Hoçaz

Hoçaz (Hochaz) or Hochants (Հոչանց) is a village in the Lachin District of Azerbaijan.

History
The village was located in the Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, coming under the control of ethnic Armenian forces during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in the early 1990s. The village subsequently became part of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh as part of its Kashatagh Province, where it was known as Hochants (Հոչանց). It was returned to Azerbaijan as part of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement.

Historical heritage sites
Historical heritage sites in and around the village include a cave, a 14th-century cemetery, eight 14th-century khachkars, the church of Hochantsi Anapat (Հոչանցի անապատ) from 1621, a 16th/17th-century khachkar, a 17th-century tombstone, a 17th-century stele, and the 17th-century St. Stephen's Church (Սուրբ Ստեփանոս եկեղեցի), which was reconsecrated in 2019.