Tsakuri

Tsakuri (Armenian: Ծակուռի) or Hunarli (Azerbaijani: Hünərli,[1] previously Zakirli[2]) is a village in the Khojavend District of Azerbaijan. The village had an ethnic Armenian-majority population prior to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, and also had an Armenian majority in 1989.[3]

Tsakuri Ծակուռի
Hünərli
View of the village
Tsakuri
Coordinates: 39°34′11″N 46°59′01″E
Country	Azerbaijan
Rayon	Khojavend
Population  (2015)
• Total	100
Time zone	UTC+4 (AZT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+5 (AZT)

The village is located in Nagorno-Karabakh, in southwestern Azerbaijan, 13 km from the town of Hadrut and a 57 km drive over the north-south highway from the regional capital Stepanakert. Hikers reach Tsakuri in the Tuğ section of the marked Janapar road. The community is lowland with a total area of 307.4 hectares, of which 241.68 hectares are of agricultural importance and 32.9 hectares is forest land. It has a specially mild micro-climate thanks to its apple, pear, mulberry and walnut trees. Deposits of Icelandic spar are to be found in the village area.

History

The village was captured by Armenian forces during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and was administrated as part of the Hadrut Province of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. The village was recaptured by Azerbaijan on October 7, 2020 during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.[4][5][6]

Population

The population of the Tsakuri community is about 100 people in approximately 28 households. The population is mainly engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, and farming. There is a village administration, a house of culture, a first aid station. The water supply is provided by the community in a gravity system fed from two springs Akn and Nerses. The community is provided with electricity, television and radio signals, mobile and wireless telephony and Internet service are available.

Historical and cultural monuments

Tsakuri "Holy Mother of God" church, XII c.

The "Tsaghkavank" monastery complex is located in the village, of which only the "Holy Mother of God" church has been preserved. It was founded in 1198. Other historical monuments of Tsakuri include the cemetery (XVII-XIX centuries), the spring (XIX c.), a khachkar (cross-stone, XVII c.) and Ptkatagh monastery (on the outskirts of Tsakuri, dated 1670). A total of five historical monuments is registered in Tsakuri.

А group of international benefactors initiated the reconstruction of the "Holy Mother of God" church in Tsakuri and started preparation works and fundraising in the 2010s. In July 2013, the Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan blessed this project for the revival of the historical and religious monument "Surb Astvatsatsin" (Holy Mother of God). Construction works started in May 2019. Phase two of the project for the interior works is partly funded by an international crowdfunding campaign.

References

1. "İşğaldan azad olunan daha iki kəndin adı qaytarılır". banker.az (in Azerbaijani). 13 November 2020.
2. http://www.lib.az/users/1/upload/files/Azrbaycan_toponimlrinin_ensiklopedik_II.pdf
3. Андрей Зубов. "Андрей Зубов. Карабах: Мир и Война". drugoivzgliad.com.
4. "Bu kəndlər də azad edildi". aznews.az (in Azerbaijani). 7 October 2020.
5. "Video footage of the liberated Tsakuri village of Khojavend region". Ministry of Defense of Republic of Azerbaijan.
6. "Xocavəndin işğaldan azad olunan Tsakuri kəndi". report.az. AzMOD. 8 November 2020.