Hunot Canyon

In Artsakh dialect the word cornus sounds like “hyoun” or “houn” and as the canyon is full of cornus trees people call it Hunot canyon. The geographical name of the canyon is Karkar, as the name of the river, which flows along the canyon is Karkar. It starts from the eastern slope of Artsakh mountain range and flows into the river Kura.

“Hunot Canyon” State Natural-Historical Reserve never disappoints. There are a lot of historical, natural and architectural monuments in this beautiful canyon, located in the heart of Artsakh. Gigantic rocks with a height of 20-300 meters rise from the valley of the river Karkar up to Shushi. Under those rocks the cave of commander Avan Yuzbashi is located, as well as the famous cave-spring known as “mossy umbrella”, the village Hunot and the medieval bridge, old mills and lots of other interesting monuments.

The ruins of village Hunot

Village Hunot, which was founded in 18th century, is located on the left bank of river Karkar. The ruins of this small village occupy about 1.5 hectares of land. The ruins of old buildings and cemeteries are located here. In 1895 the village, which had 130 inhabitants, played a big role for the city of Shushi. The main part of mills supplying flour to the fortress-town were located in the territory of Hunot, on the river Karkar. The village was abandoned in 1930.

The mills of Hunot

The ruins of 12 mills in the territory of Hunot and its surroundings are evidence of the once thriving industry of this place. In the late 19th and early 20th century these mills played a big role in supplying flour to Shushi.. The beautiful buildings were spread along the river and its water was their driving force. Today you can still find the ruins of those mills near the river.

Hunot Bridge

The role of bridges was very important for connecting Shushi to its nearest settlements. The arched stone bridge of Hunot was built in 1720 and till now it is the best way for crossing the river. This bridge, located in the ruins of Hunot village, once was the most important means of connection between Shushi and Varanda. The bridge has a 22 m. length, 4 m. width and 8 m. height. It is located at the altitude of 890 meters above the sea level.

Waterfall “Mossy Umbrella”

The spring starts from the inside of the canyon and flows down the mossy rock forming a beautiful waterfall, with an umbrella-shaped cavern. The mossy umbrella waterfall is located on the bank of the river Karkar. You should pass through the ruins of Hunot village and then cross the medieval bridge to reach the waterfall from Shushi’s side. Huge rocks of Hunot canyon rise above this natural wonder giving it an unreal beauty.

Cave of commander Avan Yuzbashi

The canyon of the fortress-town Shushi is also known for its caves, which once were used for protection, the biggest and most famous of which was the cave of commander Avan Yuzbashi. It is located in the south-western part of Shushi, under the enormous rocks. The cave has a depth of 75 meters, a width of approximately 15 meters, and a height is 7-10 meters. Near the perpendicular entrance of the cave you can notice human-made parts, stone walls and other constructions. For years these structures were constructed for different purposes, as people started to use the cave from the 2nd millennium BC till 18th century.

 Defensive caves of Hunot canyon

On the steep rocks of Hunot canyon one can see such defensive buildings.

Katarot (Jdrduz)

On the edge of Shushi, on the top of the huge rocks there is a flat area which is called Katarot or Jdrduz. This place is one of the most beautiful and most visited places in Nagorno Karabakh.

 Photographers Hrachuhi Ayvazyan and Tigran Shahbazyan

Armenian Geographic Project

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