Shahumyan Region 

Occupied as a consequence of the 2020 Turkish-Azeri aggression. The fate of buildings, infrastructure and monuments is unknown. Inhabitants had to flee. 

The Shahumyan region is an administrative unit of the Republic of Mountainous Karabakh since September 2, 1991. It was the Gyulistan region until 1930, and from 1930/31 to 1991, the Shahumyan region of Azerbaijan. In 1989 it had a population of 21,000 of which 17,500 were Armenians, and 3,500 Russians and Azeris. Gyamish mountain of the Mrav mountain range is the highest peak of the region at 3724 metres. The Gyulistan castle (pictured in the Fortresses chapter, now half-ruined) was the seat of the Gyulistan meliks. 

This region was part of  the Artsakh province of Greater Armenia, and as such part of several succeeding Armenian kingdoms: Araratian (Biainili/Urartian) kingdom since 1st millennium BC, Yervanduni (Orontid) kingdom in the 6th-2nd centuries BC, Artashissyan (Artashesid or Artaxiad) kingdom (2nd century BC– AD 1st century), Arshakuni (Arsacid) kingdom (AD 1st-4th centuries). Since the 5th century it was ruled, as the rest of Artsakh, by the Armenian Aranshahik family. In the 7-9th centuries, as much of the region, it was under Arab rule. Since the 10th century Shahumyan-Gyulistan was a part of the Khachen princedom as Artsakh was called then and Khachen came under Persian rule since the middle of the 16th century. 

In the 17th and 18th centuries it was one of the melikutiuns (melikdoms) of Khamsa Melikdoms and was ruled by the Melik-Beglaryan family. After the 1813 Gyulistan Treaty between Russian and Persia, Artsakh together with the Gyulistan Melikdom and many other territories in South Caucasus came under Russian rule. It was included in different administrative divisions over the course of time and in 1918-20, as other regions of Nagorno Karabakh, was independent and was ruled by the Armenian National Council. In 1920, as other districts of Artsakh, Gyulistan was also invaded by the joint Turkish and Musavat armed forces and suffered destruction and killings. In 1920, it was recognized by Azerbaijan as an integral part of Armenia, but was later annexed by the Bolshevik authorities to Azerbaijan against the will of both its population and of Armenia. Of the 59 settlements of Shahumyan 29 were under Azerbaijani occupation before 2020. The Shahumyan region of the NKR incorporated a part of the old Shahumyan region and the former Kelbajar region but came under Azerbaijan’s control after the 2020 war.

Karvatchar

The region is a source for the Trtu (Tartar), one of major Armenian rivers, and has two other main rivers, Lev and Dukhtu. It is abundant with springs and has a few lakes, all over 2000 metres above sea level. It is rich in mineral cold and hot springs, such as Jermajur and many others. 

Shahumyan region is rich in mineral waters with health benefits.

The region is a source for the Trtu (Tartar), one of major Armenian rivers, and has two other main rivers, Lev and Dukhtu. It is abundant with springs and has a few lakes, all over 2000 metres above sea level. It is rich in mineral cold and hot springs, such as Jermajur and many others. 

Tsar

Occupied as a consequence of the 2020 Turkish-Azeri aggression. 

Tsar used to be a fortified village, in the upper part of the Tartar river where it joins its Tsaraget tributary, on a triangle-like plateau 2030-2050 metres above sea level. It is surrounded by deep gorges and connects to the mountain range with a 250 metre stretch which was fortified and made the village inaccessible. Tsar has been referred to since the Middle Ages, and has been a seat of princes, with palaces, meliks’ manors, etc. It had four churches, of which St. Grigor (1274) and St. Sargis (1279) have partially survived. There were also two monasteries nearby but when the Armenian population was replaced by Turkish-speaking Kurds, they destroyed much of what existed, such as the Monastery of Tsar, also called Getamijo Vank (a “monastery between rivers”), founded in 1301. Stones from Armenian churches were used in the construction of schools and other buildings in Tsar and Kurdish villages nearby. Tsar had been a centre for manuscript production. A “Book of Homilies” created in Tsar is now kept in the Matenadaran, the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in Yerevan. 

The Monastery near Handaberd 

Occupied a s result of the 2020 Azeri aggression.

Some parts of the monastery were built in the 13th century, while the time of other buildings is not known. 

For Handaberd fortress please see https://realkarabakh.com/en/handaberd/,