It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the Karabakh Economic Region.

It was the only district of NKAO to have an Azerbaijani majority with a significant Armenian minority.

[5] 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 44-day battle during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

After the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, the entire district fell under the control of Azerbaijan after the capitulation of the Artsakh Defence Army in the area.