Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve
Encyclopedia
Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve is an Azerbaijan
i state reserve and is on the Azeri tentative list of future World Heritage Site
located in Shusha district of Karabakh
region of Azerbaijan
.
several independent khanate
s and sultanates emerged. Due to potential dangers of interstate wars, building defensive strongholds were a must.
This served as a reason for emergence of many fortress towns throughout Azerbaijan. The ruler of newly established Karabakh khanate
, Panah Ali Khan
, founded the town of Panahabad later to be renamed to Shusha
.
His other strongholds were the Bayat Castle
(1747) and Shahbulag Castle
(1752). After Russian takeover of the khanate in 1805 according to Kurekchay Treaty
and following Treaty of Gulistan and Treaty of Turkmenchay
, khanate was abolished and its capital Shusha was turned into a provincial center in 1841. Shusha is located on the top of the mountain, sometimes called "the city on the rock" with three steep precipices and is surrounded by dense woods. The main entrance road facing north towards Ganja
was the Ganja Gate
.
The peak altitude is 1,600 metres above sea level, the lowest part is 1,300 metres above sea level. The city has a clear view of surrounding areas which rules out any type of sudden attack by invaders.
, the construction continued on the western and tougher sides on the mountain. Since Shusha had limited urban construction in the 20th century, it preserved its historic architectural-planned composition. Each district of Shusha has madrasah
s, mosque
s, natural springs
and bath-houses. The mosques of the districts are right-angled like dwelling houses. The mosque buildings were built out of local white stones and minaret
s were built with baked bricks. Among the most well known mosques of Shusha are Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque
and Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque
. Shusha was one of the centers of international trade and was a place rich with caravanserai
s such as Caravanserai of Agha Gahraman Mirsiyab
. Shusha had an enriched culture of beautiful streets, squares, mosques, mausoleums, churches, springs, castle walls, museums such as Shusha Museum of History
, palaces of Panah Ali Khan, Ibrahim Khalil Khan
, Govhar Agha, Khurshidbanu Natavan, Gara Boyuk khanum, houses of Uzeyir Hajibeyov
, Bulbul
, Jabbar Garyagdioglu
, etc. It is considered the center of Azerbaijani music, culture and architectural excellence of 18th-19th centuries. A Stone-Age cave near Shusha also proves the area had been the residence of earlier civilizations since the ancient times. Labour tools and ceramic dishes from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Eneolithic, and Bronze and Iron ages have been found during archeological explorations in the cave. Enriched with mineral water Shusha springs flow into the Dashalty
and Halfaly Rivers’ beds in the Dashalty gorge below Shusha.
On 10 August 1977, the town and surrounding area were declared the historical and architectural reserve of Azerbaijan Republic by resolution no. 280.
. The war ended with occupation of former NKAO and seven surrounding regions of Azerbaijan in May 1994. Most of the architectural monuments such as Mamayi
, Mardinli
, Taza Mahalla
mosques and madrasahs, busts of Natavan, U. Hajibeyov, Bulbul, M.P. Vagif Mausoleum were destroyed and some like Yukhari Govhar Agha, Ashaghi Govhar Agha, Saatli Mosque
s remain in semi-destructive state. In the occupied Karabakh, Armenian forces looted 693 secondary schools, 280 kindergartens, 12 vocational schools, 862 clubs, 982 libraries, 22 museums, 4 art galleries, 4 theatres, 576 medical centres.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
i state reserve and is on the Azeri tentative list of future World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
located in Shusha district of Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
region of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
.
Historical overview
As a result of unstable political conditions in CaucasusCaucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
several independent khanate
Khanate
Khanate, or Chanat, is a Turco-Mongol-originated word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. In modern Turkish, the word used is kağanlık, and in modern Azeri of the republic of Azerbaijan, xanlıq. In Mongolian the word khanlig is used, as in "Khereidiin Khanlig" meaning the Khanate...
s and sultanates emerged. Due to potential dangers of interstate wars, building defensive strongholds were a must.
