Georgian media pays tribute to Shusha, Azerbaijan's cultural cradle

With the support of the State Committee for Work with the Azerbaijani Diaspora, and as part of the project "Promotion of our National-Cultural Heritage," an article titled ‘Shusha: The Cradle of Azerbaijani Culture" was published in the prominent Georgian newspaper "Sakartvelos Respublika".

The article emphasized that Shusha, established in the mid-18th century by Karabakh Khan Panahali Khan, rose to become one of Azerbaijan’s most significant cities, the Committee told Caliber.Az.

Initially known as "Panahabad" in honour of its founder, it was later referred to as the "Shusha fortress" and "Shusha city."

The article highlighted the fact that the rare Khary Bulbul flower grows in Shusha, a city that became a cultural hub in the Caucasus during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Once the capital of the Karabakh Khanate, Shusha was affectionately dubbed "Little Paris," "Temple of the arts of the Caucasus," "Cradle of Azerbaijani music," and "The conservatory of the East."

It also mentioned that, due to the efforts of the renowned Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the foundations of professional music education were first laid in Shusha, making it a cornerstone of Azerbaijan’s musical heritage.

The article further referenced the Armenian occupation of Shusha and its eventual liberation by Azerbaijani forces in 2020. It highlighted the May 7, 2021, decree by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, which declared Shusha as the cultural capital of Azerbaijan. This designation was intended to restore the city’s historical significance, reclaim its former glory, and reintroduce it to the global stage as a shining beacon of Azerbaijan’s rich cultural, architectural, and urban heritage.

By Tamilla Hasanova