PARIS. – Armenian News-NEWS.am presents extracts from the Philippe Schaller’s article published in French Le Monde:

Located on the plateau, Shushi city has a symbolic meaning. Being the future historic capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, it suffered great losses during 1992 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The city was an important military point.

Past competes with present in the small abandoned city. Shushi has the remnants of Russian-Armenian architecture of the 19th century. Cathedral St Savor (Amenaprkitch), which served as a storage of weapons for Azerbaijanis, was reconstructed. The dazzling white church stands proudly above the city.

Being a bone of contention between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is a self-proclaimed republic. It is a small enclave within Azerbaijan, which is recognized by no state, even when it has special relations with Armenia, sharing the same currency and nation.

Shushi became again Armenian in 1992, but people abandoned the city. It is a ghost-city with only 3,500 population. During the conflict with Azerbaijan, many people went to war or preferred to move to Armenia. However, population is returning back and the city gradually rises from the ashes.