Ganja Gate ( az, Gəncə qapısı, ) is one of the three main gates of the

Shusha fortress The Shusha fortress ( az, Şuşa qalası) or Shushi fortress ( hy, Շուշիի բերդ) is a fortress surrounding the historical centre of Shusha, also called Shushi. Newly established castle town was called "'' Panahabad fortress''" named afte ...

Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govhar ...

, Azerbaijan, and is located on the fortress's northern side. The other two gates are the Iravan Gate and the Aghoghlan Gate.

Description

In compliance with medieval traditions in urban development of the khanate period, Shusha castle walls were built with four gates. The main gate was facing north towards the road to

Ganja, Azerbaijan Ganja (; az, Gəncə ) is Azerbaijan's third largest city, with a population of around 335,600.Azərbaycan Respublikası. — 2. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və inzibati rayonları. — 2.4. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və ...

and was therefore named Ganja Gate. The western gate was facing western regions including the

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

Erivan Khanate The Erivan Khanate ( fa, خانات ایروان, translit=Xānāt-e Iravān; hy, Երեւանի խանութիւն, translit=Yerevani xanut'iwn; az, ایروان خانلیغی, translit=İrəvan xanlığı), also known as Chokhur-e Sa'd, was ...

and was hence called Erivan Gate. The other two gates opened to surrounding highland villages. Shusha's internal castle was located on a peak near the Ganja Gate. The Ganja Gate bears architectural importance and is often mentioned among other significant 279 attributes of

Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve Shusha ( az, Şuşa, ) or Shushi ( hy, Շուշի) is a city in Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Situated at an altitude of 1,400–1,800 metres (4,600–5,900 ft) in the Karabakh mountains, the city was a mountain reso ...

of the 18th century.

History

The fortress and the city were part of the

Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), DQMV, hy, Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Ինքնավար Մարզ, ԼՂԻՄ was an autonomous oblast within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic that was created on July 7, 1923. Its cap ...

; they later came under the control of the self-proclaimed

Republic of Artsakh Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...

, following the Battle of Shusha on 8 May 1992 until 8 November 2020, when the Azerbaijani Armed Forces retook the city after a 3-day long battle.

References

{{reflist Islamic architecture Architecture in Azerbaijan Tourist attractions in Azerbaijan Infrastructure completed in 1750 Military history of Shusha Gates 18th century in Azerbaijan 18th-century establishments in Iran Karabakh Khanate