ShushiShushi, the former administrative center of Artsakh-Karabagh, is situated almost in the centre of Nagorno Karahagh Republic (NKR), not far from its capital Stepanakert. Like a stork's nest that has a formidable view of all surrounding terrain, Shushi proudly sits on top of a plateau that crowns a steep mountain. Gardens and fields stretch to the North and South at its foot, while the Karkar river flows through a gorge that lines the city from the Southeast.
In the nineteenth century, Shushi, the center of Artsakh, became the third largest town in Transcaucasus where Armenian culture and education flourished. It has been the political and cultural centre of Karabagh. The political and social consciousness of Karabagh, its academic and cultural elite have been forged here.
In 1921, in July - the Caucasian Bureau of the Russian Communist party (Kavburo) with Stalin on it resolves to attach Karabakh to Armenia, then almost immediately reverses the decision, attaching it to Azerbaijan with ‘wide regional autonomy’.
On May 8, 1992, the Azeri defense of the town was broken from north and east. After street fights, the Armenian forces took under control the center of Shushi in the evening. On May 9 Shushi was completely under Armenian control.
Today refugees from Azerbaijan and Martakert live there, about 2,000 in all. Around 6,000 people came to Shushi after the war. Today, while efforts are being made to restore the once-artistically-famous town, they are all united.
The main attraction of the town is the newly restored Cathedral Surp Amenaprkich Ghazanchetsots also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It was built between 1868 and 1887 and has a facade of white limestone. In front of the west entrance is a freestanding three-story bell tower, constructed in 1858. The Cathedral was destroyed during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. In the recent years the capture was repaired and renovated. In 1998 it was re-consecrated as a church, and it is the main cathedral and headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church's Diocese of Artsakh.
There is also the Kanach Jham Church (or Verin Tagh) which you can see from the Cathedral and head up to. According to the building inscription the church was built in 1818 in the place of the former Gharabaghtsots wooden church.
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