Shusha: Difference between revisions

Shusha (Azeri: Şuşa, Armenian: Շուշի; translit. Shushi, Russian Шуша translit. Shusha, Persian: شوشی ; translit. Shusha) is a town in the disputed Nagorno Karabakh Republic, next to the rayon of the same name.

Shusha was the second largest town in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the only large settlement in the province predominantly populated of people known since the 1920s as Azerbaijanis. Situated 1400-1800 m above sea level on the picturesque Karabakh mountains ridge, Shusha was a popular mountainous-climatic recreation resort during Soviet Union.

Considered to be a historical capital of the Karabakh region, Shusha was one of the cultural centers of Azerbaijan and Armenia. It was home to many Armenian and Azerbaijani intellectuals, poets, writers and especially, musicians. In 1977 it was declared reservation of Azerbaijan architecture and history. It is also of religious and strategic importance to the Armenians, housing the Karabakh Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Savior (also known as Ղազանչեցոց Ժամ - Ghazanchetsots Zham) and serving (along with Lachin district to the west) as a land link to Armenia.

According to the last population census in 1989, the town of Shusha had a population of 17,000 and the Shusha district had a population of 23,000. 91.7% of population of Shusha district and 98% of the town of Shusha were Azerbaijani.

The ethnic demographics of the town varied from time to time with Azeris constituting the majority from the late 17th century until mid-19th century and between 1920-1992 and Armenians constituting the majority from the second half of the 19th century till 1920. Following the Armenian seizure of Shusha in 1992 the Azerbaijani population of the town fled and currently the population consists of roughly 3,000 Armenians ^[1], mainly refugees from other parts of Azerbaijan and some migrants from Armenia and Diaspora.

Foundation of Shusha

Shusha was originally founded in the medieval times as a fortress which since the 15th century belonged to Melik Shahnazarians—hereditary Armenian dynasts of the principality of Varanda that occupied the central part of modern Nagorno Karabakh. This fortress was known to Armenians as Shikakar (Շիկաքար, Pale Rock) or Karaglukh (Քարագլուխ, Head Rock). Since the late 17th century, Shusha was a centerpiece of an intricate defense system of united Armenian principalities of Nagorno Karabakh, The Five Duchies (Five Melikates or Խամսաի Մելիքություններ). This defense infrastructure, called Lesser Sygnakh, proved to be very effective as a bulwark against foreign invaders, especially against Ottoman troops in the Turkish-Persian war of 1723-1727 and against proto-Azerbaijani Turkic tribesmen (see publication: Armenians and Russia, 1626-1796: A Documentary Record, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2001, pages 23, 34-43, 167, 178).

The name of the fortress and the city comes from the toponym designating the nearby village of Shosh (Շոշ, translated from Armenian as “Pathway”), whose residents were in charge of taking care of the fortress by the order of the Lord of Varanda. In the 1740s, in order to withstand the pressure from his rivals in adjacent Armenian principalities, Shahnazar II Shahnazarian, Lord of Varanda, surrendered his fortress to his ally, the Turkic Muslim tribal chieftain Panah Ali Javanshir, and that is how Turkophone Muslims planted their seed in the heart of modern Nagorno Karabakh on a permanent basis (see publication: A History of Qarabagh: An Annotated Translation of Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi's Tarikh-E Qarabagh, CA: Mazda Publishers. 1994, pages 7-13, 25, 44-48). To take over the highland, Armenian-controlled portion of what Turkic tribesmen used to refer to as "Karabakh" was a long-coveted goal of Panah Ali's Turkic herders. This largely stemmed from their economic lifestyle. Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi describes in his book how after gaining control over Shusha, Panah Ali entered into a war with 4 out of 5 Armenian meliks of Nagorno Karabakh that lasted over a decade. The Armenian natives of Nagorno Karabakh hated Panakh Ali and his tribesmen, but their disunity and weakness caused by the long war with Ottoman Turks in 1722-1737 eventually brought about compliance.

Shusha was upgraded into a settlement in 1750-1752 (according to other sources, 1756-1757) by Panah Ali Javanshir (r. 1748-1763), the founder and the first ruler of the Karabakh khanate (1748-1822) and head of Saryjalli tribe - part of the larger tribal confederation of Afshars. Initially the town was named Panahabad, after its founder. Later during the rule of Ibrahim Khalil khan (r. 1763-1806), son of Panah Ali khan, the town was renamed back to Shusha. The town was also largely known by the name "Qala" ("fortress" in Azeri) or Shoshva-Qar (Շոշվա-Քար in Armenian)

The first capital of the Karabakh khanate was the castle of Bayat, in the lowland territory adjacent to modern Nagorno Karabakh; it was built in 1748. However soon thereafter Panah Ali realized that in order to secure himself and his newly-established khanate from external threats, and especially from the invasions from imperial Isfahan - with which he was in bad relations - he needed to find a more dependable fortification.

File:Govhar-Aga.jpg

Govhar-Aga mosque in Shusha

According to the above-mentioned chronicler Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi, the Karabakh nobility assembled to discuss the danger of invasion from Iran and told Panah Ali: "We must build among the impassable mountains such an inviolable and inaccessible fort, so that no strong enemy could take it".

Struggles against the invasions from Iran

In less than a year after Shusha was founded, the Karabakh khanate was attacked by Muhammed Hassan khan Qajar, one of the major claimants to the Iranian throne. During the Safavid Empire Karabakh was for almost two centuries ruled by the Turkic-speaking clan of Qajar, 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 khanate of his major opponent to the Iranian throne Kerim khan Zend. 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 Muhammad Hassan khan and even briefly took Ardebil across the Araks River in South (Iranian) Azerbaijan.

In 1756 (or 1759) Shusha and the Karabakh khanate underwent a new attack from Fatali khan Afshar, ruler of Urmia. With his 30,000-strong army Fatali khan also managed to gain support from the restive Armenian meliks of Jraberd and Talish (Gulistan), however melik Shahnazar of Varanda continued to support Panah Ali khan. Siege of Shusha lasted for six months and Fatali khan eventually had to retreat.