This served as a reason for emergence of many fortress towns throughout Azerbaijan. The ruler of newly established Karabakh khanate
Karabakh khanate
The Karabakh khanate was a semi-independent khanate on the territories of modern Azerbaijan and Armenia established in about 1750 under Persian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas. The Karabakh khanate existed until 1805, when the Russian Empire gained control over it from Persia...
, Panah Ali Khan
Panah Ali Khan
Panah-Ali khan Javanshir was the founder and first ruler of Karabakh khanate, initially under nominal Persian suzerainty and by 1748 an independent feudal state that existed in 1747–1822 in Karabakh and adjacent areas..-Origins and early life:Panah Ali Khan was from the Sarijali branch of the...
, founded the town of Panahabad later to be renamed to Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
.
His other strongholds were the Bayat Castle
Bayat Castle
Bayat Castle is located in Kebirli village of Tartar Rayon of Azerbaijan.-History:After the death of Persian ruler Nadir Shah, Azerbaijan split into several khanates one of which was the Karabakh Khanate founded by Azerbaijani ruler Panah Ali Khan Javanshir. The first capital of the khanate was...
(1747) and Shahbulag Castle
Shahbulag Castle
Shahbulag Castle , translated as "Spring of the Shah", is located in Agdam Rayon of Azerbaijan, about 10 km away from the city of Agdam.-History:...
(1752). After Russian takeover of the khanate in 1805 according to Kurekchay Treaty
Kurekchay Treaty
The Treaty of Kurakchay, also known as the Russo-Karabakhi treaty of May 14, 1805, was a treaty signed between the Russian military commander in the Caucasus Pavel Tsitsianov on behalf of Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Ibrahim Khalil Khan of the Karabakh khanate, which made the khanate a...
and following Treaty of Gulistan and Treaty of Turkmenchay
Treaty of Turkmenchay
The Treaty of Turkmenchay was a treaty negotiated in Turkmenchay by which the Qajar Empire recognized Russian suzerainty over the Erivan khanate, the Nakhchivan khanate, and the remainder of the Talysh khanate, establishing the Aras River as the common boundary between the empires, after its...
, khanate was abolished and its capital Shusha was turned into a provincial center in 1841. Shusha is located on the top of the mountain, sometimes called "the city on the rock" with three steep precipices and is surrounded by dense woods. The main entrance road facing north towards Ganja
Ganja, Azerbaijan
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
was the Ganja Gate
Ganja Gate
Ganja Gate of Shusha is one of four entrance gates to Shusha fortress in Shusha Rayon of Azerbaijan. Shusha is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992.-Description:...
.
The peak altitude is 1,600 metres above sea level, the lowest part is 1,300 metres above sea level. The city has a clear view of surrounding areas which rules out any type of sudden attack by invaders.
Architectural and natural attributes
Shusha as well as several other castles in Caucasus was built on the basis of natural conditions in unity of environment and architecture. Shusha was built in three stages. In the first stage was in 1753-1754 when the stronghold's walls, towers and nine districts (neighborhoods) on the lower eastern part were built. The second stage in 1756-1805 included constructions of eight districts on the upper eastern part of the city and twelve districts on the western side. After incorporation of the territory into Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, the construction continued on the western and tougher sides on the mountain. Since Shusha had limited urban construction in the 20th century, it preserved its historic architectural-planned composition. Each district of Shusha has madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
s, mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s, natural springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
and bath-houses. The mosques of the districts are right-angled like dwelling houses. The mosque buildings were built out of local white stones and minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
s were built with baked bricks. Among the most well known mosques of Shusha are Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque
Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque
Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Nagorno-Karabakh. It is currently under the control of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since the capture of Shusha on May 8, 1992...
and Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque
Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque
Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992....
. Shusha was one of the centers of international trade and was a place rich with caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
s such as Caravanserai of Agha Gahraman Mirsiyab
Caravanserai of Agha Gahraman Mirsiyab
Caravanserai of Agha Gahraman Mirsiyab is an 18th-century Azerbaijani caravanserai located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992....
