Agdam is open to Azerbaijanis

During a war of 1990-994, first ever in my life I made my way into Agdam throughout the February night. Three trucks were carrying medical equipment to the front, and I as a 35-year old volunteer, and other guys kept watch over the cargo. Note that a convoy commander stopped the trucks near motorway tearooms to breathe enough before death.

At night time, I was through with various emotions pacing back and forth between the trucks. I was hazy about our victory because of clouded prospects: some homo sovieticus killed other ones while "eternal" and "inerrable" Soviet power stayed out of the fray and fomented confrontation. Did the Soviet power play a waiting game to suppress insurgents from both sides, strengthen its position and scour the radicals from the country? A version was that Moscow would come to senses and nail abusers to the wall. Mutalibov and Vezirov sent telegrams to Moscow one by one in the hope that the CPSU would rise to defuse tensions.

Fed up to the teeth with existential enemy, why should we generate enemies from our own people?

A first group of about 130 journalists, bloggers and civilian sector representatives visited liberated Agdam on March 13, 2021. The visit was arranged by a team of the Presidential aide, Hikmet Hajiyev and included six buses, messing en route, police escort and security in Agdam. This week, a group of Azerbaijani politicians is expected to visit Agdam and other liberated regions. 

I’m pleased to note that the Presidential administration has invited “not their own kind” leaving out "aliens" as it could happen under Ramiz Mehtiyev and Ali Hasanov. On March 13, Agdam was visited by public figures that did a spell in prison for their political activity. Hopefully, Baku realized that there are aliens for us, they are well-known. Why should we generate enemies from our own citizens? All Azerbaijanis are meant to be of their “own kind” to rise to power".  Should the leadership realize it, this meant that halfway toward successful state has been overcome.

It takes four hours to get from Baku to Agdam by bus, three hours to Yevlakh, then the road strikes away to the left; a highway ends after heroic town of Barda to give way to the Soviet asphalt on drawing nearer to the former Armenian position.

In the meanwhile, four trucks with canons on their backs rolled past in Kurdamir in the direction of Baku, perhaps, for vehicle inspection or replacement. First ever since disengagement of the Soviet army from Azerbaijan I witnessed 5-6 outmoded Russian military trucks with clear backs. These were peacekeepers, I was told, heading for Gyanja airport for cargo from Russia and further to Karabakh. On the way back I noticed another fully-loaded transport column with Russian flags moving toward Agdam. What were they transporting under construction materials – machine guns? Are Azerbaijanis verifying cargo transported by Russian IL-warplanes?

There are a tumulus reveted by half-sawn stone and a pillbox protected by automobile tyres («long-duration defensive point» — a separate minor fortification installation intended for long-term defense and firing from protected room). When we came back late at night, there was nobody on the site. Hence, mine-men staged a show for us, including demining, identification of antitank, warhead triggering, etc.    

The truth is that Agdam, Fuzuli, Jabrail and other towns are destroyed. Not merely destroyed: Armenians annihilated everything, all populated localities. A zone of total destruction begins straight after the Armenian pillboxes spread across the area, at a distance from the highway. All villages of Agdam destroyed; some of them adjacent to towns Atyemazlar, Bash Qarvand, etc. as well as villages in the mountainous part of Karabakh. Moslem cemeteries razed to the ground by bulldozers; some of them by double-face hammers. 

Account has to be taken of the fact that the second cemetery was opened in Agdam, 1993 after the first cemetery was overloaded. At present, there is a meadow, nothing more. If you don’t know that there are graves under your feet, it is entirely possible to lay out a park of culture and rest as was previously the case with S. Kirov Refreshment Park in Communist Baku.

"Oganyan’s line" made of Azerbaijani homes

Our buses are driving along a highway, there is, on both sides, the so-called "insuperable line of Oganyan defense" the Azerbaijani army passed by via Hadrut.  Note that the Armenians left their "insuperable" lines without firing a shot with their eyes bent on the ground under the control of historical curators. Armenian occupants were not minded to give us a bit of our land. An eloquent testimony to this is their fortifications.

