Fortresses, Castles and Princely Palaces
The fortresses of the region (called “berd” in Armenian; բերդ), as in the rest of historical Armenia, were usually built on hard-to-reach rocks or on the tips of mountains, profitably using the features of Artsakh’s rugged and heavily forested terrain. Jraberd (Armenian: Ջրաբերդ), Handaberd (Armenian: Հանդաբերդ), Kachaghakaberd (Armenian: Կաչաղակաբերդ), Shikakar (Armenian: Շիկաքար), Giulistan (Armenian: Գյուլիստան), Mairaberd (Armenian: Մայրաբերդ), Toghaberd (Armenian: Տողաբերդ), Aknaberd (Armenian: Ակնաբերդ), Aghjkaberd (Armenian: Աղջկաբերդ) and other forts, fortresses and castles belonged to Artsakh’s aristocratic families, safeguarding their domains against foreign invaders that traditionally came from the eastern steppes. The forts were established very early in the history of the region, and each successive generation of their custodians contributed to their improvement.
When Artsakh’s Principality of Khachen forged ties with the Kingdom of Cilicia (1080–1375), an independent Armenian state on the Mediterranean Sea that aided the Crusaders, a small number of Artsakh’s fortifications acquired a certain Cilician look.
The Handaberd Castle, the traditional stronghold of the Vakhtangian-Dopian Princes located in Karvachar (Armenian: Քարվաճառ, Azerbaijan’s former district of Kelbajar), was rebuilt with a grant received from Cilicia’s King Levon I; for that it was also known as “Levonaberd” (Armenian: Լևոնաբերդ).
Karabakh’s most remarkable pieces of fortification art, though, are the Citadel of Shusha and Askeran Fortress. Backed by an intricate system of camps, recruiting centers, watchtowers and fortified beacons, both belonged to the so-called Lesser Syghnakh (Armenian: Փոքր Սղնախ), which was one of Artsakh’s two main historical military districts responsible for defending the southern counties of Varanda and Dizak. When the Citadel of Shusha was founded by Panah Ali Khan Javanshir, a Turkic founder of the Karabakh Khanate, its walls and other fortifications were built.
Read more about this topic: Culture Of Nagorno-Karabakh
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