24 years without Aghdam, wonderful part of Azerbaijan

/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

Aghdam, a city in Karabakh region of Azerbaijan -- once vivid and bustling, but now completely destroyed by Armenian armed forces remains under illegal occupation of Armenian army.

With an amazingly attractive nature now the city attracts the photographers not for its tourist attractions, craft samples, but for ruins and debris...

July 23 marks the occupation of one of the ancient and historical regions of Azerbaijan, Aghdam, by Armenian armed forces. Twenty four years have passed since the invasion in Aghdam through the brutal war fought by the two South Caucasus republics in the early 1990s.

Undoubtedly, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is known as one of the bloodiest one in Eurasia.

Despite the fact that the ceasefire agreement signed in May 1994 suspended the hostilities, the conflict is far from being "frozen". Periodic firefight on the frontline for the past years have claimed hundreds of lives on both sides.

Aghdam is one of the ancient and richest with its history cities of Azerbaijan. Being one of the major cities of the Karabakh it was founded at the 18th century at the eastern foot of the Karabakh ridge. The city played an important role in the economic and scientific life of the republic.

During the Karabakh war, Aghdam region gave the largest number of martyrs. In the fighting with the Armenians nearly 6,000 local residents were killed.

U.S. diplomat Matthew Bryza, who managed to visit Aghdam after the tragedy, was shocked by what he saw. "What I saw in Aghdam put me in fear. The entire city turned into ruins. I am a Pole and the occupation of Aghdam picture reminded me of Warsaw after World War II...." the diplomat said.

The occupation of Aghdam was the third painful blow to Azerbaijan after the invasion of Lachin and Kalbajar around Nagorno-Karabakh.

Agdam burned like a candle and melting drop by drop and after 43 days of brave fighting, Agdam was surrendered. The enemy began to burn houses, ancient monuments, to take away the property of residents and killing those who could not leave the city. Some 1,094 square kilometers of magnificent  Agdam fell victim to political intrigue, treachery and sabotage.

The Armenian armed forces attacked Aghdam, razing the city to the ground. About 130,000 displaced persons from Aghdam have been settled in 875 settlements of 59 regions across Azerbaijan.

Armenians destroyed historical monuments, cemeteries, hospitals, libraries, schools, offices and facilities in the occupied territory. 122 villages, around 24,000 residential buildings, 48 industrial and construction enterprises, 160 schools, 65 health centers, 373 cultural centers, one theater, three mosques and two museums were burnt down and completely destroyed.

Armenia's territorial claims in the late 1980s and the ensuing military aggression resulted in the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. Over a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs in the aftermath of the ensuing war between the two South Caucasus republics.

All Aghdam residents now live with an only dream of returning back to their homeland. They entrust that sooner or later they will be back to their lands and again, as always, will be proud of their city.