After Panah Ali khan's death his son Ibrahim Khalil khan became the ruler of the Karabakh khanate. Under him Karabakh khanate became one of the strongest state formations in 18th century Azerbaijan and Shusha turned into a big city. According to travellers who visited Shusha at the end of 18th-early 19th centuries the town had about 2,000 houses and app. 10,000 population.

In summer 1795 Shusha underwent major attack of Aga Muhammad khan Qajar, son of Muhammad Hassan khan who attacked Shusha in 1752. Aga Muhammad khan Qajar's goal was to end with the feudal fragmentation and to restore the old Safavid State in Iran and Azerbaijan. For this purpose he also wanted to proclaim himself shah (king) of Iran. However, according to the Safavid tradition, shah had to take control over the whole of South Caucasus before his coronation. Therefore, Karabakh khanate and his fortified capital Shusha, were the first and major obstacle to achieve these ends.

Aga Muhammad khan Qajar besieged Shusha with his 80,000-strong army. Ibrahim Khalil khan mobilized the population for long-term defense. The number of militia in Shusha reached 15,000. Women fought together with men. The Christian Armenian population of Shusha also actively participated in this struggle against the invaders and fought side by side with Muslim population jointly organizing ambushes in the mountains and forests.

The siege lasted for 33 days. Not being able to capture Shusha, Agha Muhammad khan ceased the siege and advanced to Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi), which despite desperate resistance was occupied and exposed to unprecedented destruction.

In 1797 Agha Muhammad shah Qajar, who by that time has already managed to declare himself shah (albeit he did not succeed in conquering the Caucasus as the tradition required) decided to carry out a second attack on Karabakh.

Trying to revenge for the previous humiliating defeat Qajar devastated the surrounding villages near Shusha. The population could not recover from the previous 1795 attack and also suffered from serious draught which lasted for three years. The artillery of the enemy also caused serious losses to the city defenders. Thus, in 1797 Aga Muhammed shah succeeded to seize Shusha and Ibrahim Khalil khan had to flee to Dagestan.

However, several days after seizure of Shusha, Aga Muhammed shah was killed in enigmatic circumstances by his bodyguards. The Iranian troops left without head run away and soon afterwards, Ibrahim Khalil khan returned to Shusha and restored his authority as khan of Karabakh.

19th century: Shusha within the Russian Empire

From the early 19th century Russian influence in the Caucasus began to rise. Following Georgia, many Azeri ruled khanates accepted Russian protectorate. In 1805, a Kurekchay Treaty was signed between the Karabakh khanate and the Russian Empire on the transfer of the Karabakh khanate to Russia.

The Russian Empire consolidated its power in the Karabakh khanate following the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 and Treaty of Turkmanchay of 1828, when following two Russo-Iranian wars, Iran recognized belonging of the Karabakh khanate, along with many other Azerbaijani ruled khanates, to Russia.

The Karabakh khanate was eliminated in 1822. During the Russo-Persian War (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 and instead became an administrative capital of first the Karabakh province (1822-1840) and then of the Shusha district (uyezd) of the Yelizavetpol province (goubernia) (1840-1923).

The 19th century also brought significant alterations to the ethnic demographics of the region. Thus, if in 1795 before Aga Muhammad khan Qajar's attack, there lived more than 60,000 in Karabakh, in 1816 the population of the khanate totaled only 24,000 people. Thus, within twenty years from 1795 to 1815 the population of Karabakh decreased by 36,000, i.e. more than half.

Nevertheless, Shusha grew and developed. In 1851 the population of Shusha was 15,194 people ^[2], in 1886 - 30,000 ^[3], in 1910 - 39,413 ^[4] and in 1916 - 43,864 ^[5]. By the second half of the 19th century Shusha became the largest town in Azerbaijan and the second largest town in the Caucasus after Tbilisi. By March 1920 there were 12 thousand houses in Shusha, with approximate population of 60,000 ^[6].

Church of Amenaprkich Ghazanchetsots in Shusha

According to first Russian-held census of 1823 conducted by Russian officials Yermolov and Mogilevsky, the number of Azeri ("Muslim") families in Shusha was 1,111 (72.5%) whereas the number of Armenian families reached 421 (27.5%) ^[7]. Seven years later, according to 1830 data, the number of Turkic families in Shusha decreased to 963 and the number of Armenian families increased to 762^[8]. By the end of the 1880s the percentage of Azeri population living in the Shusha district (part of 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.

A Shushavian from a noble family. Picture by V.Vereschagin, a Russian traveller to Shusha in 1865.

Beginning from 1830s the town was divided into two parts: Turkic lived in eastern lower quarters, Armenians settled in relatively new western upper quarters of the town. The "Muslim" part of the town was divided to 17 mahallas (quarters). Each mahalla had its own mosque, Turkish bath, water-spring and also a mahalla representative, who would be elected among the elderlies (aksakals), and who would function as a sort of head of present-day municipality. The Armenian part of the town consisted of 12 quarters, five churches, town and district (uyezd) school and girls' seminarium.

The population of the town primarily dealt with trade, horse-breeding, carpet-weaving and wine and vodka production. Shusha was also the biggest center 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.

Early 20th century: Shusha turns into an Armenian-Turkic battlefield

Beginning of the 20th century marked the first Armenian-Turkic clashes throughout Azerbaijan. This new phenomenon had two reasons. First, it was the result of increasing tensions between the local Muslim population and Armenian settlers, which significantly increased in numbers throughout the 19th century. Second, by the beginning of the 20th century peoples of the Caucasus, similar to other non-Russian peoples in the periphery of the Russian Empire began to seek cultural and territorial autonomy. That is why, if the beginning of the 20th century in Russia itself was a period of bourgeois and Bolshevik revolutions, in the peripheries these movements have acquired a character of the national liberation movement.

First clashes between the Armenians and Turkic took place in Baku in February 1905. Soon, the conflict spilled over to other parts of the Caucasus, and on August 5, 1905 first conflict between the Armenian and Turkic population of Shusha took place. As a result of mutual pogroms and killings, hundreds of people died, more than 200 houses were burned.

