Shusha District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the Karabakh Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Khojaly, Lachin, and Khojavend. Its capital and largest city is Shusha. As of 2020, the district had a nominal population of 34,700. History The district was formerly part of the Shusha District of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) of Azerbaijan SSR during the Soviet times. It was the only district of NKAO to have an Azerbaijani-majority. The district came under the control of the Armenian forces during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and was made part of the Shushi Province of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. However, in 2020, parts of the district, including its capital, Shusha, were recaptured by Azerbaijan in November 2020 following a three-day battle during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Notable residents Mir Mohsun Navvab, artist and poet Khurshidbanu Natavan, poet Sadigjan, musician, inventor of the Azeri variety of tar Gasim bey Zakir, poet Khudadat bey Malik-Aslanov, scientist and politician Najaf bey Vazirov, playwright and journalist Bulbul, folk and opera singer Bulbuljan, folk singer Muratsan (1854–1908), Armenian writer and novelist. Leo (1860–1932), Armenian historian. Stepan Aghajanian (1863–1940), Armenian painter. Hambardzum Arakelian (1865–1918), Armenian journalist and public activist. Alexander Atabekian (1868–1933), prominent Armenian anarchist. Vartan Sarkisov (1875–1955), Soviet-Armenian architect. Freidun Aghalyan (1876–1944), Armenian architect. Tuman Tumanian (1879–1906), Armenian liberation movement leader. Abdurrahim Hagverdiyev, dramatist Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli (12 September 1887 to 3 January 1943 in the GULAG, near Gorky, Russia), core author of the novel Ali and Nino, published under the pseudonym Kurban Said Karim bey Mehmandarov, doctor and social activist Khan Shushinski, folk singer Shamsi Badalbeyli, theatre director and actor Suleyman Sani Akhundov, Azerbaijani playwright, journalist, children's author, and teacher (3 October 1875, Shusha – 29 March 1939, Baku) Ahmad Agdamski, Azerbaijani opera singer, mugam singer and actor (5 January 1884, Shusha – 1 April 1954 Agdash) Soltan Hajibeyov, Azerbaijani composer and People's Artist of the USSR (5 May 1919 Shusha – 19 September 1974 Baku) Uzeyir Hajibeyov (1885–1948), founder of Azerbaijani composed music Jabbar Garyagdioglu, Azerbaijani folk singer (khananda) (31 March 1861 Shusha – 20 April 1944 Baku) Seyid Shushinski, Azerbaijani folk singer (khananda) (12 April 1889, Horadiz – 1 November 1965, Baku) Arsen Terteryan (1882–1953), Soviet-Armenian scientist. Artashes Babalian (1886–1959), a politician of the First Republic of Armenia. Sahak Ter-Gabrielyan (1886–1937), Soviet-Armenian statesman.