Mehmana ( hy, Մեհմանա, ) is a village located in the
Kalbajar District of
Azerbaijan, in the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
History
Metal ore has historically been mined in the area of the village, including silver and lead. From the beginning of the 19th century,
Pontic Greeks from present-day Turkey settled in Mehmana, with many coming to mine the ore found in the area.
During the
Soviet period, the village was part of the
Mardakert District of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. During the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...
, the village was captured by Azerbaijani forces during the
Mardakert and Martuni Offensives, and was almost completely destroyed, with the population fleeing and many moving to
Greece. After the war, Artsakh rebuilt six houses in the village.
As of 2010, only one
Greek resident remains in Mehmana.
Historical heritage sites
Historical heritage sites in and around the village include tombs from the 2nd–1st millennia BCE, a 12th/13th-century cemetery, the church of ''Surb Astvatsatsin'' ( hy, Սուրբ Աստվածածին, ) built in 1228, the Panaya Church ( hy, Պանայա Եկեղեցի) built in 1249, and a 13th-century
khachkar
A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...
.
Economy and culture
The population is mainly engaged in
agriculture and
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
. As of 2015, the village has a municipal building, and an aid station.
Demographics
The village had 27 inhabitants in 2005,
and 26 inhabitants in 2015.
Gallery
Mehmana003.JPG, Sign reading "Mehmana" in Armenian
Mehmana006.JPG, Cemetery
Mehmana020.JPG, Mehmana school
References
External links
*
Populated places in Kalbajar District
{{Artsakh-geo-stub