It has to be kept in mind that pillboxes are located both in the depth of defense and the covering force to repel tanks. I was numerous fire points for one-two gunners in Agdam and en route for Shahbulag fortress. Oganyan soldiers were prepared to fight in urban settings; they built earth mounds to rebuff Azerbaijani armored vehicles and laid out mines in destroyed residential areas. Duty armed policemen failed to answer my question about mines, their quantity and places. Guys are drawing duty among Agdam ruins day and night to prevent both Agdam residents and infiltrators’ penetration into dangerous zones. My argument about mines is based on the fact that residential areas are entangled to avoid people and cattle’ accidental penetration into the area.

It is commonly known that the Azerbaijani army went past ignoring Armenian "unsurpassable" defense works...

In my childhood, a boy from Baku aged 10, I was visiting a fortunate town of Agdam, in a family of teacher Mamedov, Suleyman Sani Akhundov street. One day with a group guys I went to the football match. A stadium was located in the next street. Not understanding what it was all about, I was shuttling between sideliners with teapot and glasses selling water. In the evening, teacher Mamedov told through his daughters that I behaved ill: neighbors could imagine that the guest was forced to earn a bit on the side for master of the house...

Azerbaijani mosque used as gun layer

On March 13, I visited a stadium that held 15, 000 fans. The last match was held at this stadium in 1989, a local resident, Zulfi Gasymov told journalists and public figures from Baku.

There was no stadium on March 13. An impression is that it disappeared with a wave of a magic wand. There was nothing - stands, field, benches! Armenians took away with them benches, sports facilities, gates, illumination. Field, race tracks are overgrown with weeds. Hills around the field were raked out by tractors and spread out. Why?

While at Juma mosque, under the control of a duty rifleman, chairman of the Karabakh Liberation Organization, Akif Nagy was saying a prayer. He thanked Allah that he lived till the return to Agdam and could see his native village of Papravend.

The Juma Mosque was built by architect Kerbalai Sefi-khan Karabaghi in 1868-1870. It is characterized by typical for Karabakh interior space — breaking-up the stone piers into 2-storey galleries and the use of dome-shaped beams.

The Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) managed to stand up even despite derisory publications of Armenians and remonstrative attitudes of the Azerbaijani authorities. The KLO is touted as an organization to tackle issues which are monopolized by the authorities. Note that Akif Nagy was satirized by nonentities with upmarket telephones, dressed in uniform black suits and lined up for government posts. Unfit to hold a candle to teacher Nagy, they addressed sly hints to him. Through thick and thin, he stood up to his opponents, came back home and contacted with Allah in Juma mosque. 

In the course of conversation A. Nagy told me that they are not minded to disband the society. Azerbaijani lands are not fully liberated. I reminded him that the KLO has criticized the authorities within all 28 years of Karabakh occupation. Nagy stressed that they were right in their demands. At the same time, they realize today that President was right when keeping options open. Much work has to be done to attain victory. At present, the KLO has no claims to the current power. "We must go to considerable lengths for Agdam’ restoration. With that end in view, we must mobilize people and state to restore Agdam. Perhaps, we shall change its name; others say it’d be more appropriate to preserve its historical name and continue our work for Karabakh triumph", Nagy said.

It should be remembered that Juma Mosque is one of the two buildings survived in Agdam. It is rumored to remain intact as a coordinate point for artillery fire. In spite of the fact that I’m not an artillery expert yet I realized that a muezzin site was the best place for a gunner to coordinate artillery operations. However, Armenians, as we remember, had never fired... 

Agdam residents stepped into cemeteries

In all probability, so many people had never been inside the minaret and its site. An upper part of the dilapidated building swinged a little, so we preferred to go downstairs carefully. 

The point to be emphasized is that the 2-level Agdam mosque faced numerous popular uprisings; yet, the worst horrible was the year 1992 with those killed in action. Their bodies were abluted by locals for lack of professionals. The deceased was buried at Agdam cemeteries. The said cemeteries no longer exist; they are leveled with the ground, and stones disposed. Extant is a bed of honor of legendary battalion commander Allahverdi Bagirov. Of interest is the fact that his friend, Armenian by nationality, maintained his grave.

