Church of Saint John the Baptist

The Church of Saint John the Baptist, also known as Kanach Zham Church, was one of many Armenian Apostolic Church temples in the city of Shusha in Azerbaijan. Located on a hill above another famous temple, Ghazanchetsots, it was an important religious and cultural symbol for the Armenian people.

After Armenian residents left the city due to the conflict, Shusha came under Azerbaijani control. The church was partially destroyed and then converted into a restaurant, which caused indignation among the Armenian community and cultural heritage defenders.

In late 2023 and early 2024, Azerbaijani authorities decided to demolish the church, which caused an international scandal and led to condemnation from various organizations and countries. The destruction of this historical monument became a symbol of the destruction of cultural heritage and human rights violations.