After the World War I and subsequent collapse of the Russian Empire, Karabakh was declared part of the self-proclaimed Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920), a decision hotly disputed by neighboring self-proclaimed Republic of Armenia.

In January 1919 the government of Azerbaijan decided to create a governorship in Karabakh with a regional capital in Shusha. Khosrov bey Sultanov, a native of Karabakh of a mixed Turkic-Kurdish origin was appointed the general-governor of Karabakh with the consent of the British troops. He had three Armenian and three Turkic aides. Later same year the Entente Allies provisionally recognized Karabakh's de facto ownership by Azerbaijan and the authority of the Karabakh general-governor and decided that the ultimate status of Karabakh was pending final decision in Paris Peace Conference scheduled to take place in 1919.

Following this decision, in August 1919, under strong British pressure, the VII Congress of the Karabakh Armenians agreed to enter into a direct contact with the authority of the Azerbaijan government until the issue of the mountainous part of Karabakh would be settled at the Paris Peace Conference.

The largest Armenian-Turkic ethnic clashes in Shusha took place on March-April 1920. By that time Khosrov bey Sultanov brought in up to 7,000 Turkic Muslim troops, Ottoman-headed "Army of Islam" and Kurdish irregulars known as "janbezars." On the night from March 21-22, 1920 when the Muslims celebrated Spring Equinox (Novruz Bayram), Sultanov gave the order to a organize a surprise attack aimed at cleansing the town from the remaining Armenian population.

The Muslims destroyed and burned almost the whole Armenian part of the town, forcing the Armenian population to flee. During these clashes, more than 7,000 houses were burned and Shusha was virtually cleansed of its Armenian residents. Some 20,000 Armenians died. All Armenian churches in the town were destroyed - completely or partially, including the Cathedral of the Holy Savior.

Shusha from 1920s till present

In 1920 Russian Red Army first invaded Azerbaijan and then Armenia and put an end to the national de facto governments existing in these two countries. Beginning from this period, conflict over control of Karabakh and its central town of Shusha, moved from the battlefields to diplomatic sphere.

In order to attract Armenian public support, Bolsheviks promised that they would allot Karabakh to Armenia, along with Nakhichevan, which was under formal control of the Republic of Armenia, and Zangezur. However, Moscow also had far-reaching plans concerning Turkey, hoping that it would, with a little help from Russia, develop along Communist lines. Needing to appease Turkey and Armenia at the same time, Moscow agreed to a division that transferred Zangezur to Armenia, while leaving Karabakh and Nakhichevan as parts of Azerbaijan.

On July 5, 1921 the Caucasus branch of the Communist Party adoptd the following decision regarding the future status of Karabakh: "Proceeding from the necessity of national peace between the Muslims and Armenians, and economic links of the upland and lowland Karabakh, its constant link with Azerbaijan, to leave the Mountainous Karabakh within the Azerbaijan SSR, having granted it a broad regional autonomy with the administrative center in the town of Shusha included in the autonomous region." As a result, Mountainous (Nagorno-)Karabakh Autonomous Region was established within the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923, causing vociferous protests of Nagorno Karabakh's Armenian majority.

The decision to "leave" Karabakh within Azerbaijan has been largely possible by a firm position of the then Soviet Azerbaijan leader Nariman Narimanov, who resisted pressures from Moscow to concede Karabakh and Nakhichevan to Armenia.

File:Shusha-ruins-2005.jpg

Ruins of present-day Shusha.

Following 1920 Armeno-Turkic clashes and burning of the town, Shusha was reduced to a small provincial town of some 10,000. This remaining Turkic residents ultimately fled the town too - unable to live in an all-Muslim but economically devastated settlement. By 1931, Nagorno Karabakh hadvirtually no Turkic residents at all. Almost all Azerbaijanis living in Nagorno Karabakh by 1988 were descendants of colonists brought into the province by Baku in order to start changing the demographic picture in favor of the Turkic ethnic element. Khankendi (Vararakn), renamed Stepanakert after the famed Armenian communist Stepan Shaumyan), previously a village, became a new regional capital and soon turned into the largest town within Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Region.

Shusha remained half-ruined until 1960s, when it began to gradually revive due to its recreational potential. In 1977 Shusha was declared an architectural and history reserval,and became one of the major resort-towns in former USSR.

With the start of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in 1988 Shusha became the most important Azerbaijani stronghold in Karabakh, where from Azerbaijani forces permanently shelled the capital Stepanakert. On May 9, 1992 the town was captured by Armenian forces and its Azerbaijani population fled. Today a large part of the town still remains in ruins.

Thomas de Waal quoted: Armenians in the oldest town in Nagorno-Karabakh remember how a decade ago their forces captured it from the Azerbaijanis - and then burned it. [1]

Since the end of the war town was repopulated by Armenians, most refugees from Azerbaijan and other parts og Karabakh, as well as members of the Armenian diaspora. While the population of the town is barely a half of the prewar number, and the demographic of the town has changed from completely Azeri to Armenian, slow recovery can be see. The Goris Stepanakert Highway passes through the town, and is a transit and tourist destination for many. There are some hotels in the city, and reconstruction work continues.

References

^ Thomas de Waal, "Shusha Armenians recall their bittersweet victory", Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), May 10, 2002
^ "Caucasus Calendar" ("Kavkazskiy kalendar" in Russian) of 1853, p. 128
^ "Caucasus Calendar" ("Kavkazskiy kalendar" in Russian) of 1886, p. 319
^ "Review of the Yelizavetpol goubernia as of 1910" ("Obzor Yelizavetpolskoy goubernii za 1910 g." in Rissian) Tbilisi, 1912 p. 141
^ "Caucasus Calendar" ("Kavkazskiy kalendar" in Russian) of 1917, p. 190
^ "Nagorny Karabakh" (in Russian), 1927, p. 39
^ "Description of the Karabakh province prepared in 1823 according to the order of the governor in Georgia Yermolov by state advisor Mogilevsky and colonel Yermolov 2nd" ("Opisaniye Karabakhskoy provincii sostavlennoye v 1823 g po rasporyazheniyu glavnoupravlyayushego v Gruzii Yermolova deystvitelnim statskim sovetnikom Mogilevskim i polkovnikom Yermolovim 2-m" in Russian), Tbilisi, 1866
^ "Review of Russian possessions in Transcaucasus" ("Obozreniye Rossiyskih vladeniy za Kavkazom", vol. III, St.-Petersburg, 1836, p. 308

