Askeran

Askeran ( or ; ) is a town "de facto" in the Republic of Artsakh as the administrative centre of its Askeran Province, "de jure" in the Khojaly District of Azerbaijan. The town has an ethnic Armenian-majority population, and also had an Armenian majority in 1989.
History.
The Askeran Fortress (Mayraberd), built by the Karabakh Khanate ruler Panah Ali Khan in 1751, is situated in the southern part of the town. During the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 the Russian encampment was near the fortress. In 1810 peace talks between the Russians and Persians were conducted at the fortress. Restoration works on the fortress began in 2018.
In the Russian Empire, Askeran was part of the Shusha Uyezd in the Elisabethpol Governorate. During the Soviet period, the city was the administrative center of the Askeran District, which was a part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast in the Azerbaijan SSR.
Askeran was the site of one of the starting points of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1988, the Askeran clash. On 22 February 1988, an crowd of angry Azerbaijanis marched from Agdam in the direction of Stepanakert and clashed with police and local Armenians in Askeran, ending in the death of two Azerbaijanis and injuries on both sides. In 1991, it became the center of the Askeran Province of the Republic of Artsakh following the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Economy and culture.
The population is engaged in agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry. The city is home to factories producing wine, brandy and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as architectural enterprises, secondary and musical schools, a House of Culture, and a hospital.
Population.
In 1970 the population of Askeran was estimated to be around 700 people, mostly ethnic Armenians. Per the 2005 census, the population was 1,967 citizens.