, born Yusif Mirbaba oghlu Vazirov (12 September 1887 – 3 January 1943) was an Azerbaijani statesman and writer known for his novels, short stories, essays ...
(1887–1943), Soviet-Azerbaijani and writer. *
Nariman bey Narimanbeyov Nariman bey Hashim oglu Narimanbeyov ( az, Nəriman bəy Həşim bəy oğlu Nərimanbəyli; 1889–1937), also known as Nariman bey Narimanbeyli ( az, Nəriman bəy Nərimanbəyli), was an Azerbaijani lawyer and statesman who served as State Con ...
(1889–1937), Azerbaijani lawyer and statesman. *
Mikael Arutchian Mikael Aveti Arutchian (russian: Арутчян Михаил Аветович; , 1897 – June 9, 1961), was a Soviet and Armenian theatrical painter and designer, People's artist of Armenia (1958).Bulbul The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia ...
(1897–1961), Soviet-Azerbaijani opera tenor and folk music performer, father of Polad Bülbüloğlu, Azerbaijani singer, actor and diplomat. *
Ivan Tevosian Ivan Fyodorovich (Hovhannes Tevadrosovich) Tevosian (russian: Иван Федорович (Тевадросович) Тевосян, hy, Հովհաննես Թևատրոսի Թևոսյան 1902, Shushi – 1958, Moscow) was a Soviet politician of A ...
(1902–1958), Soviet-Armenian statesman. *
Khan Shushinski Khan Shushinski ( az, Xan Şuşinski), born Isfandiyar Aslan oglu Javanshir (20 August 1901, Shusha – 18 March 1979, Baku), was an Azerbaijani khananda folk singer. Life Despite Shushinski's relation to the khans of Karabakh, his stage name deri ...
(1901–1979), was an
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
i
khananda A khananda ( az, xanəndə ; fa, خواننده; alternative spellings in English: khanende, khanande, khanandeh) is a name generally given to singers of mugham, an Azeri folk music genre. The word is of Persian origin and means "singer". Whe ...
folk singer. *
Süreyya Ağaoğlu Süreyya Ağaoğlu (1903, Shusha, Azerbaijan – 29 December 1989, Istanbul) was a Turkish- Azerbaijani writer, jurist, and the first female lawyer in Turkish history.Ghada Talhami. Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North ...
(1903–1989), Turkish
Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...
origin writer, jurist, and the first female lawyer in
Turkish history :''See History of the Republic of Turkey for the history of the modern state.'' The history of Turkey, understood as the history of the region now forming the territory of the Republic of Turkey, includes the history of both Anatolia (the Asian ...
. * Ivan Knunyants (1906–1990), Soviet-Armenian chemist. *
Latif Karimov Latif Huseyn oglu Karimov ( az, Lətif Hüseyn oğlu Kərimov; 17 November 1906 in Shusha – 8 September 1991 in Baku) was an Azerbaijani carpet designer known for his contributions to a variety of artistic fields, as well as for a number of boo ...
(1906–1991),
Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...
carpet designer known for his contributions to a variety of artistic fields, as well as for a number of books classifying and describing various designs of
Azerbaijani rug Azerbaijani rugs ( az, Azərbaycan xalçaları) are traditional rugs made in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani rug is a handmade textile of various sizes, with a dense texture and a pile or pile-less surface, whose patterns are characteristic of Azerbai ...
s. *
Gevork Kotiantz Gevork Vartanovich Kotiantz ( hy, Գևորգ Վարդանի Կոթյանց; russian: Гево́рк Варта́нович Котья́нц; 12 November 1909 in Shusha, Shusha uezd, Elizavetpol Governorate, Russian Empire – 28 August 1996 in S ...
(1909–1996), Soviet-Armenian painter. *
Shamsi Badalbeyli Shamsi Badal oghlu Badalbeyli ( az, Şəmsi Bədəl oğlu Bədəlbəyli) (23 February 1911, Shusha – 23 May 1987, Baku) was an Azerbaijani theatre director and actor. Life and career Shamsi Badalbeyli was born in Shusha to Badal Badalbeyli, a m ...
(1911–1987), Soviet-Azerbaijani actor and theatre director. *
Nelson Stepanyan russian: Нельсон Георгиевич Степанян , native_name_lang = , image = Нельсон Георгиевич Степанян.jpg , image_size = , alt = , birth_date = , birth_place = Shushi, Elisa ...
(1913–1944), Soviet-Armenian pilot and Lieutenant–Colonel of the Red Army. *
Barat Shakinskaya Barat Habib gizi Shakinskaya ( az, Barat Həbib qızı Şəkinskaya; 28 June 1914 – 14 January 1999) was an Azerbaijani and Soviet stage and film actress. Biography Barat Shakinskaya was born into a bey family in Shusha, Russian Empire (no ...
(1914–1999), Soviet-Azerbaijani actress. * Gurgen Boryan (1915–1971), Soviet-Armenian poet and playwright. * Soltan Hajibeyov (1919–1974), Soviet-Azerbaijani composer. * Seyran Ohanyan (born 1962), Armenian politician and military commander.


See also

* List of Azerbaijanis from Nagorno-Karabakh#Prominent people from Shusha, List of Azerbaijanis from Shusha * List of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh#Shusha, List of Armenians from Shusha


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * *


External links

*
Shusha: from A to Z




by Travel-images.com
Shoushi Foundation

Shushi portal

Armenian Guidebook Chapter on Shushi

Armeniapedia entry on Shushi

"The Twentieth Spring"
– A photo essay on Shushi 20 years after it was taken over by Armenian forces (randbild , 2011) {{Authority control Shusha Populated places in Shusha District Populated places in Shushi Province Districts of Azerbaijan Elizavetpol Governorate 1752 establishments Former Armenian inhabited settlements