Shusha-Caucasus Conservatory

So many famous artists, musicians, and poets lived in Shusha, which is why it was called the "Conservatory of the Caucasus".


Uzeyir Hajibeyov, the founder of professional composer music, was born here; Bulbul, a famous tenor, and Khurshid Banu Natavan, a 19th-century Azerbaijani poet. Panah Vagif Malla was also from Shushi. He is a respected poet of the 18th century, who founded the realistic trend in Azerbaijani poetry and was vizier of Ibrahim Khan. The outstanding conductor Niyazi grew up in Shusha, Seyid and Khan Shushinskiy, famous "xanande" (traditional singers), both originally from Shusha.

Before the Armenian occupation, the houses of some prominent figures were turned into museums. Most of them are now closed or destroyed. The minaret of the mosque was destroyed. Museums are closed, monuments are taken away.

Shusha carpets are unique in size, pattern, and color. Both the houses and the carpets in the city of Shusha were quite large. Bright, cheerful colors prevail in designs that are dominated by small geometric patterns. The city of Shusha used to have its own carpet museum.