NOTE:
The Nagorno-Karabakh territory being an area of political dispute between Azerbajian and Armenia, we have two separate entries.
Information in this azerbaijan/nagaornokarabakh section may be presented from the Azerbaijani point of view.
Please, do not carry on political propaganda as this will be deleted from both sections.
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Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous part of Karabakh, Azerbaijani territory occupied by the neibouring Armenia. Meaning of word 'Kara - bakh' from azerbaijani language Black Garden. Search for a book of Tom de Waal, 'Black Garden'.

The region, nowadays, is predominantly ethnic Armenian, and is under Armenian military control. Local Armenian separatists, with the help of Armenian military, declared independence from Azerbaijan on December, 1991 and declared the 'Nagorno-Karabakh Republic' (NKR).
Following this, instigated by the leadership of Armenia and USSR, the separatist acts of the the Nagorno Karabakh nationalists at the end of 1980s outgrow of all these at last to a large scale war, causing a refugees problem and internally displaces about one million of Azerbaijanis, occupied 20% of territories of Azerbaijan.
Nowadays, the NKR's sovereign status is not recognized by any country in the world including Armenia. In 1994 a cease-fire was signed between Armenians and Azeris, which ended the military phase of the conflict started in 1988.
As a result of the conflict, Armenians remain in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories. Occupied regions of Azerbaijan have been totally destroyed and robbed.

Capital is Khankandi (Stepanakert). Main historical site city of Shusha, populated predominantly by Azeris before the conflict and now known as died city.

Since the cease fire it is possible to travel here, but N-K is still not a normal  destination and safe place for tourists because of instability and the risk of resuming war.
Although the territory is under Azerbaijani jurisdiction formally, travellers to Nagorno-Karabkh must obtain a 'visa' at its 'embassy', the NK representative office in Yerevan, Armenia. That office issues visas into passports.
After arriving in occupied Khankandi you must register at the Occupational Force Police and you'll get a registration, a piece of paper with a list of towns you are allowed to travel to.
Armenian authorities treat you like you haven't left Armenia, so you can return to Armenia without a need to obtain another visa.
Azerbaijani authorities refuse entry into their country to anyone with evidence of having been in Nagorno-Karabakh without a visa from Azerbaijani embassy, because they consider the region under Armenian invasion.

Again, the territories is formally under Azerbaijani jurisdiction, but none can guarantee tourists security, however, as the territories are recognized as uncontrolled zone.

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