Khankendi city
Khankendi administratively includes Khankendi town and Karkijahan settlement. Area makes 8.8 km². After formation of Soviet Rule, Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee signed a decree on establishment of Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Republic, on July 7, 1923. According to that decree, Khankendi was declared as centre of the Province. After a while, the region was called as stepanakert by the name of Stepan Shaumyan. Since 1991, it has been called as Khankendi again, in accordance with the decision of Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Khankendi differs from other regions with being younger. According to archive documents, the town was founded as a settlement for rest of Karabakh knans, at the end of XVIII century. The settlement was being called as “village of khan”, because of the family of khan lived there. After a while, the settlement gets Khankendi name. The city developed during Karabakh khanate. This was caused by location of town near the capital and centre, trade ways, being as residence of knans, having rich nature. Although Khankendi was founded as recreation centre of khans, it started to develop as an industrial and cultural centre, in the XX century. Khankendi obtained city status in 1978. The plants are: chestnut, Hirkan’s fig and etc. Gargar, Karabagh, Buzluchay and other rivers flow through the area. Khankendi is one of the cultural centres of Azerbaijan. Copper, limestone, marble, cement and ore were extracted in the region, due to locating in the mountainous area. As a result of excavations, gold and silver fields were found here. It has been under the occupation of Armenians, since 1991.