A cease-fire brokered by Russia two weeks ago stipulated that Armenia hand over control to Azerbaijan of some areas its holds outside Nagorno-Karabakh's borders.

The president of Azerbaijan is promising that Christian churches will be protected when the strongly Muslim country takes possession of areas formerly controlled by Armenians.

Shushi is of significant military value because it sits on heights about 10 kilometres (6 miles) south of the region's capital of Stepanakert and lies along the main road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994.

Members of the Armenian diaspora are known for being fiercely loyal to their home country, and they remain haunted by the 1915 genocide committed against their people by the Ottoman Empire, or modern-day Turkey.