Religion in Artsakh was characterized by a largely homogeneous Christian population (99%) who overwhelmingly belonged to the

Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...

(98%).

History

Arab and Safavid rule

Islam arrived in

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is m ...

with

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

in the seventh century, gradually increasing as Islamic nations ruled the region. In the sixteenth century, the first shah of the Safavid dynasty,

Ismail I Ismail I ( fa, اسماعیل, Esmāʿīl, ; July 17, 1487 – May 23, 1524), also known as Shah Ismail (), was the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Safavid Iran, Iran, ruling as its King of Kings (''Shahanshah'') from 1501 to 1524. His re ...

(r. 1486–1524) established

Shia Islam Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, m ...

as the state religion. The Safavid dynasty would have a strict policy of enforcing Shia Islam, which would bring political conflict with the Sunnis of the neighbouring

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

Russian & Soviet rule

In 1806, Nagorno-Karabakh was annexed by the Russian Empire from the Persian Qajar dynasty, and Emperor Paul I of Russia issued a charter titled "About their admission to Russian suzerainty, land allocation, rights and privileges", it was noted that the Christian heritage of the Karabakh region and all their people were admitted to the Russian suzerainty. In 1918, the First Republic of Armenia and

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian A ...

(1918–20) declared independence from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

during the

Russian Civil war {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Russian Civil War , partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I , image = , caption = Clockwise from top left: {{flatlist, *Soldiers ...

, but were both promptly incorporated into the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

in 1920. During the Soviet era, state atheism was enforced, which resulted in all of Nagorno-Karabakh's Churches and Mosques being closed.

Religious places

Churches

There are hundreds of churches scattered throughout Artsakh, because the vast majority of the population belongs to the

. Some notable ones include: *

Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots ( hy, Ղազանչեցոց),), ''Kazanchetsots'' (russian: Казанчецоц). In A ...

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

Holy Mother of God Cathedral, Stepanakert Holy Mother of God Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Աստվածամոր Հովանու մայր տաճար, Surb Astvatsamor Hovanu Mayr Tachar), also known as Surb Astvatsamor Hovanu Cathedral, is a church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located i ...

* Kanach Zham,

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

Saint John the Baptist Church, Martakert Saint John the Baptist Church ( hy, Սուրբ Հովհաննու Կարապետ եկեղեցի, Surb Hovhannu Karapet Yekeghetsi), is an Armenian Apostolic church in Nagorno-Karabakh, in the town of Martakert Martakert ( hy, Մարտակեր ...

* Church of St. Nerses the Great, Martuni * Vankasar Church, Askeran Province

Monasteries

Amaras Monastery Amaras Monastery ( hy, Ամարաս վանք) is an Armenian monastery near the village of Sos, ''de facto'' in the Martuni Province of the Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Khojavend District of Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nago ...

, near Sos *

Dadivank Dadivank ( hy, Դադիվանք) or Khutavank ( hy, Խութավանք, translation=monastery on the hillЖеан-Паул Лабурдетьте, Доминикуе Аузиас, Армения, Petit Futé, 2007 – p. 203) is an Armenian Ap ...

, Vang, Kalbajar * Gandzasar monastery, Vank, Martakert * Gtichavank,

Tugh A ''tug'' ( , tr, tuğ, ota, طوغ or , otk, 𐱃𐰆𐰍, tuğ) or sulde ( mn, сүлд, script=Cyrl), () is a pole with circularly arranged horse or yak tail hairs of varying colors arranged at the top. It was historically flown by Tu ...

Hakobavank Hakobavank ( hy, Հակոբավանք, translation=monastery of Hakob), also known as Metsaranits Monastery ( hy, Մեծառանից վանք), is an Armenian monastery, which is situated near the village of Kolatak in the disputed region of Nag ...

Kolatak Kolatak ( hy, Քոլատակ; az, Kolatağ) is a village ''de facto'' in the Martakert Province of the Political status of Nagorno-Karabakh, breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan, in the disputed region ...

* Katarovank, Hin Tagher * Tsar monastery, Zar *

Tsitsernavank Tsitsernavank ( hy, Ծիծեռնավանք) is a fifth-to-sixth century Armenian Apostolic monastery in the Lachin District of Azerbaijan. The monastery is within five kilometers of the border of Armenia's province of Syunik, in an area historical ...

Hüsülü, Lachin Husulu (), historically also known as Kashataghk () is a village in the Lachin District of Azerbaijan, located close to the villages of Malıbəy (Melikashen), Qarıqışlaq (Tandzut) and Ağoğlan. Armenian monuments such as the Tsitsernavan ...

Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery ( hy, Եղիշե առաքյալի վանք, Yeghishe Arakyali Vank) or Monastery of Yeghishe the Apostle ( az, Müqəddəs Yelisey monastırı) is an Armenian Apostolic Church in Nagorno-Karabakh, located close to the vi ...

, Madagiz *

Yerits Mankants Monastery Yerits Mankants Monastery ( hy, Երից Մանկանց Վանք, lit= Three Youths Monastery) is a 17th-century Armenian monastery ''de facto'' in the Martakert Province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Tartar District ...

, near Maghavuz

Mosques

The vast majority of mosques in Artsakh are in

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

, which was majority-Muslim between the Shusha massacre and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. One major exception to this is

Agdam Mosque The Agdam Mosque ( az, Ağdam məscidi) or Juma Mosque ( az, Cümə məscidi) is a mosque in the ghost town of Aghdam, Azerbaijan. History Construction The mosque was built by the architect Karbalayi Safikhan Karabakhi from 1868 to 1870, in the ...

, a 19th-century mosque in the ghost town of Aghdam.

References

{{Nagorno-Karabakh topics