Nagorno Karabakh is a mountainous region in the South Caucasus. Recognized as part of Azerbaijan, it was at the center of a bitter ethnic-territorial conflict with Armenia that lasted over thirty years.
In 1923, the Soviet Union incorporated the region, with a vast Armenian majority, into the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic as an autonomous province. With the collapse of the USSR, the Armenian population declared independence with the creation of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh.
From 1988 to 2023, numerous wars were fought in the area, with the final offensive in September 2023.
Over 100,000 Armenian civilians (almost the entire population) fled their homes to Armenia. A decree signed by the Artsakh authorities sanctioned the formal dissolution of all state institutions starting in January 2024.
Today, the Baku government is proceeding with the administrative reintegration of the territory and the reconstruction of infrastructure, encouraging the resettlement of Azerbaijani citizens who were displaced during the 1990s war.
The symbolic monument of Nagorno Karabakh is “We Are Our Mountains” (also known as Tatik-Papik in Armenian or Nana-Baba) and is located in Khankendi.
Made in 1967 from volcanic tuff, it depicts an elderly couple, symbolizing the population’s strong connection to the mountains.
The image of the monument was considered the main symbol of Armenian identity in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh).
Due to its strong symbolic significance, the statue has always been at the center of bitter political disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The main cities of Nagorno Karabakh are Khankendi, Shusha, and Agdam.
Khankendi (Stepanakert) was the administrative and economic capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. After the conflicts, it temporarily became a ghost town and is now the subject of resettlement plans.
Agdam is located just outside the central core and was a “ghost town” for decades, completely destroyed after the first war in 1990.
