Azerbaijan Gives New Breath To Ashagi Govhar Agha Mosque In Shusha (PHOTO)

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 9. A group of Azerbaijani media representatives visited Ashagi Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha, where President Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration after restoration on July 5, Trend 's Karabakh bureau reports.

The Ashagi Govhar Agha Mosque, built in the 19th century by architect Karbalayi Safikhan Karabakhi, is considered the first mosque built in Shusha by Govhar Agha, daughter of Ibrahim Khan.

Ashagi Govhar Agha Mosque is one of the historical and architectural symbols of the city. Shusha historically consisted of 17 upper and lower quarters. Ashagi Govhar Agha Mosque was named so because it was located in the lower part of the city. To make the mosque look taller and more attractive, the architect placed minarets on the rear facade. The cylindrical minarets of the two-story mosque are made of brick, and the hall for worship is covered with an arched dome in the form of a half circle.

During the occupation of Shusha city, the building and minarets of the mosque were severely damaged by the shelling of Armenian armored vehicles, and the mosque fell prey to vandalism.

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, with the support of PASHA Holding, started restoration works in December 2021. Specialists from Austria, Italy, Latvia, and Türkiye were involved in the project. One of the largest restoration works carried out in Shusha by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation was carried out at the Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque, given the scale of its destruction.

The restoration works, carried out with the preservation of the original architectural style, covered not only the mosque but also the madrasah building on the adjacent territory. The mosque was excavated, soil was removed, and a crushed stone layer was prepared. In addition, work related to covering the outer surface of the domes on the roof with a special putty was carried out. With the participation of foreign specialists, parts of the historical ornaments on the inner surface of the vaults were reinforced by micro-injection. The walls built in a later period in a part of the madrasah were demolished, and work was done to fill the load-bearing walls with injections.

Several facts of Armenian vandalism were revealed in the course of restoration works at the Ashagi Govhar Agha Mosque. Thus, various inscriptions and changes were found on the walls, including a cross carved on the wall. Part of the ruins of the madrasah building, which was subjected to Armenian vandalism during the occupation, have been mothballed. Every visitor to the mosque can witness the facts demonstrating Armenian vandalism against the historical and religious monument.

To note, a museum is currently established in the historical building of the madrasah on the territory of the mosque. The exposition entitled "Karabakh and East Zangezur Museum: Before and After Occupation. Revival" presents facts about Karabakh and East Zangezur before the occupation, religious, historical, and cultural monuments destroyed by Armenians during the occupation, ecocide, as well as information, photos, and video materials about the revival of the region at present.

The museum contains information about the preservation of historical and cultural heritage, and national and spiritual values in Azerbaijan, known as a tolerant country in the world, and constant attention is paid to the restoration and protection of religious monuments. Temples of different religions in our country have always been protected at a high level, and mosques, churches, and synagogues have been repaired and restored.

The territories of Karabakh and East Zangezur, where the ancient culture of the Azerbaijani people was formed, have always been rich in historical, material-cultural, and religious monuments. Unfortunately, during the almost 30-year occupation, all religious monuments in the ancestral Azerbaijani lands were vandalized. Armenian aggressors destroyed cities and districts, residential and administrative buildings, all infrastructure, plundered natural resources, and vandalized religious, historical, and cultural monuments in these territories.

One of the worst consequences of the occupation is the deliberate destruction and annihilation of cultural heritage of universal significance, including monuments related to Islam. According to preliminary estimates, 65 mosques were destroyed to the ground during the occupation, but these figures are unfortunately gradually increasing. To reflect the general picture of vandalism to which several religious monuments in the territories of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur were subjected and to bring these realities to the world community, photo, and video materials are presented in the museum.

The section of the museum "Historical and cultural monuments destroyed during the occupation" exhibits photo and video materials reflecting historical and cultural monuments vandalized during the occupation. Even before the İ Karabakh War, 705 historical and cultural monuments were state-registered in the region. As a result of the occupation of Karabakh, Eastern Zangezur, as well as 7 villages in the Gazakh region and Nakhchivan village in Kyarki located on the border with Armenia, 22 museums with more than 100 thousand artifacts, 927 libraries with 4.6 million books, 85 music schools, 4 theaters, 2 concert halls, 4 art galleries, and 808 recreation places were destroyed. About 400 monuments were destroyed in the territories liberated from occupation during the Second Karabakh War.

The section "Ecocide during the occupation" brings to the attention of visitors the facts that, as a result of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, which lasted about 30 years of occupation, along with violations of human rights and numerous norms of international law, socioeconomic consequences, and damage to cultural heritage, unprecedented ecological terror was committed and the country's natural resources were plundered.

The section "End of 30-year wait" presents information, photos, and video materials about the glorious victory won by the victorious Azerbaijani army in the 44-day war, about the end of the homesickness of people who lived for about 30 years with the dream of returning to their native land.

The section "Revival of Karabagh and East Zangezur" displays materials dedicated to the return of life to Karabagh and East Zangezur. Constructive measures taken under the leadership of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev are aimed both at the revival of Karabakh and East Zangezur and the restoration of the national memory of the Azerbaijani people, bringing rich historical traditions and national-cultural values to the world. The museum also displays photo and video materials reflecting the revival process.

Various publications about Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur are available here. Within the framework of the international photo project "Four Seasons in Shusha," the museum also presents works reflecting the views of the city of Shusha, the pearl of Karabakh.

MENAFN09072024000187011040ID1108421842