Spitakashen (Armenian: Սպիտակաշեն) or Aghkend (Azerbaijani: Ağkənd) is a village in the Khojavend District of Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Until 2023 it was controlled by the breakaway Republic of Artsakh. The village had an ethnic Armenian-majority population[2] until the exodus of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh following the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh.[3]
Spitakashen
Սպիտակաշեն Ağkənd | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 39°49′24″N 47°01′04″E / 39.82333°N 47.01778°E | |
Country | Azerbaijan |
• District | Khojavend |
Elevation | 687 m (2,254 ft) |
Population (2015)[1] | |
• Total | 453 |
Time zone | UTC+4 (AZT) |
Etymology
editThe village's name means "white village" in both Armenian and Azerbaijani.
History
editDuring the Soviet period, the village was a part of the Martuni District of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
Historical heritage sites
editHistorical heritage sites in and around the village include the 13th-century Holy Savior Church (Armenian: Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Եկեղեցի, romanized: Surb Amenaprkich Yekeghetsi) and a 13th-century cemetery.[1]
Economy and culture
editThe population is mainly engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. As of 2015, the village has a municipal building, a house of culture, a secondary school, and a medical centre.[1]
Demographics
editThe village had 437 inhabitants in 2005,[4] and 453 inhabitants in 2015.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Hakob Ghahramanyan. "Directory of socio-economic characteristics of NKR administrative-territorial units (2015)".
- ^ Андрей Зубов. "Андрей Зубов. Карабах: Мир и Война". drugoivzgliad.com.
- ^ Sauer, Pjotr (2 October 2023). "'It's a ghost town': UN arrives in Nagorno-Karabakh to find ethnic Armenians have fled". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ "The Results of the 2005 Census of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" (PDF). National Statistic Service of the Republic of Artsakh.