Azernews.Az

By Akbar Mammadov

Twenty-eight years have passed since the occupation of Shusha, one of the most strategically important places of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region during the Nagorno-Karabakh war with neighboring Armenia in the early 1990s.

The occupation of Shusha region was one of the most painful loss of Azerbaijan in the Karabakh war because of the fact that Shusha was the capital city of the historical Karabakh khanate of Azerbaijan.

The last Armenian attack on Shusha began on the night of May 7-8, 1992. The city came under heavy fire from rockets, artillery, tanks and other weapons. After that, Armenian infantry forces attacked from Khankendi and Karkijahan. Although the city was defended until the evening of May 8, it could not withstand the invaders, who were superior in terms of weapons and manpower. The Armenian armed forces first captured Shusha, then the nearby villages of Kosalar and Shirlan.

During the defense of the city, 195 civilians were killed and 165 were injured. 114 Azerbaijanis captured by Armenians and detained in Shusha prison were later killed with special cruelty, 58 residents of the city are missing. Before Shusha was occupied, about 25,000 people lived there, of which more than 24,000 people of Shusha have been become internally displaced persons and settled in 58 regions of Azerbaijan.

The reasons for the collapse of Shusha in such a short time, which was considered an impregnable fortress, was the lack of defense of the city. Armenia had gathered a large number of military equipment and manpower around Shusha. According to Armenian sources, about 100 armored vehicles and tanks and 11,000 manpowers took part in the attack on the city. Even foreign mercenaries were brought to fight in the Armenian armed forces.

As a result of the occupation, Armenian armed forces destroyed and looted many valuable historical and cultural monuments in Shusha. This includes a total of 279 religious, historical and cultural monuments, including the famous Shusha fortress, the Khan Cave, the Gakhal Cave, more than 170 residential buildings, temples and mosques, which are considered architectural monuments.

The Shusha History Museum with about 5,000 exhibits, a branch of the State Carpet Museum and the Museum of Folk Art, the Karabakh State History Museum, as well as the Agoghlan Temple in Lachin, Azykh cave of the Paleolithic period, which is considered to be an important archeological monument, the Askeran Fortress in Khojaly, unique expositions of the Kalbajar History Museum and other cultural centers, art galleries were destroyed and looted, sacred temples and mosques were desecrated, libraries were burned, and unique manuscripts were destroyed.

At the same time, 25 schools, 31 libraries, 20 healthcare facilities, 17 clubs, 8 culture houses, 4 technical schools and 2 institute branches, 7 kindergartens, 4 cinemas, 5 culture and recreation parks, 2 sanatoriums, tourist base, 2 hotels, Shusha State Drama Theater, Oriental Musical Instruments Factory, State Art Gallery, Children's Health School were destroyed as a result of the Armenian occupation. Among the destroyed historical places are the house-museums of several Azerbaijani literary and cultural figures like Khurshidbanu Natavan, Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev, Gasim Bey Zakir, Mir Mohsun Navvab, Suleyman Sani Akhundov, Nadjaf Bey Vazirov, Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli, Khan Shushinsky, Sadigjan, Uzeyir bey Hajibeyli, Bulbul and others.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Group’s efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

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