Aguletsots church in Shusha, Armenian church in Shusha, Azerbaijan.
Aguletsots church was a domed hall measuring 28.9 by 17.5 metres, cross-shaped outside and rectangular inside, raised on a multi-stepped base. It had three entrances, with porches at the south and north doors, a main altar with two-storey side chapels, and bell rotundas on the roof gables. It survives only as ruins.
Built in 1822 with funds from the noble Tarumyants family, descendants of settlers from Agulis, the church bore a dedicatory inscription on its south door. It served as Shusha's cathedral until the larger Kazanchetsots church was erected. It was destroyed in March 1920 during the destruction of the city's Armenian quarter and has not survived.
The name Aguletsots means "of Agulis", after the town of Agulis in Nakhichevan from which the builders moved to Shusha. The church held 27 shops and its own estate, and its roof bells made it a centre for public gatherings and trade as well as worship.
The building is centrally located in Shusha and can be reached via the main streets of the city. Several other historical structures nearby are within walking distance and can be visited together during a day trip.
The name Aguletsots means "of Agulis": the church was founded by families who moved to Shusha from the town of Agulis in Nakhchivan. An inscription on the south door's lintel names the donors Zohrap Hovhanjan, Markos and Baba Ter-Matevosyan, and gives the year 1822.
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