. Shusha had an enriched culture of beautiful streets, squares, mosques, mausoleums, churches, springs, castle walls, museums such as Shusha Museum of History
Shusha Museum of History
Shusha Museum of History is one of 8 museums located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. It was founded in 1969 and contained up to 5,000 exhibits. The museum was shut down due to the Armenian occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992....
, palaces of Panah Ali Khan, Ibrahim Khalil Khan
Ibrahim Khalil Khan
Ibrahim Khalil khan Javanshir was the Azeri Turkic khan of Karabakh from the Javanshir family, who succeeded his father Panah-Ali khan Javanshir as the ruler of Karabakh khanate....
, Govhar Agha, Khurshidbanu Natavan, Gara Boyuk khanum, houses of Uzeyir Hajibeyov
Uzeyir Hajibeyov
Uzeyir bey Abdul Hussein oglu Hajibeyov was an Azerbaijani and Soviet composer, conductor, publicist, playwright, teacher, translator, and social figure from Azerbaijan. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical music and opera...
, Bulbul
Bulbul
Bulbuls are a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds. Many forest species are known as greenbuls. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia, and north as far as Japan. A few insular species occur on the tropical islands...
, Jabbar Garyagdioglu
Jabbar Garyagdioglu
Jabbar Garyagdioglu or Garyaghdyoglu was an Azerbaijani folk singer . He is known as the first khananda to perform mughamats in the Azeri language.-Rise to prominence:...
, etc. It is considered the center of Azerbaijani music, culture and architectural excellence of 18th-19th centuries. A Stone-Age cave near Shusha also proves the area had been the residence of earlier civilizations since the ancient times. Labour tools and ceramic dishes from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Eneolithic, and Bronze and Iron ages have been found during archeological explorations in the cave. Enriched with mineral water Shusha springs flow into the Dashalty
Dashalty
Dashalty is a village in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is de-jure part of Azerbaijan but under secessionist Armenian rule. The population consists of ethnic Armenians, and both the Azerbaijani and Armenian names of the village mean below-the-rock, referring to the sheer vertical cliffs towering above...
and Halfaly Rivers’ beds in the Dashalty gorge below Shusha.
On 10 August 1977, the town and surrounding area were declared the historical and architectural reserve of Azerbaijan Republic by resolution no. 280.
Current state
Shusha was occupied by Armenian armed forces on May 8, 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh WarNagorno-Karabakh War
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
. The war ended with occupation of former NKAO and seven surrounding regions of Azerbaijan in May 1994. Most of the architectural monuments such as Mamayi
Mamayi Mosque
Mamayi Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque is located on G. Asgarov street of Mamayi neighborhood of Shusha....
, Mardinli
Mardinli Mosque
Mardinli Mosque was an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque was located on intersection of Sadigjan and Garasherov streets...
, Taza Mahalla
Taza Mahalla Mosque
Taza Mahalla Mosque was an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992...
mosques and madrasahs, busts of Natavan, U. Hajibeyov, Bulbul, M.P. Vagif Mausoleum were destroyed and some like Yukhari Govhar Agha, Ashaghi Govhar Agha, Saatli Mosque
Saatli Mosque
Saatli Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque is located on intersection of M. F...
s remain in semi-destructive state. In the occupied Karabakh, Armenian forces looted 693 secondary schools, 280 kindergartens, 12 vocational schools, 862 clubs, 982 libraries, 22 museums, 4 art galleries, 4 theatres, 576 medical centres.
Notable landmarks
- Jidir Duzu
- Yukhari Govhar Agha MosqueYukhari Govhar Agha MosqueYukhari Govhar Agha Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Nagorno-Karabakh. It is currently under the control of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since the capture of Shusha on May 8, 1992...
- Ashaghi Govhar Agha MosqueAshaghi Govhar Agha MosqueAshaghi Govhar Agha Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992....
- Saatli MosqueSaatli MosqueSaatli Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque is located on intersection of M. F...
