Kanach Zham

Saint John the Baptist Church, commonly known as Kanach Zham (Armenian: Կանաչ Ժամ), is an Armenian Apostolic church located in Shusha, Azerbaijan; just uphill from the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. Kanach Zham means "Green Chapel" in Armenian, named this way because of church's domes being green before. This church is also sometimes called by the name of the old church in its place Gharabakhtsots in honor of the farmers from Nagorno-Karabakh who built it.

Kanach Zham
The church in 2018
Religion
Affiliation	Armenian Apostolic Church
Location
Location	Shusha, Azerbaijan
Shown within Azerbaijan
Geographic coordinates	39°45′45″N 46°44′37″E
Architecture
Style	Armenian

According to the building inscription, the church was built in 1818 in the place of the former Gharabaghtsots wooden church (in bottom eastern part of fort-town, existed in the second half of 18th century). In the walls is placed the former church's inscription. The dome of the ramparted church and its chapel are seen from very far. The latter have architectural innovations.

The church has a cruciform scheme. In course of placing side-chapels under the altar rising, the eastern facade of the church and the chapel joining to it from west stand out with unique interior decoration, thanks to which this monument isolated among the analogous architectural constructions. Over the entry, crowned with chapel's dome is carved the inscription, "Babayan Stepanos Hovanes. In the memory of the deceased brother Mkrtich. 1847".

According to Armenian sources, the towers of the church were destroyed by the Azerbaijani Army in 2020, after[1] the town had been captured in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.[2] The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church condemned the destruction of the church on 19 November 2020.[3]