Two years ago the Yerevan mass media heard about his beau geste, and the man was henpecked, and the grave was broken by a crazily shouting woman.

After the triumph, the A. Bayramov’s grave was found and restored. We witnessed an affecting scene: upon return to Agdam former refugees find burials of their relatives and place metal, flower-decorated portraits over their graves. In the nearest future all graves are sure to be restored in line with Moslem traditions.

Nowadays Armenians are crying out that Azerbaijanis are destroying Great Patriotic War (GPW) monuments in Karabakh. In the meantime, there was a large GPW monument near a stadium. At present, it is fully destroyed by Armenian vandals. There is presently an empty ground serving as car parking. 

It would be a good thing to invite all those lamenting Armenian monuments allegedly destroyed by Azerbaijanis and make them aware of pre-occupation Azerbaijani monuments. Tell me who your friend is and I will tell you who you are... 

Historical destruction mission

Thousands of Armenians would be required to destroy, wipe out, explode, load and transport thousands of houses (four members per family among Agdam’s 40, 000 population), hospitals, libraries, maternity homes, monuments, parks, enterprises, coffee rooms and restaurants, bath-houses, schools and stadiums, bus terminals and railway stations, Tea House, Drama Theatre, several five-storey dwelling houses, administrative buildings, roads.

There is no other alternative for this nation but to play dirty tricks on other peoples – this is their historical mission. For this happen, they were born in high antiquity to reach the 21 century with a unique objective to destroy what has been created by other peoples? "The first nation to have adopted the Christianity as a national religion", Jesus Christ taught them failing to explain that their activity is intolerable for Christians?

Like all provincial towns, main administrative and cultural-sport facilities were located in the central part of Agdam. Our buses parked up a deserted area where a Second World War memorial had been located prior to Agdam’s capture by Armenians. Also, there are a survived Juma mosques building and miraculously spared architectural-historical complex İmaret – sepulchre of three Karabakh khans and khan daughter Hurshid Banu Natavan.

Four-legged and two-legged cattle in turbe

Dome edifices and historical administrative buildings survived: Armenians built a metal cow-house and piggery, so the Imarat complex was used as an agricultural farm. Suffice it to say that cows and pigs made messes where four historical persons lived and thought, as it appears from a thick dairy sludge.

Next to another sepulchre there live a two-legged animal: four beds and a table strewn with food residues. An Armenian military uniform lay on the floor and defused ammunition and a canister filter were in the yard.

It is worth pointing out that Juma mosque was preserved by Armenians for gun pointing, and the turbe for cattle. Nothing more has survived in Agdam, just ruins. Buildings were taken to pieces for onward sale in Iran and Armenia and for installation of "Oganyan’s defensive line" that came under the control of the Azerbaijani army without firing a single shot. 

One must bear in mind that the central town site included buildings of Agdam drama theatre and regional executive power. Note that ruins of administrative buildings are identifiable by extant façade walls while the theater survived in the gable with three arches. A new Azerbaijani administration set up a stand of the building in the former Soviet times, a beautiful solid building in line with provincial standards.

A resident of Agdam region, war veteran Rey Kerimogly reminded that they, schoolchildren of Papravend village, came here to catch "Othello" and other classic dramas performed by famous actors. "We paid 40 kopeks for admission ticket and 60 kopeks for dry biscuit and lemonade. One Soviet ruble given by parents was enough to acquaint with the world stage culture", remembered Rey. Alas, his childhood was buried under a heap of concrete and stone. Armenians meant to destroy the past in Azerbaijani memory to thus talk tall about cultural dysfunction of Azerbaijanis but instead they revealed their barbarianism to the full extent.