External links

Template:Azerbaijan

39°45′N 46°45′E / 39.750°N 46.750°E / 39.750; 46.750

[1] Thomas de Waal, "Shusha Armenians recall their bittersweet victory", Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), May 10, 2002

[2] "Caucasus Calendar" ("Kavkazskiy kalendar" in Russian) of 1853, p. 128

[3] "Caucasus Calendar" ("Kavkazskiy kalendar" in Russian) of 1886, p. 319

[4] "Review of the Yelizavetpol goubernia as of 1910" ("Obzor Yelizavetpolskoy goubernii za 1910 g." in Rissian) Tbilisi, 1912 p. 141

[5] "Caucasus Calendar" ("Kavkazskiy kalendar" in Russian) of 1917, p. 190

[6] "Nagorny Karabakh" (in Russian), 1927, p. 39

[7] "Description of the Karabakh province prepared in 1823 according to the order of the governor in Georgia Yermolov by state advisor Mogilevsky and colonel Yermolov 2nd" ("Opisaniye Karabakhskoy provincii sostavlennoye v 1823 g po rasporyazheniyu glavnoupravlyayushego v Gruzii Yermolova deystvitelnim statskim sovetnikom Mogilevskim i polkovnikom Yermolovim 2-m" in Russian), Tbilisi, 1866

[8] "Review of Russian possessions in Transcaucasus" ("Obozreniye Rossiyskih vladeniy za Kavkazom", vol. III, St.-Petersburg, 1836, p. 308

