Shusha is the pearl of Azerbaijan. This fortress town was established in 1750 by Panah Ali-khan Javanshir, founder and ruler of the independent Azerbaijani Karabakh khanate (kingdom), and became its capital. Situated around the picturesque Karabakh mountains, Shusha incarnates in it all the fascinations of nature. At first the town's name was Panahabad, in the honor of its founder. After some time its name was changed by Ibrahim Khalil-khan, son and successor of Panah khan, to "Shusha Galasi" (Shusha fortress), supposedly after the name of the nearest village of Shusha -- which could trace its name to pre-Median origin (also see the legend described in "Shusha: Heartbeat of Karabakh", below). Hence, he became known in official documents as Ibrahim Khalil-khan Shushinskii (of the city of Shusha) and Karabakhskii (of the khanate of Karabakh). The Karabakh khanate rapidly developed during the years of Ibrahim khan's reign, establishing diplomatic and commercial relations with other Azerbaijani khanates, as well as with Georgia, Ottoman Empire and Iran. Shusha achieved renown for its heroic defense against the Iranian Army of the Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, Shah of Iran -- Qajar Shah dynasty were also of Azerbaijani descent as were the preceeding Afshar and Safavid Shah dynasties of Iranian Empire -- in 1795, who constantly tried to bring Karabakh and other northern Azerbaijani khanates, as well as Georgia, back under Iranian sovereignty. Due to rapid and powerful advances of the Russian army from the north waging cruel wars against Azerbaijani khanates, as well as devastating Russian-Iranian and Russian-Turkish (Ottoman) wars, Ibrahim khan decided to sign a treaty in 1805 with Russia to stop bloodshed. During the Russo-Iranian War of 1826-1828 -- which ultimately resulted in whole of North Azerbaijan being annexed by Russia according to the Gulistan (1813) and Turkmanchay Treaties (1828) -- the small garrison of Shusha heldout heroically for some 40 days against the Iranian forces of Abbas-Mirza. Shusha became a district capital of Elizavetpol' Gubernia (Province) in 1840 and the administrative center of the Stalin-inspired Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within Azerbaijan SSR in 1923.
Shusha is a homeland to a great number of Azerbaijani poets, architects, musicians and other people of culture, as well as military leaders and generals.
"The people of Azerbaijan have retained their ancient musical tradition. For example, the art of ashugs, who improvise songs to their own accompaniment on a stringed instrument called a kobuz, remains extremely popular. Mugams, vocal and instrumental compositions, are also widely known, the town of Shusha being particularly renowned for this art." (Source: "Azerbaijan: Cultural Life" Encyclopædia Britannica).
Shusha is also well known for its ancient carpet-weaving, as Karabakh's rugs increased the fame of Azerbaijan carpet school in many countries of the world. Architecture of the 18th century is represented by two castles and the remains of fortress walls. The city has had numerous stone houses of the 18th and 19th centuries, that are characterized by the use of decorative painting and shebeke (ornamental window grills).
Due to the constant territorial claims by Armenia and renewed Armenian-Azerbaijani War, the city of Shusha was occupied by Armenian aggressors on 8 May 1992, after being greatly damaged, and completely cleansed of its Azerbaijani population (which was 98% Azerbaijani in 1989 according to the official Soviet census data). All of the cultural heritage which was not evacuated was either looted, destroyed or pilaged by the Armenians.
Loading...
5:30
Azerbaijan Military Cadence - Alay March (Alay Marshi)by 0ligarch701 views
Shusha is part of Azerbaijan!
IceDigger77 1 year ago