Ghazanchetsots Cathedral
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral (Cathedral of Christ the Holy Savior), also called the Shushi Cathedral is an Armenian church in Shusha, Nagorno-Karabakh.
History
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral was built between 1868 and 1887 and has a facade of white limestone.[1] The architect, Simon Ter-Hakobyan, wanted the church to look like Echmiadzin Cathedral. At the west entrance is a freestanding three-story bell tower, built in 1858. It used to have large statues of angels blowing trumpets at each corner of the bell tower's second story. These were destroyed during the Nagorno-Karabakh War when Shusha was under Azerbaijani control.[2]
The cathedral been used for many different things since it was built. After the Shushi Massacres of 1920 it was no longer used as a church. During the Soviet period it was used as to store grain, and then as a garage. During the Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijani forces used it to store weapons and ammunition.[3] In May 1992 Shusha was invaded by Armenian forces. The church was repaired and renovated. New angel statues were made to replace the destroyed originals; an image of one is part of the coat of arms of Shusha. In 1998 it was re-consecrated as a church, and is now the main cathedral and headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church's Diocese of Artsakh.[2]
The cathedral was badly damaged by bombing during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, and after Shusha was captured by Azerbaijani troops, it is now under Azerbaijani control and no longer functions as a church.
Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Media
A general view of Shusha and the cathedral, early 20th century.
The foundation inscription.
Ruins of Shushi and the damaged cathedral (in the background, in the center) in the aftermath of the 1920 massacre.
A photo of the cathedral with an Armenian armored personnel carrier in the foreground, May 1992.
A view from Kanach Zham, 2018.
The cathedral was bombed twice on 8 October 2020 by Azerbaijani armed forces during Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev inside the church in January 2021
This is a photo of a monument in Azerbaijan identified by the ID
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References
- ↑ Hasratyan, Murad M (1982). "Շուշի (Shushi)". Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia viii. Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences. 601.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hasratyan, Murad and Zaven Sargsyan (2001). Armenia: 1700 Years of Christian Architecture. Yerevan: Mughni Publishing. p. 234.
- ↑ De Waal, Thomas (2003). Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War. New York: New York University Press. pp. 179-180, 190. ISBN 0-8147-1944-9.