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-|+<big><big>'''Azeri: Şuşa, Armenian: Շուշի'''<br>'''Shusha/Shushi'''</big></big>
+|+<big><big>'''Azerbaijani: Şuşa, Armenian: Շուշի'''<br>'''Shusha/Shushi'''</big></big>
 | align="center" colspan="2"|
 {| border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="background:#f9f9f9; text-align:center;"
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 |}
-'''Shusha''' ([[Azerbaijani language |Azeri]]: Şuşa, [[Armenian language |Armenian]]: Շուշի; translit. Shushi, [[Russian language |Russian]] Шуша translit. Shusha, [[Persian language |Persian]]: شوشی ; translit. Shusha) is a [[Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan|town]] in [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] region of [[Azerbaijan]], next to the [[Shusha (rayon)|rayon of the same name]].
+'''Shusha''' ([[Azerbaijani language |Azeri]]: Şuşa, [[Armenian language |Armenian]]: Շուշի; translit. Shushi, [[Russian language |Russian]] Шуша translit. Shusha, [[Persian language |Persian]]: شوشی ; translit. Shusha) is a [[Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan|town]] in the disputed [[Nagorno Karabakh Republic]], next to the [[Shusha (rayon)|rayon of the same name]].
-Shusha was the second largest town in Nagorno-Karabakh, predominantly populated by Azeris. Situated 1400-1800 m above sea level on the picturesque Karabakh mountains ridge, Shusha was a popular mountainous-climatic recreation resort during [[Soviet Union]].
+Shusha was the second largest town in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the only large settlement in the province predominantly populated of people known since the 1920s as Azerbaijanis. Situated 1400-1800 m above sea level on the picturesque Karabakh mountains ridge, Shusha was a popular mountainous-climatic recreation resort during [[Soviet Union]].
-Considered to be a historical capital of the Karabakh region, Shusha was one of the cultural centers of Azerbaijan. It was home to many Azeri intellectuals, poets, writers and especially, musicians. In 1977 it was declared reservation of Azerbaijan architecture and history. It is also of high religious and strategic importance to the Armenians, housing the Karabakh Armenian Cathedral and serving (along with [[Lachin]] district to the west) as a land link to [[Armenia]].
+Considered to be a historical capital of the Karabakh region, Shusha was one of the cultural centers of Azerbaijan and Armenia. It was home to many Armenian and Azerbaijani intellectuals, poets, writers and especially, musicians. In 1977 it was declared reservation of Azerbaijan architecture and history. It is also of religious and strategic importance to the Armenians, housing the Karabakh Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Savior (also known as Ղազանչեցոց Ժամ - Ghazanchetsots Zham) and serving (along with [[Lachin]] district to the west) as a land link to [[Armenia]].
 According to the last population census in [[1989]], the town of Shusha had a population of 17,000 and the Shusha district had a population of 23,000. 91.7% of population of Shusha district and 98% of the town of Shusha were Azerbaijani.
-The ethnic demographics of the town varied from time to time with Azeris constituting the majority from the late 17th century until mid-19th century and between 1920-1992 and Armenians constituting the majority from the second half of the 19th century till 1920. Following the Armenian seizure of Shusha in 1992 the Azeri population of the town fled and currently the population consists of roughly 3,000 Armenians <ref>Thomas de Waal, [http://www.iwpr.net/archive/cau/cau_200205_128_2_eng.txt "Shusha Armenians recall their bittersweet victory"], Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), May 10, 2002</ref>, mainly refugees from other parts of Azerbaijan and some migrants from [[Armenia]] and [[Armenian Diaspora|Diaspora]].<!--For details on ethnic demographics in various periods of history, please, refer to "19th century: Shusha within the Russian Empire" section-->
+The ethnic demographics of the town varied from time to time with Azeris constituting the majority from the late 17th century until mid-19th century and between 1920-1992 and Armenians constituting the majority from the second half of the 19th century till 1920. Following the Armenian seizure of Shusha in 1992 the Azerbaijani population of the town fled and currently the population consists of roughly 3,000 Armenians <ref>Thomas de Waal, [http://www.iwpr.net/archive/cau/cau_200205_128_2_eng.txt "Shusha Armenians recall their bittersweet victory"], Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), May 10, 2002</ref>, mainly refugees from other parts of Azerbaijan and some migrants from [[Armenia]] and [[Armenian Diaspora|Diaspora]].<!--For details on ethnic demographics in various periods of history, please, refer to "19th century: Shusha within the Russian Empire" section-->
 == Foundation of Shusha ==
+Shusha was originally founded in the medieval times as a fortress which since the 15th century belonged to Melik Shahnazarians—hereditary Armenian dynasts of the principality of Varanda that occupied the central part of modern Nagorno Karabakh.  This fortress was known to Armenians as Shikakar (Շիկաքար, Pale Rock) or Karaglukh (Քարագլուխ, Head Rock).  Since the late 17th century, Shusha was a centerpiece of an intricate defense system of united Armenian principalities of Nagorno Karabakh, The Five Duchies (Five Melikates or Խամսաի Մելիքություններ).  This defense infrastructure, called Lesser Sygnakh, proved to be very effective as a bulwark against foreign invaders, especially against Ottoman troops in the Turkish-Persian war of 1723-1727 and against proto-Azerbaijani Turkic tribesmen (see publication: Armenians and Russia, 1626-1796: A Documentary Record, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2001, pages 23, 34-43, 167, 178).
+The name of the fortress and the city comes from the toponym designating the nearby village of Shosh (Շոշ, translated from Armenian as “Pathway”), whose residents were in charge of taking care of the fortress by the order of the Lord of Varanda.  In the 1740s, in order to withstand the pressure from his rivals in adjacent Armenian principalities, Shahnazar II Shahnazarian, Lord of Varanda, surrendered his fortress to his ally, the Turkic Muslim tribal chieftain Panah Ali Javanshir, and that is how Turkophone Muslims planted their seed in the heart of modern Nagorno Karabakh on a permanent basis (see publication: A History of Qarabagh: An Annotated Translation of Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi's Tarikh-E Qarabagh, CA: Mazda Publishers. 1994, pages 7-13, 25, 44-48). To take over the highland, Armenian-controlled portion of what Turkic tribesmen used to refer to as "Karabakh" was a long-coveted goal of Panah Ali's Turkic herders. This largely stemmed from their economic lifestyle. Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi describes in his book how after gaining control over Shusha, Panah Ali entered into a war with 4 out of 5 Armenian meliks of Nagorno Karabakh that lasted over a decade. The Armenian natives of Nagorno Karabakh hated Panakh Ali and his tribesmen, but their disunity and weakness caused by the long war with Ottoman Turks in 1722-1737 eventually brought about compliance.
-Shusha was founded in [[1750]]-[[1752]] (according to other sources, [[1756]]-[[1757]]) by [[Panah Ali khan Javanshir]] (r. 1748-1763), the founder and the first ruler of the [[Karabakh khanate]] (1748-1822). Initially the town was named Panahabad, after its founder. Later during the rule of [[Ibrahim Khalil khan]] (r. 1763-1806), son of Panah Ali khan, the town was renamed to Shusha, apparently after the name of the nearest village of Shüshükent. The town was also largely known by the name "Qala" ("fortress" in [[Azerbaijani language|Azeri]]).
