Stepanakert is the capital and the largest city of the de facto Republic of Artsakh. The city is after Armenian Bolshevik revolutionary Stepan Shaumian. According to medieval Armenian sources, the settlement was first mentioned as Vararakn (meaning “rapid spring” in Armenian). This name remained in use until 1847. With the self-declared independence of Artsakh in 1991, Stepanakert continued with its status as the political and cultural centre of the newly established republic, being home to all the national institutions: the Government House, the National Assembly, the Presidential Palace, the Constitutional Court, all ministries, judicial bodies and other government organizations.
The well-established transport infrastructure of Armenia allows to get to Stepanakert city by a private car or with the help of various travel companies which offer regular excursions and tours to different sights of the country. Due to the geographical location of Stepanakert city the trip will not seem long.
The high season in Armenia lasts for a long time due to the pleasant climate conditions. Warm days in Armenia start in March and last until late autumn; winter is usually snowless and not long. The high precipitation season is variable. The tourist season for Stepanakert city depends on the weather conditions.
The city was created as a settlement at the start of the 19th century, on the site of Vararakn village. The city is situated on the eastern slope of the Artsakh Mountain Range, on the left bank of the Vararakn River (the Karkar River tributary) at an altitude of 850 m.
The late-19th-century church of Saint George was destroyed in the 1930s to build the Stepanakert Drama Theatre. Throughout the rest of the Soviet era, there were no traditional churches in Stepanakert, although most of the population of the city were members of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Football is the most popular sport in Artsakh and the city has a renovated football stadium. Since the mid-1990s, football teams from Artsakh started taking part in some domestic competitions in Armenia. Lernayin Artsakh is the football club that represents the city of Stepanakert. The Artsakh national football league was launched in 2009. There is also interest in other sports, including basketball and volleyball.
SHOUSHI CITY
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