- Seyidli MosqueSeyidli MosqueSeyidli Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque is located on intersection of Telman and Garyaghdyogly...
- Guyulug MosqueGuyulug MosqueGuyulug Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque is located on Ojaggulu street of Guyulug neighborhood of Shusha...
- Taza Mahalla MosqueTaza Mahalla MosqueTaza Mahalla Mosque was an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992...
- Mamayi MosqueMamayi MosqueMamayi Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque is located on G. Asgarov street of Mamayi neighborhood of Shusha....
- Khoja Marjanli MosqueKhoja Marjanli MosqueKhoja Marjanli Mosque is an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque was located on Mirza Alakbar Sabir street of Khoja Marjanli...
- Mardinli MosqueMardinli MosqueMardinli Mosque was an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992. The mosque was located on intersection of Sadigjan and Garasherov streets...
- Treasury of Bahman MirzaTreasury of Bahman MirzaTreasury of Bahman Mirza , also called Bahman Mirza Mausoleum is a tomb which was built in honor of the Prince Bahman Mirza Qajar from royal Turkic Qajar Dynasty who was a a prominent politician in Persian Empire and historian.-Prince Bahman Mirza:...
- Haji Heydar tomb
- Mosque of Chukhur MahallaChukhur Mahalla MosqueChukhur Mahalla Mosque also called Shefa Ojagi was an Azerbaijani mosque located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km southwest from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992.-Overview:The mosque was located...
- Vagif MausoleumVagif MausoleumVagif Mausoleum was built in honor of Molla Panah Vagif, a poet, prominent statesman and diplomat and vizier - the minister of foreign affairs in the Karabakh Khanate.-The monument:...
- Caravanserai of Agha Gahraman MirsiyabCaravanserai of Agha Gahraman MirsiyabCaravanserai of Agha Gahraman Mirsiyab is an 18th-century Azerbaijani caravanserai located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan about 350 km from capital Baku but is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992....
- Ganja GateGanja GateGanja Gate of Shusha is one of four entrance gates to Shusha fortress in Shusha Rayon of Azerbaijan. Shusha is currently under control of Armenian forces since the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992.-Description:...
- Shusha Museum of HistoryShusha Museum of HistoryShusha Museum of History is one of 8 museums located in Shusha, Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. It was founded in 1969 and contained up to 5,000 exhibits. The museum was shut down due to the Armenian occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992....
- Karabakh State Museum of History
- Home Museum of Uzeyir Hajibeyov
- Home Museum of Bulbul
- Shusha Musical Drama TheatreShusha Musical Drama TheatreShusha State Drama Theatre also called Shusha State Musical Drama Theatre was located in Shusha, Azerbaijan. It is managed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan....
- Ibrahim Khan castle
- Panah Khan castle
- Khan Gizi spring
- Isa spring
- Shusha Realni School
See also
- Architecture of AzerbaijanArchitecture of AzerbaijanArchitecture of Azerbaijan refers to the architecture development in Azerbaijan.Azerbaijani architecture typically combines elements of East and West...
- Nature of AzerbaijanNature of AzerbaijanThe environment of Azerbaijan includes a wide diversity of climates, animals, plants, and habitats.-National protection:Due to the tapping of oil reserves in the early 20th century, Azerbaijan has had sufficient resources to develop an industrial sector, which in turn led to a significant increase...
- National Parks of AzerbaijanNational Parks of AzerbaijanNational Parks of Azerbaijan refers to the situation and the listing of national parks in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The national parks of Azerbaijan are run by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The first national park that was established in Azerbaijan, is the Zangezur National Park...
- State Reserves of AzerbaijanState Reserves of AzerbaijanState Reserves of Azerbaijan refers to the state reserves in Azerbaijan, which preserve the fauna, flora and their ecosystems.State Reserves bear the status of governmental establishments aimed at environmental protection and scientific researches. They are particularly designed for the protection...
- State Game Reserves of Azerbaijan