Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Church of Shushi

The church on this site was first built of wood and in the mid-19th century was replaced by a stone basilica, which was already in poor condition by 1847. Metropolitan Baghdasar decided to build a new church: design work began in 1867 and was approved in 1868, and construction was completed in 1887 under architect Simeon Ter-Hakobyants and master builder Avetis Yaramishyants, funded by community donations.

The cathedral is cruciform with a central dome, three entrances, polygonal vestibules, tall windows and rich ornamentation. Modeled after the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, it has a central drum and a conical dome, and its walls carry numerous Armenian inscriptions. Built of white hewn limestone, the cathedral and its bell tower form the dominant architectural landmark of Shushi.

The bell tower is older than the cathedral: it was built in 1858 on the initiative of Abraham Khandamiryan of Shushi, in memory of Gabriel Hovsepyan-Batiryants and the Ghazanchetsis. It is three storeys high, with arched openings on the ground floor and angel statues above, and is topped with a fan-shaped dome.

The cathedral has a unique underground chamber, built so that the sole priest could hear his own voice during confession, serving as a substitute for a second priest. This architectural solution is considered unprecedented in the world.

Yes. The cathedral was severely damaged during the 2020 war, when it was repeatedly shelled by the Azerbaijani armed forces.