At one time there were buildings of the Bread Museum, "Imarat" stadium, Tea House but no traces of former glory remained today as far as the eye can see, mere emptiness, construction waste and wall fragments. Children’s rooms are overgrown with weeds, step stones lead into the blue, into eternity. Mines are everywhere, so it is crucial to take stringent precautions to avoid imminent danger in Agdam. 

It will suffice to mention that we are watched by riflemen from the Ministry of Home Affairs. We say hello and try to thank them for their hazardous job but are shy of doing this: we are afraid of looking sentimental. We look at them being glad for their heroism.

Agdam will be rebuilt. But that’ll be another Agdam

The Agdam authorities put on an enormous circus for visitors and tables with lowly food and tea. Also, there is a mobile toilet, wash-stands, electric generators at work. Upon completion of the event, all these will be rolled up and taken away until a next visit to Agdam of another group of local and foreign politicians, journalists and representatives of civil society. 

It should be remembered that it is planned to leave intact a block in every destroyed Azerbaijani town – Agdam, Zangilan, Fizuli, Jabrail, Gubadly, Kelbadjar and Lachin.  In so doing, the authorities are minded to associate a word "Armenians" with vandals and savages as is the case with a world famous Stalingrad Pavlov house. Added to this can be that there was a fierce war in Stalingrad; however, the fascists did not raze the town to the ground. Also, there were not combat operations in Agdam in 1992 or 2020.  A question arises: why did Armenians destroy the Azerbaijani towns? They are silent pointing their fingers to a shell-damaged roof of Shusha church left by Azerbaijani soldiers. A question arises: is their reply adequate?

Ten kilometers away from Agdam, there is the Shahbulag fortress hastily renovated by occupants and renamed into Tigranakert to demonstrate validity of Armenian historical claims to Azerbaijani lands.  From now on, the fortress is reminiscent of luxury villa built in the European-style remodeling. Inside the building, on the first and second levels, there are stoned indoor courses, a pool and rooms for tourists. Note that historical ornaments, historical traceries and inscriptions were destroyed to hold back the Moslem, Azerbaijani history of the fortification.

It ought to be noted that the Agdam fortress is one of the most famous monuments of Karabakh history. Located not far from Shahbulag village, the fortress was built in 1751-1752 by Panahali-khan, a founder of Karabakh khanate. The historical monument known in the academic literature as «Shahbulag temple» is an internal tower of a big temple complex built of local building materials, limestone and rock stone. The complex includes homes, a market and a mosque surrounded by defensive walls and watchtowers. Walls height is 7 meters, towers’ 8, 5 meters. A single entry into the complex is located in the east. There is a same-name mosque in the northern-western of Shahbulag palace complex, not far away from a water well.

It must be acknowledged that prior to Panahali’s construction of the Shusha fortress, the Shahbulag fortress was an administrative center of Karabakh khanate. In this vein, the Shahbulag structure had its impact on the architecture of Karabakh khanate, particularly in Shusha as its capital, according to Trend.

At present, a fortress on the hill and a mosque continued to this day from the Shahbulag temple complex. Following the occupation of Agdam in 1993 Armenians failed to encroach on Shahbulag fortress and other Azerbaijani monuments, including a mosque they claimed as church. Even worse, they sold the fictions about alleged artifacts of the epoch of Armenian tsars; they renamed the fortress into Tigranakert and Agdam into "Akna".  It was the Azerbaijani soldier who stopped squalid schemes in November 2020.

What are your views on Agdam’s future? Are you going to return to Agdam and live there after you were forced to leave it in 1992? – I asked Zulfa Gasymov who worked for 30 years as an Agdam’s executive department official. He answered a question with a question: What would you do? It it hard for me to say: I didn’t scuffle as a refugee for 28 years, for I’m an urban citizen for Zulfa, a sort of cosmopolitan. So I’m silent, waiting to see what will happen next. He replies: "There isn’t an Agdam resident but to dream of it; elsewise, he isn’t an Agdam resident. The town will be restored under a government decree; all destroyed towns and villages of Azerbaijan will be re-edified. At present, demining is underway; architects are up to their ears in work. However, it will be another Agdam".