Azerbaijan: Shusha – Around Town
Shusha sits on a high elevated position on a mountain above the surrounding lower area of the Karabakh. In the 17th century the city and its fortress were the capital of the Karabakh Khanate. Shusha is often considered to be the cradle of the Azeri culture and music and was a major city under Russian control in the 19th century and during the Soviet Union period. Similarly, the city held a lot of symbolism and historic architecture for Armenians. Armenia captured the city in 1992 and most of it was destroyed and the Azeri population fled. Azerbaijan recaptured Shusha in November 2020 and it was the major strategic victory in the Second Karabakh War, forcing Armenia to basically relinquish all occupied territories. A lot of new construction in the city, Azeri flags flying everywhere, still a lot of houses are in ruins.
