Ghazanchetsots Cathedral
Holy Savior Cathedral (Armenian: Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար, Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar), commonly referred to as Ghazanchetsots (Armenian: Ղազանչեցոց), is an Armenian Apostolic cathedral in Shusha in Azerbaijan. It is the cathedra of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Standing 35 metres (115 ft) high, Ghazanchetsots is one of the largest Armenian churches in the world. A landmark of Shusha and the Karabakh region, and of Armenian cultural and religious identity, it is listed as cultural and historical monument of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh.
| Ghazanchetsots Cathedral | |
|---|---|
The cathedral in 2018, two years prior the damage in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Rite | Armenian |
| Year consecrated | 20 September 1888 18 June 1998 (reconsecration) |
| Status | Damaged, conversion work ongoing according to the Azerbaijani government |
| Location | |
| Location | 19 A. Ghazanchetsots Street, Shusha, Azerbaijan |
Shown within Azerbaijan Ghazanchetsots Cathedral (Karabakh Economic Region) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 39.758819°N 46.747883°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Simon Ter-Hakobian(ts) |
| Style | Armenian |
| Groundbreaking | 1868 |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 34.7 metres (114 ft) |
| Width | 23 metres (75 ft) |
| Height (max) | 35 metres (115 ft) |
Built between 1868 and 1887, the cathedral was consecrated in 1888. It was damaged during the March 1920 massacre of the city's Armenians—and the destruction of their half of the city—by Azerbaijanis and experienced a decades-long decline well into the Soviet period. During the first Nagorno-Karabakh War Azerbaijan used the cathedral as an armoury to store hundreds of missiles. The cathedral was extensively restored in the aftermath of the first war and reconsecrated in 1998. During the 2020 war, it was damaged by Azerbaijani attacks.
In Azerbaijan, the cathedral is called "Gazanchy" (Azerbaijani: Qazançı) and the authorities have often denied its Armenian heritage, instead vaguely referring to it as "Christian" or falsely labeling it a "Russian Orthodox" edifice. Azerbaijan's announcement of a "renovation", which so far has included the removal of its conical roof, has been met with criticism and concern by different bodies.