The region of Nagorno-Karabakh is located in between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Internationally it is regarded as a part of Azerbaijan. But de-facto it is an independent state recognized only by Armenia and other unrecognized states of the Caucasian region, viz. Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
It is not possible to enter Artsakh from Azerbaijan, and the only entry to this breakaway South Caucasian micronation is through Armenia.
Historically, Artsakh was one of the provinces of the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until 387 AD when it went into the hands of Persian rulers and remained under their rule till the 7th century. For the next two centuries it was under the control of the Arabian Caliphate. In 821 AD it again became part of Armenia and was then known by the name of Principality of Khachen.
In 1000 AD the region for the first time came to be known as the Kingdom of Artsakh and was it was then ruled by the House of Khachen. The region was geographically called by the name of Nagorno-Karabakh. Like many parts of Armenia, this region also faced Turkish invasion from the 11th to 14th centuries but it continued to be ruled by the House of Khachen till the 19th century.
After the Russo-Persian War of early 19th century, it ceded to Imperial Russia. Much later in the 20th century, during the Soviet regime, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was part of the geographical area of Azerbaijan SSR. So when USSR disintegrated, the region was made part of Azerbaijan. But majority of the population of the region comprises of Armenian Christians, while the rest of Azerbaijan is a Muslim country, leading to an ethnic and religious division.
This story is from the July 2020 edition of Touriosity Travelmag.
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This story is from the July 2020 edition of Touriosity Travelmag.
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