-The first capital of the Karabakh khanate was castle of Bayat, built in 1748 in the district of Kebirli. However soon afterwards Panah Ali khan realized that in order to secure himself and his newly-established khanate from external threats, and especially from the invasions from Iran, he needed to build a new more reliable castle. [[Image:Govhar-Aga.jpg|thumb|Govhar-Aga mosque in Shusha]]
+Shusha was upgraded into a settlement in [[1750]]-[[1752]] (according to other sources, [[1756]]-[[1757]]) by [[Panah Ali Javanshir]] (r. 1748-1763), the founder and the first ruler of the [[Karabakh khanate]] (1748-1822) and head of Saryjalli tribe - part of the larger tribal confederation of Afshars. Initially the town was named Panahabad, after its founder. Later during the rule of [[Ibrahim Khalil khan]] (r. 1763-1806), son of Panah Ali khan, the town was renamed back to Shusha. The town was also largely known by the name "Qala" ("fortress" in [[Azerbaijani language|Azeri]]) or Shoshva-Qar (Շոշվա-Քար in Armenian)
-According to Mirza Jamal Javanshir Karabagi (1773-1853), the author of Karabakh-nameh ('History of Karabakh'), one of the most significant chronicles on the history of Karabakh in 18-19th 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 Armenian meliks to accept suzerainty of Panah-khan and his loyal supporter, suggested a location for the new fortress. Thus, Panahabad-Shusha was founded. According to the aforementioned chronicle, prior to construction of the fortress by Panakh Ali khan there were no buildings at that location and it was used as a [[cropland]] and [[pasture]] by the people of the nearby Shushakend village.<ref>[http://zerrspiegel.orientphil.uni-halle.de/t1154.html Mirza Jamal Javanshir Karabagi. The History of Karabakh].</ref>
+The first capital of the Karabakh khanate was the castle of Bayat, in the lowland territory adjacent to modern Nagorno Karabakh; it was built in 1748. However soon thereafter Panah Ali realized that in order to secure himself and his newly-established khanate from external threats, and especially from the invasions from imperial Isfahan - with which he was in bad relations - he needed to find a more dependable fortification. [[Image:Govhar-Aga.jpg|thumb|Govhar-Aga mosque in Shusha]]
+According to the above-mentioned chronicler Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi, the Karabakh nobility assembled to discuss the danger of invasion from Iran and told Panah Ali: ''"We must build among the impassable mountains such an inviolable and inaccessible fort, so that no strong enemy could take it"''.
 == Struggles against the invasions from Iran ==
@@ Line 50: / Line 54: @@
 Muhammed Hassan khan besieged Shusha (Panahabad at that time) but soon had to retreat, because of the attack on his khanate of his major opponent to the Iranian throne [[Karim Khan|Kerim khan Zend]]. 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 Muhammad Hassan khan and even briefly took Ardebil across the [[Araks River]] in [[Iranian Azerbaijan|South (Iranian) Azerbaijan]].
-In 1756 (or 1759) Shusha and the Karabakh khanate underwent a new attack from Fatali khan Afshar, ruler of [[Urmia]]. With his 30,000-strong army Fatali khan also managed to gain support from the meliks (feudal vassals) of Jraberd and Talish (Gulistan), however melik Shahnazar of Varanda continued to support Panah Ali khan. Siege of Shusha lasted for six months and Fatali khan eventually had to retreat.
+In 1756 (or 1759) Shusha and the Karabakh khanate underwent a new attack from Fatali khan Afshar, ruler of [[Urmia]]. With his 30,000-strong army Fatali khan also managed to gain support from the restive Armenian meliks of Jraberd and Talish (Gulistan), however melik Shahnazar of Varanda continued to support Panah Ali khan. Siege of Shusha lasted for six months and Fatali khan eventually had to retreat.
 [[Image:Shushi-walls-P1003108.JPG|thumb|center|400px|Old city walls of Shusha]]
@@ Line 58: / Line 62: @@
 In summer 1795 Shusha underwent major attack of [[Agha Muhammad Khan|Aga Muhammad khan Qajar]], son of Muhammad Hassan khan who attacked Shusha in 1752. Aga Muhammad khan Qajar's goal was to end with the feudal fragmentation and to restore the old Safavid State in Iran and Azerbaijan. For this purpose he also wanted to proclaim himself shah (king) of Iran. However, according to the Safavid tradition, shah had to take control over the whole of South Caucasus before his coronation. Therefore, Karabakh khanate and his fortified capital Shusha, were the first and major obstacle to achieve these ends.
-Aga Muhammad khan Qajar besieged Shusha with his 80,000-strong army. Ibrahim Khalil khan mobilized the population for long-term defense. The number of militia in Shusha reached 15,000. Women fought together with men. The Christian Armeno-Albanian population of Karabakh (which historically formed as a result of ethnic mixture of local Caucasus Albanians and Armenians) also actively participated in this struggle against the invaders and fought side by side with Muslim population jointly organizing ambushes in the mountains and forests.
+Aga Muhammad khan Qajar besieged Shusha with his 80,000-strong army. Ibrahim Khalil khan mobilized the population for long-term defense. The number of militia in Shusha reached 15,000. Women fought together with men. The Christian Armenian population of Shusha also actively participated in this struggle against the invaders and fought side by side with Muslim population jointly organizing ambushes in the mountains and forests.
 The siege lasted for 33 days. Not being able to capture Shusha, Agha Muhammad khan ceased the siege and advanced to Tiflis (present-day [[Tbilisi]]), which despite desperate resistance was occupied and exposed to unprecedented destruction.
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 [[Image:Ghazanchetsots.jpg|thumb|Church of Amenaprkich Ghazanchetsots in Shusha]]
+According to first Russian-held census of [[1823]] conducted by Russian officials Yermolov and Mogilevsky, the number of Azeri ("Muslim") families in Shusha was 1,111 (72.5%) whereas the number of Armenian families reached 421 (27.5%) <ref>"Description of the Karabakh province prepared in 1823 according to the order of the governor in Georgia Yermolov by state advisor Mogilevsky and colonel Yermolov 2nd" (''"Opisaniye Karabakhskoy provincii sostavlennoye v 1823 g po rasporyazheniyu glavnoupravlyayushego v Gruzii Yermolova deystvitelnim statskim sovetnikom Mogilevskim i polkovnikom Yermolovim 2-m"'' in Russian), Tbilisi, 1866</ref>. Seven years later, according to 1830 data, the number of Turkic families in Shusha decreased to 963 and the number of Armenian families increased to 762<ref>"Review of Russian possessions in Transcaucasus" (''"Obozreniye Rossiyskih vladeniy za Kavkazom"'', vol. III, St.-Petersburg, 1836, p. 308</ref>. By the end of the 1880s the percentage of Azeri population living in the Shusha district (part of 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.
-The reason for this rapid population growth was not only economic development, but also Russian-sponsored Armenian settlement in Karabakh and other parts of Azerbaijan that took place throughout the 19th century. Virtually every [[Russo-Turkish war]] produced new waves of Armenian refugees who resettled in many parts of Russian ruled Caucasus, including Shusha. Thus, a Russian author Shavrov wrote in 1911: "''Of 1 million 300 thousand Armenians living nowadays in South Caucasus, more than 1 million don't belong to the indigenous population of the region and were settled by us'' [i.e. Russians]" <ref>Shavrov N.I. "New threat to the Russian affairs in the Transcaucasus: forthcoming sale of Mughan to strangers" (''"Novaya ugroza russkomu delu v Zakavkazye: predstoyashaya rasprodazha Mugani inorodcam"'') St.Petersburg, 1911, pp. 60-61</ref>.
