- Type
- Fortress
- Origins
- 1752 · 18th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Coordinates
- 39.7661°, 46.7511°
History
In 1752 Panah Ali, founder of the Karabakh Khanate, established a new capital on an inaccessible cliff-bound plateau, first called Panahabad. Where the rocks gave no natural protection the town was enclosed by a wall with semicircular towers and gates. In 1795 the fortress withstood a siege of more than a month by the army of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar; he took it only in 1797 and was murdered there by his own servants. In 1805 the khanate came under Russian suzerainty, and in 1826 a Russian garrison held Shusha against a Persian siege. In the 20th century the town, home to both Azerbaijanis and Armenians (who call it Shushi), was repeatedly fought over; it was taken by Armenian forces in 1992 and by Azerbaijani forces in 2020.
What to see
Of the old defences, stretches of rubble-stone wall with semicircular towers survive, together with the Ganja Gate. Within the walls lies the historic town with the Upper and Lower Govhar Agha mosques, the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Saviour (Ghazanchetsots), the house of the poet Natavan and the remains of Panah Ali's palace. From the edge of the plateau there are sweeping views over the gorges and mountains of Karabakh.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q2500237
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