Religion in Artsakh

Religion in Artsakh (2015)^[1]

Armenian Apostolic (98.03%)

Evangelical (0.37%)

Jehovah's Witnesses (0.23%)

Russian Orthodox (0.15%)

Other (0.14%)

Islam (0.43%)

Spiritual but not religious (0.41%)

Undecided (0.24%)

Religion in Artsakh was characterized by a largely homogeneous Christian population (99%) who overwhelmingly belonged to the Armenian Apostolic Church (98%).

History

Arab and Safavid rule

Islam arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh with Arabs in the seventh century, gradually increasing as Islamic nations ruled the region.

In the sixteenth century, the first shah of the Safavid dynasty, Ismail I (r. 1486–1524) established Shia Islam as the state religion.^[2] The Safavid dynasty would have a strict policy of enforcing Shia Islam, which would bring political conflict with the Sunnis of the neighbouring Ottoman Empire.^[2]

Russian & Soviet rule

In 1806, Nagorno-Karabakh was annexed by the Russian Empire from the Persian Qajar dynasty, and Emperor Paul I of Russia issued a charter titled "About their admission to Russian suzerainty, land allocation, rights and privileges", it was noted that the Christian heritage of the Karabakh region and all their people were admitted to the Russian suzerainty.^[3]

In 1918, the First Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–20) declared independence from Russia during the Russian Civil war, but were both promptly incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920. During the Soviet era, state atheism was enforced, which resulted in all of Nagorno-Karabakh's Churches and Mosques being closed.

Religious places

Churches

There are hundreds of churches scattered throughout Artsakh, because the vast majority of the population belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church. Some notable ones include:

Monasteries

Amaras Monastery, near Sos
Dadivank, Vang, Kalbajar
Gandzasar monastery, Vank, Martakert
Gtichavank, Tugh
Hakobavank, Kolatak
Katarovank, Hin Tagher
Tsar monastery, Zar
Tsitsernavank, Hüsülü, Lachin
Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery, Madagiz
Yerits Mankants Monastery, near Maghavuz

Mosques

The vast majority of mosques in Artsakh are in Shusha, which was majority-Muslim between the Shusha massacre and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. One major exception to this is Agdam Mosque, a 19th-century mosque in the ghost town of Aghdam.

References

^ "Աղյուսակ 5.4 Բնակչությունը (քաղաքային, գյուղական) ըստ ազգության, սեռի և կրոնական դավանանքիlanguage=hy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-10-26.
^ a b Nichol, James (1995). "Azerbaijan: Religion". In Curtis, Glenn E. (ed.). Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: country studies (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. p. 106. ISBN 0-8444-0848-4. OCLC 31709972. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
^ Полное Собрание Законов Российской Империи c 1649 года. Том XXV. 1798–1799. СПб.: Печатано в Типографии II Отделения Собственной Его Императорского Величества Канцелярии, 1830, № 18.990, c.674–675. (Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire since 1649. Volume XXV. 1798–1799. SPb .: Printed at the Printing House of the II Branch of His Imperial Majesty's Own Office, 1830, No. 18.990, p.674-675).

[Nagarno-Karabakh_census_2015-1] "Աղյուսակ 5.4 Բնակչությունը (քաղաքային, գյուղական) ըստ ազգության, սեռի և կրոնական դավանանքիlanguage=hy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-10-26.

[:0-2] Nichol, James (1995). "Azerbaijan: Religion". In Curtis, Glenn E. (ed.). Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: country studies (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. p. 106. ISBN 0-8444-0848-4. OCLC 31709972. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)

[3] Полное Собрание Законов Российской Империи c 1649 года. Том XXV. 1798–1799. СПб.: Печатано в Типографии II Отделения Собственной Его Императорского Величества Канцелярии, 1830, № 18.990, c.674–675. (Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire since 1649. Volume XXV. 1798–1799. SPb .: Printed at the Printing House of the II Branch of His Imperial Majesty's Own Office, 1830, No. 18.990, p.674-675).