-According to first Russian-held census of [[1823]] conducted by Russian officials Yermolov and Mogilevsky, the number of Azeri ("Muslim") families in Shusha was 1,111 (72.5%) whereas the number of Armenian families reached 421 (27.5%) <ref>"Description of the Karabakh province prepared in 1823 according to the order of the governor in Georgia Yermolov by state advisor Mogilevsky and colonel Yermolov 2nd" (''"Opisaniye Karabakhskoy provincii sostavlennoye v 1823 g po rasporyazheniyu glavnoupravlyayushego v Gruzii Yermolova deystvitelnim statskim sovetnikom Mogilevskim i polkovnikom Yermolovim 2-m"'' in Russian), Tbilisi, 1866</ref>. Seven years later, according to 1830 data, the number of Azeri families in Shusha decreased to 963 and the number of Armenian families increased to 762<ref>"Review of Russian possessions in Transcaucasus" (''"Obozreniye Rossiyskih vladeniy za Kavkazom"'', vol. III, St.-Petersburg, 1836, p. 308</ref>. By the end of the 1880s the percentage of Azeri population living in the Shusha district (part of 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.
 [[Image:Noble-shushavian1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A Shushavian from a noble family. Picture by V.Vereschagin, a Russian traveller to Shusha in 1865.]]
-Beginning from 1830s the town was divided into two parts: Azeris lived in eastern lower quarters, Armenians settled in relatively new western upper quarters of the town. The "Muslim" part of the town was divided to 17 mahallas (quarters). Each mahalla had its own [[mosque]], [[Turkish bath]], water-spring and also a mahalla representative, who would be elected among the elderlies (aksakals), and who would function as a sort of head of present-day municipality. The Armenian part of the town consisted of 12 quarters, five [[church|churches]], town and district (uyezd) [[school]] and girls' seminarium.
+Beginning from 1830s the town was divided into two parts: Turkic lived in eastern lower quarters, Armenians settled in relatively new western upper quarters of the town. The "Muslim" part of the town was divided to 17 mahallas (quarters). Each mahalla had its own [[mosque]], [[Turkish bath]], water-spring and also a mahalla representative, who would be elected among the elderlies (aksakals), and who would function as a sort of head of present-day municipality. The Armenian part of the town consisted of 12 quarters, five [[church|churches]], town and district (uyezd) [[school]] and girls' seminarium.
 The population of the town primarily dealt with trade, horse-breeding, carpet-weaving and wine and vodka production. Shusha was also the biggest center 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.
-== Early 20th century: Shusha turns into an Armenian-Azeri battlefield ==
+== Early 20th century: Shusha turns into an Armenian-Turkic battlefield ==
 {{Main|Armenian-Azeri war 1918}}
-Beginning of the [[20th century]] marked the first Armenian-Azeri clashes throughout [[Azerbaijan]]. This new phenomenon had two reasons. First, it was the result of increasing tensions between the local Muslim population and Armenian settlers, which significantly increased in numbers throughout the 19th century. Second, by the beginning of the 20th century peoples of the Caucasus, similar to other non-Russian peoples in the periphery of the Russian Empire began to seek cultural and territorial autonomy. That is why, if the beginning of the 20th century in Russia itself was a period of bourgeois and Bolshevik revolutions, in the peripheries these movements have acquired a character of the national liberation movement.
+Beginning of the [[20th century]] marked the first Armenian-Turkic clashes throughout [[Azerbaijan]]. This new phenomenon had two reasons. First, it was the result of increasing tensions between the local Muslim population and Armenian settlers, which significantly increased in numbers throughout the 19th century. Second, by the beginning of the 20th century peoples of the Caucasus, similar to other non-Russian peoples in the periphery of the Russian Empire began to seek cultural and territorial autonomy. That is why, if the beginning of the 20th century in Russia itself was a period of bourgeois and Bolshevik revolutions, in the peripheries these movements have acquired a character of the national liberation movement.
-First clashes between the Armenians and Azeris took place in Baku in February 1905. Soon, the conflict spilled over to other parts of the Caucasus, and on August 5, 1905 first conflict between the Armenian and Azeri population of Shusha took place. As a result of mutual pogroms and killings, hundreds of people died, more than 200 houses were burned.
+First clashes between the Armenians and Turkic took place in Baku in February 1905. Soon, the conflict spilled over to other parts of the Caucasus, and on August 5, 1905 first conflict between the Armenian and Turkic population of Shusha took place. As a result of mutual pogroms and killings, hundreds of people died, more than 200 houses were burned.
-After the [[World War I]] and subsequent collapse of the [[Russian Empire]], Karabakh was declared part of the [[Azerbaijan Democratic Republic]] (1918-1920), a decision hotly disputed by neighboring Armenia.
+After the [[World War I]] and subsequent collapse of the [[Russian Empire]], Karabakh was declared part of the self-proclaimed [[Azerbaijan Democratic Republic]] (1918-1920), a decision hotly disputed by neighboring self-proclaimed Republic of Armenia.
-The Armenian government tried several times to seize Shusha militarily. In January 1919 Armenian troops advanced towards Shusha, captured and destroyed 9 Azeri villages on their way but eventually had to retreat.
 [[Image:Karabakh-reconciliation-1918.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Karabakh reconciliation commission comprised of religious leaders and elderlies of both Azeri and Armenian communities. Photo made in 1918.]]
-In January 1919 the government of Azerbaijan decided to create a governorship in Karabakh with a regional capital in Shusha. [[Khosrov bey Sultanov]], a native of Karabakh was appointed the general-governor of Karabakh. He had three Armenian and three Azeri aides. Later same year the [[Triple Entente|Entente Allies]] provisionally recognized Karabakh's de facto ownership by Azerbaijan and the authority of the Karabakh general-governor and decided that the ultimate status of Karabakh was pending final decision in Paris Peace Conference.
+In January 1919 the government of Azerbaijan decided to create a governorship in Karabakh with a regional capital in Shusha. [[Khosrov bey Sultanov]], a native of Karabakh of a mixed Turkic-Kurdish origin was appointed the general-governor of Karabakh with the consent of the British troops. He had three Armenian and three Turkic aides. Later same year the [[Triple Entente|Entente Allies]] provisionally recognized Karabakh's de facto ownership by Azerbaijan and the authority of the Karabakh general-governor and decided that the ultimate status of Karabakh was pending final decision in Paris Peace Conference scheduled to take place in 1919.
-Following this decision, in August 1919, under strong British pressure, the VII Congress of the Karabakh Armenians recognized the authority of the Azerbaijan government until the issue of the mountainous part of Karabakh would be settled at the Paris Peace Conference.
+Following this decision, in August 1919, under strong British pressure, the VII Congress of the Karabakh Armenians agreed to enter into a direct contact with the authority of the Azerbaijan government until the issue of the mountainous part of Karabakh would be settled at the Paris Peace Conference.
