New satellite imagery shows Azerbaijani construction expanding onto the grounds of the 19th-century Ghazanchetsots Armenian Cathedral in occupied Shushi, further altering a landmark already bombed during the 2020 Artsakh War and later subjected to what heritage monitors have described as a distortive “restoration.”
According to Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW), satellite images taken between April 25 and July 23, 2026, show several new buildings appearing around the cathedral, further compromising the historic setting and integrity of one of Artsakh’s most important Armenian religious monuments.
Built in 1887, Ghazanchetsots remained an active Armenian place of worship until the 2020 Artsakh War and the occupation of Shushi.
The cathedral had already been directly targeted during the 2020 Artsakh War. On October 8, 2020, Azerbaijani forces struck Ghazanchetsots twice with guided munitions. Human Rights Watch later said the attacks appeared deliberate and could constitute a war crime.
After occupying Shushi, Azerbaijani authorities launched what they called a “restoration” of the cathedral. The work removed its distinctive conical dome and altered key elements of its historic Armenian architecture. CHW has described the intervention as a “distortive restoration.”
Satellite imagery shows a new threat to the integrity of the 19th century Ghazanchetsots Armenian Cathedral in Shusha. Between April 25 and July 23, 2026, buildings arose on the grounds of the cathedral, encroaching on a sacred landscape. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/SgrJoxa7Wt
— CaucasusHeritageWatch (@CaucasusHW) August 20, 2026
The new construction forms part of Azerbaijan’s broader redevelopment of occupied Shushi under a master plan prepared by British architectural firm Chapman Taylor. The project is now reshaping the area surrounding one of the city’s most recognizable Armenian monuments.
The latest changes come only months after the complete demolition of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in occupied Stepanakert. Satellite monitoring confirmed that the cathedral was razed between March and April 2026. St. Hakob Church in Stepanakert has also been demolished.
The pattern extends beyond individual churches. Armenian religious sites, cemeteries, monuments, and other traces of Armenian presence across occupied Artsakh have been destroyed, altered, neglected, or stripped of their Armenian identity under Azerbaijani control.
Taken together, the destruction of some monuments and the alteration of others point to an accelerating campaign against Artsakh’s Armenian cultural and historical presence.
CHW has called on the firms involved in the redevelopment of Shushi to preserve the authenticity and integrity of the historic site.
