Karabagh a nomansland?

                                  Grandma and grandfather monument. We are our mountain.

Armenian Karabakh.

 

Standing on the hilltop of Shoush, it is easy to see why the capture of this strategic town was so important to Armenian success in their struggle for independence. Evidence of war is still all too apparent in this small town where bombardment scares are worn like badges on buildings. Looking down on the roof tops of Stepanakert from this height it is little wonder that this tempting target was subjected to almost constant rocket bombardment on a daily bases. Historically Shoush had been the centre of Armenian and Azeri art and culture and in the 19^th cent was one of the largest towns in the Caucasus, but now sadly has been reduced to a mere 3500 souls. The capture of this town in the middle of the night in a daring raid had been the turning point in the war. The operation took place on 8-9^th May, 1992 under the command of A Ter-Tadevosyan who led a body of Armenian commandos in scaling mountainous slopes to reach the hilltop. Sadly he died in the battle, but the bold enterprise proved successful. The commandos had built their own rifles that may be seen today in Stepanakert Museum. At the time the undertaking was considered crazy, but such was the inner strength of the Karabakh population no obstacle was too great in their struggle for independence.. A memorial to the fallen in the form of a captured tank stands by the side of the road as you return to the capital. The town was significantly damaged during the conflict and only recently has restoration taken place to the Ghazanchetsot Cathedral, while many buildings still wait their turn. The operation was codenamed Wedding in the Mountains a name that has a great significance as annual mass weddings are held in Stepanakert in the hope that some of the newlyweds will settle here. Nagorno-Karabakh is home to only 150000 people, so population building is a high on the agenda. This Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan is still awaiting some sort of peaceful mutual settlement, but like so many things in life politics gets in the way. Life goes on however and much building has taken place in the last few years, large squares and tree lined streets give the town a pleasant feel along with several substantial buildings.. One new development has been the construction of ‘ wedding steps’, a broad large staircase lined with brides on one side and grooms on the other in the form of street lights, a rather novel and amusing sight. The town itself is typical Armenian, built around its market and central squares, the general impression the visitors gets is one of struggle and hardship for the people who live here. I did notice the temperature was considerably colder than Yerevan which would have to be expected given the regions height above sea-level, a light fog veils the town most mornings.

                                                Road to Shoush. Heather and the tank.

 

 

Foggy morning.

 

 

Stepanakert boast a fine museum that is well worth a visit, it allows the visitor to gain a better understanding of their struggle for independence, among the military exhibits such as the handmade rifles are various other ingenious weapons. The museum also houses items of historic interest, carpets, ceramic, clothing etc. In order to gain a better understanding of the current situation we drove up to the Askeran Fortress and on to Tigranakert archaeological site. The road took us through the destroyed town of Asterin with its field of destroyed tanks among shell craters near the Azerbaijan boarder. The town itself is now deserted with its destroyed houses standing forlornly in shadow among the tanks. The Tigranakert Museum contains a number of ceramic objects dating from 1500BC to more recent times. Unfortunately the site is not registered as a heritage area as it still stands in no-mans land, there are still large areas near the border where visitors should tread with caution. 

Mass weddings in Stepanakert.

 

 

 

 

                                                             City market.

Bride street lights.

 

 

 

 

On our drive back to town we pass a massive sculpture carved out of the local stone. It represents two elderly Armenians reinforcing their claim to be the true mountain people , The image is reproduced on many items sold to tourists.