Shusha, Mountain city in Karabakh region, Azerbaijan
Shusha stands on a high plateau in the Karabakh mountains and displays two-story stone houses along narrow lanes with high walls. Streets run from the central square to viewpoints at the cliff edges, where churches and mosques rise between residential quarters.
A ruler founded the settlement in the mid-18th century as a fortress and capital of a khanate. The Russian Empire took control in the early 19th century and transformed the town into an administrative center with large public buildings.
The city features the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, multiple mosques, and traditional stone houses that represent both Armenian and Azerbaijani architectural styles.
Visitors reach the town by a mountain road with hairpin turns and can walk through the narrow lanes on foot. Hotels stand near the central square, and local guides help with orientation in the winding quarters.
The place developed as a center for carpet weaving and music in the Caucasus. Several well-known composers and poets spent years here, and their houses still stand along the old streets.
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