Stepanakert City

Stepanakert lies on the eastern slopes of the Artsakh mountain range, on the banks of the Karkar River and on an important highway, and covers 25.6 square kilometers. It was the capital of the Republic of Artsakh and the region's administrative, industrial, cultural and educational center.

The city has ancient roots: the first settlements here appeared in the 3rd–2nd millennia BC, and in the 5th century AD there was a settlement called Vararakn, named after an abundant spring; only one ancient guesthouse survives from that time. The first excavations were carried out by the German researcher Emil Rosler, and some of the artifacts found in the 19th century are kept in the world's largest museums.

The city is named Stepanakert in honor of the revolutionary Stepan Shahumyan, whose name is part of the city's modern history.

As in Yerevan, the first official city plan was drawn up by Alexander Tamanian, in 1926. It allowed Stepanakert to take shape as a modern city combining the old with the new.

The climate is semi-arid subtropical: summers are hot and dry, while winters are mild and mostly dry, though severe cold spells occasionally occur.