-The largest Armenian-Azeri ethnic clashes in Shusha took place on March-April 1920. On the night from March 21-22, 1920 when the Azeris celebrated Spring Equinox ([[Novruz|Novruz Bayram]]), local Armenian groupings organized a surprise attack aimed at cleansing the town from the Azeri population.
+The largest Armenian-Turkic ethnic clashes in Shusha took place on March-April 1920. By that time Khosrov bey Sultanov brought in up to 7,000 Turkic Muslim troops, Ottoman-headed "Army of Islam" and Kurdish irregulars known as "janbezars." On the night from March 21-22, 1920 when the Muslims celebrated Spring Equinox ([[Novruz|Novruz Bayram]]), Sultanov gave the order to a organize a surprise attack aimed at cleansing the town from the remaining Armenian population.
-They seized the approaches to Shusha, [[Khankendi]], and the [[Askeran]] fortress and began to attack the Azeri part of the town and burn the houses on their way. In parallel, regular Armenian army units attacked Zangezur, to the west of Karabakh.
-However, the effect of suddenness backfired at the Armenians. Azeris infuriated by the attack on their holy day, launched a counteroffensive to the Armenian quarters of Shusha and burned almost the whole Armenian part of the town, forcing the Armenian population to flee. During these clashes thousands of people from both Armenian and Azeris died, more than 7,000 houses were burned and Shusha was virtually cleansed of its Armenian population.
+The Muslims destroyed and burned almost the whole Armenian part of the town, forcing the Armenian population to flee. During these clashes, more than 7,000 houses were burned and Shusha was virtually cleansed of its Armenian residents. Some 20,000 Armenians died. All Armenian churches in the town were destroyed - completely or partially, including the Cathedral of the Holy Savior.
 == Shusha from 1920s till present ==
 In 1920 Russian [[Red Army]] first invaded Azerbaijan and then Armenia and put an end to the national de facto governments existing in these two countries. Beginning from this period, conflict over control of Karabakh and its central town of Shusha, moved from the battlefields to diplomatic sphere.
-In order to attract Armenian public support, promised that they would allot Karabakh to Armenia, along with [[Nakhichevan]], and [[Zangezur]] (the latter separates Nakhichevan from Azerbaijan proper). However, Moscow also had far-reaching plans concerning [[Turkey]], hoping that it would, with a little help from Russia, develop along Communist lines. Needing to appease Turkey and Armenia at the same time, Moscow agreed to a division that transferred Zangezur to Armenia, while leaving Karabakh and Nakhichevan as parts of Azerbaijan.
+In order to attract Armenian public support, Bolsheviks promised that they would allot Karabakh to Armenia, along with [[Nakhichevan]], which was under formal control of the Republic of Armenia, and [[Zangezur]]. However, Moscow also had far-reaching plans concerning [[Turkey]], hoping that it would, with a little help from Russia, develop along Communist lines. Needing to appease Turkey and Armenia at the same time, Moscow agreed to a division that transferred Zangezur to Armenia, while leaving Karabakh and Nakhichevan as parts of Azerbaijan.
-On July 5, 1921 the Caucasus branch of the Communist Party adoptd the following decision regarding the future status of Karabakh: ''"Proceeding from the necessity of national peace between the Muslims and Armenians, and economic links of the upland and lowland Karabakh, its constant link with Azerbaijan, to leave the Mountainous Karabakh within the Azerbaijan SSR, having granted it a broad regional autonomy with the administrative center in the town of Shusha included in the autonomous region."'' As a result, Mountainous (Nagorno-)Karabakh Autonomous Region was established within the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923.
+On July 5, 1921 the Caucasus branch of the Communist Party adoptd the following decision regarding the future status of Karabakh: ''"Proceeding from the necessity of national peace between the Muslims and Armenians, and economic links of the upland and lowland Karabakh, its constant link with Azerbaijan, to leave the Mountainous Karabakh within the Azerbaijan SSR, having granted it a broad regional autonomy with the administrative center in the town of Shusha included in the autonomous region."'' As a result, Mountainous (Nagorno-)Karabakh Autonomous Region was established within the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923, causing vociferous protests of Nagorno Karabakh's Armenian majority.
-The decision to leave Karabakh within Azerbaijan has been largely possible by a firm position of the then Soviet Azerbaijan leader [[Nariman Narimanov]], who resisted pressures from [[Stalin]] to concede Karabakh and Nakhichevan to Armenia.
+The decision to "leave" Karabakh within Azerbaijan has been largely possible by a firm position of the then Soviet Azerbaijan leader [[Nariman Narimanov]], who resisted pressures from Moscow to concede Karabakh and Nakhichevan to Armenia.
 [[Image:Shusha-ruins-2005.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ruins of present-day Shusha.]]
-Following 1920 Armeno-Azeri clashes and burning of the town, Shusha reduced to a small provincial town of some 10,000. Khankendi (renamed [[Stepanakert]] after an Armenian communist [[Stepan Shaumyan]]), which previously was a small village, became a new regional capital and soon turned into the largest town within Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Region.
+Following 1920 Armeno-Turkic clashes and burning of the town, Shusha was reduced to a small provincial town of some 10,000. This remaining Turkic residents ultimately fled the town too - unable to live in an all-Muslim but economically devastated settlement. By 1931, Nagorno Karabakh hadvirtually no Turkic residents at all. Almost all Azerbaijanis living in Nagorno Karabakh by 1988 were descendants of colonists brought into the province by Baku in order to start changing the demographic picture in favor of the Turkic ethnic element.  Khankendi (Vararakn), renamed [[Stepanakert]] after the famed Armenian communist [[Stepan Shaumyan]]), previously a village, became a new regional capital and soon turned into the largest town within Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous Region.
-The town remained half-ruined until 1960s, when the town began to gradually revive to due to its recreation potential. In 1977 Shusha was declared reservation of Azerbaijan architecture and history and became one of the major resort-towns in former USSR.
+Shusha remained half-ruined until 1960s, when it began to gradually revive due to its recreational potential. In 1977 Shusha was declared an architectural and history reserval,and became one of the major resort-towns in former USSR.
-With the start of the Armenian-Azeri conflict in [[1988]] Shusha became the most important Azeri stronghold in Karabakh, where from Azeri forces shelled permanently capital Stepanakert. On [[May 9]], [[1992]] the town was captured by Armenian forces and Azeri population fled. Today a large part of the town remains in ruins.
+With the start of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in [[1988]] Shusha became the most important Azerbaijani stronghold in Karabakh, where from Azerbaijani forces permanently shelled the capital Stepanakert. On [[May 9]], [[1992]] the town was captured by Armenian forces and its Azerbaijani population fled. Today a large part of the town still remains in ruins.
 Thomas de Waal quoted: Armenians in the oldest town in Nagorno-Karabakh remember how a decade ago their forces captured it from the Azerbaijanis - and then burned it. [http://www.iwpr.net/archive/cau/cau_200205_128_2_eng.txt ]