Ilham Aliyev attended inauguration of Ganja Memorial Complex

On September 27 - Remembrance Day, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of the Ganja Memorial Complex.

The head of state first laid a wreath at the memorial plaque.

President Ilham Aliyev then observed a minute of silence at 12:00 at the Ganja Memorial Complex to honor the memory of the martyrs of the Patriotic War.

Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture, provided the President with detailed information about the complex.

The foundation of the complex, laid by President Ilham Aliyev in January 2022, was built to perpetuate the memory of innocent victims of Armenia’s missile attacks during the Second Karabakh War and to convey the tragic realities of the war to future generations.

In March of this year, First Vice-President and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, together with her daughters Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva, reviewed the project. In August, President Ilham Aliyev and the First Lady inspected the construction progress.

It should be recalled that Ganja, located 80 kilometers from the frontline, was repeatedly targeted by the Armenian armed forces with “Tochka-U,” “Smerch,” “SCUD,” and other missile systems on October 4, 5, 8, 11, and 17 during the Patriotic War. As a result of these attacks, 26 civilians, including six children, were killed, and 142 civilians were wounded.

The Memorial, constructed on the site of one of the missile strikes in a residential area, spans 4 hectares. The monument, distinguished by its spiral architectural design, symbolizes a rocket crater. Preserved remnants of destroyed buildings form part of the open plaza installation.

The crescent-shaped, two-story building covers a total area of 2,400 square meters. The first floor houses a museum exhibition, while the second floor features a multifunctional hall for seminars, training sessions, and events.

The museum comprises sections on “The Early 20th Century,” “Deportation and Forced Displacement,” “Genocide and Massacres,” “Ceasefire and the Patriotic War Period,” “Missing Persons, Mass Graves, and Mine Terror,” and “Toward a Bright Future.”

Exhibits introduce visitors to tragedies of the early 20th century, including the March 1918 genocide, and reflect the deportation of Azerbaijanis from Western Azerbaijan between 1948 and 1953. An interactive section allows exploration of archival materials, historical documents, and examples of destroyed cultural heritage.

Other sections highlight crimes of ethnic cleansing from 1987 to 1994, as well as genocides and systematic massacres against civilians. A separate section documents the deliberate targeting of civilians during the ceasefire years, the Patriotic War, and the post-war period.

The final part of the exhibition celebrates the resilience and triumph of the Azerbaijani people, who, despite decades of injustice, preserved their determination and achieved victory.

Following the inauguration, President Ilham Aliyev met with Nilay Aliyeva, who lost both parents in the Armenian missile attack, and her grandfather Zahid Babazade.