The elements of the previous architecture will be preserved while restoration of the city of Agdam

Baku/14.03.21/Turan: “Aghdam city will be restored by specialists on the basis of the previous architectural elements.”

Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration, told Turan during a visit of media and NGO leaders, independent journalists, and public activists to the liberated Aghdam city.

On March 13, a group of local media and NGO leaders, bloggers, and public activists visited Aghdam district, which was liberated from the Armenian occupation. The media representatives were accompanied by the organizer of the visit, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration, Hikmat Hajiyev. About 130 representatives went to Aghdam in 6 buses. First, journalists and NGO leaders got acquainted with the demining process around the railway in Bash Garvand village, Aghdam district, and observed a mine explosion.

Later, the visitors were shown Armenian military fortifications in the territory of Aghdam district. The ruins of the Second Alley of Martyrs in Uzundere, the bus terminal that exploded in 1991 at the entrance to Aghdam, as well as the remains of the Bread Museum, the Monument Complex of Karabakh Khans, the Imarat Cemetery, and the Imarat Stadium were demonstrated to journalists and NGO leaders.

Journalists also visited the First Alley of Martyrs, whose graves had been destroyed and were rebuilt after liberation. During the visit to Aghdam, journalists and NGO leaders also visited the Central Square of Aghdam city, which was leveled with the ground, and watched the demolition of the destroyed Drama Theater and the building of the Executive Power.

Journalists and NGO leaders visited the Juma Mosque, the only surviving building in the city, as well as the Shahbulag Fortress. They were told that the reason for the survival of these buildings was that the Armenians observed the city from the minarets of the Juma Mosque. Armenians falsified the history and name of the Shahbulag Fortress, the property of Karabakh khan, Panahali khan, in order to demonstrate it to the guests as a monument of Tigranakert.

Assistant to the President, Hikmat Hajiyev, told us that work is underway to restore Aghdam city.

“In accordance with the relevant order of dear Mr. President, the headquarters was established. And the head of the headquarters is the Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan. There are more than 17 working groups within the headquarters. One of these working groups covers urban planning issues. Such work is carried out with all the elements of modern urban planning. The first and most important condition in the process of reconstruction and restoration of the liberated territories is clearing areas of mines and unexploded ordnance. In the next stages, construction and other work will be carried out. As part of urban planning, the city is being developed by specialists on the basis of the previous architectural elements.”

Hikmat Hajiyev also answered our question about the use of the "smart village" and "smart city" model in Aghdam. He said that it will be possible to talk about this as a result of the pilot model applied to Aghoghlan village of Zangilan.

"Sometimes this issue is discussed in the Azerbaijani media and social networks. When we say "smart city", we do not mean that everything will be in accordance with IT technology, Silicon Valley. That is a smart lifestyle. It can be applied to agriculture and various spheres of urban life. Of course, this is the concept. Aghoghlan village of Zangilan has already been selected as a pilot project. Based on that pilot model, it can be applied to other villages as well. –0—