Khojaly (city)

Khojaly ( Azeri also Xocalı, Russian Ходжалы, Chodschaly ) or Chodschalu (Armenian Խոջալին, since 2001 Armenian Իվանյանը Iwanjan ), also Germanized Khojaly, is a city in Azerbaijan, in the internationally unrecognized Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

Geographical location and affiliation

Chodschalu lies in the Nagorno-Karabakh province Askeran. At the same time Xocalı is nominal capital of the Azerbaijani Khojaly district. According to the census of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2005 the city had 908 inhabitants.

For Khojaly there are many different transcriptions, including English Khojali, Khojaly, Khodjaly, Kodjali, Khodzhaly, Khojalu, Khocalu, Khocali, Khocaly and Hojaly.

History

In the Soviet Union was Chodschaly ( Ходжалы ) for Rayon Askeran Autonomous Region of Nagorno-Karabakh. At the beginning of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani government was planning to make a new regional center of the city. In the period from 1988 to 1990, the population Chodschalys ( about 2000 meschetische Turks) and Armenia increased from 2135 to 6000 inhabitants, particularly by immigration from Central Asia ( about 2000 Azeris ). With the abolition of the autonomy Nagorno-Karabakh in April 1990 Azerbaijan Chodschaly got to town, and the administrative headquarters of the new rayon Chodschaly, which was formed from the previous Rayon Askeran and parts of the districts of Martuni.

1992 lived in the town already 7,000 inhabitants, the majority of Azeris. During the war over Nagorno -Karabakh, the city was taken on February 27, 1992 by Armenian irregulars, where under unclear circumstances, several hundred people died. The event resulted in a massacre of Khojaly to the resignation of the Azerbaijani government and to increased hostilities by both sides.

2001 named the Armenians in the city to Ivanian, after the late General of the Karabakh Defense Army, Kristapor Ivanian.