Ilham Aliyev attended inauguration of restored historic mosque building in Aghdam’s Giyasly village

On July 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the restored historic mosque building in the village of Giyasly, Aghdam district.

Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President, briefed the head of state on the restoration progress.

It is worth recalling that on May 28, 2021, President Ilham Aliyev visited the Giyasly mosque during his trip to Aghdam.

The Giyasly Mosque, a historical and religious monument in Karabakh, was subjected to Armenian vandalism and used as a cattle shed during the occupation of the Aghdam district by Armenian armed forces. This resulted in severe damage, including the complete destruction of its roof and domes.

Restoration began in 2022 after Aghdam was liberated, under the auspices of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The project relied on archival documents and video sources to authentically preserve the mosque’s original appearance. A preserved spiral staircase inside indicated the presence of twin minarets on the southern side, which were subsequently reconstructed in accordance with tradition. Tilted stone columns were restored with specialized equipment, stone arches and domes rebuilt, and damaged plaster on the walls repaired. The mihrab, which had become unusable, was also restored. The facade stones were cleaned using special chemical agents, and the joints between the original stones were carefully cleared. Auxiliary buildings were also constructed around the mosque.

Since 2001, the Giyasly mosque has been listed as a locally significant immovable historical and cultural monument by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan.