Martuni (town)
| Khojavend Martuni |
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View from Martuni
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 Khojavend
Martuni |
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| Coordinates: 39°47′43″N 47°06′47″E / 39.79528°N 47.11306°E | |
| Country | De jure  AzerbaijanDe facto  Nagorno-Karabakh
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Region District |
Martuni Khojavend |
| Elevation | 390 m (1,280 ft) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 5,700 |
| Time zone | UTC (UTC+4) |
| Area code(s) | (+374) 478 |
Coordinates: 39°47′43″N 47°06′47″E / 39.79528°N 47.11306°E
Khojavend (Azerbaijani: Xocavənd, Martuni (Armenian: Մարտունի)) is a town and the provincial capital of Martuni Region of the de facto independent but unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It is located approximately 41 kilometers east of the republic's capital of Stepanakert. It has a population of 5,700 as of 2015.
Excavations in Khojavand have uncovered a number of tombs dating to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Martuni is also home to several ruined medieval churches and remains of settlements, and khachkars have also been preserved.
During Soviet times, Khojavand was the capital of the eponymous district located in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. The population of the town, grouped into kolkhozes, largely occupied itself with raising livestock, grape growing, wheat cultivation, and gardening.
Martuni, and the district itself, became a frontline city during the latter stages of the Nagorno-Karabakh War. In early February 1992, Vazgen Sargsyan, the then Defence Minister of Armenia, appointed Monte Melkonian as Chief of Headquarters and assigned him to lead the defense of Martuni and the surrounding regions. Melkonian, who remained as regional commander until he was killed in combat in June 1993, and the forces under him were able to halt and prevent the Azerbaijani military from occupying the district throughout the entirety of the war. After the war, Azerbaijani authorities officially renamed the town and district to Khojavend, although the town and the majority of the district remain de facto under the control of the Nagorno-Karabakh republic, which uses the name Martuni.
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Wikipedia