Aghdam’s Juma Mosque reopens for first collective prayer in over three decades Historic rebirth

A collective prayer will be held today, November 7, at Aghdam’s Juma Mosque, marking the first religious service at the mosque in 31 years.

The prayer will take place as part of the visit by participants of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders to the liberated territories, Caliber.Az reports citing local media.

Ali Erbaş, Chairman of Türkiye's Religious Affairs Directorate, will recite the call to prayer.

The Juma Mosque in Aghdam was originally built between 1868 and 1870 by architect Kerbalayi Safihan Karabaghi. During the period of Armenian occupation, the mosque was burned and severely vandalized. Following the liberation of Azerbaijani lands, the restoration of the mosque began.

The work was carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in alignment with the mosque’s original architectural style. In addition to local experts, foreign specialists, including the Austrian company Brugger&KO Restaurateuren GmbH, played a key role in the restoration, which was supported by PAŞA Holding.

To ensure a faithful restoration, Austrian experts studied the original construction materials, dismantled ruins on-site, and conducted exploratory excavations near the mosque’s columns and exterior walls. The historic stone flooring at the entrance was cleaned, while plaster and paint samples were created based on laboratory analyses. Reinforcements were added to the broken dome and vaults using wooden structures. The stones and joints in the mosque’s balcony were cleaned of biogenic growth and restored, with additional work carried out on the foundation and the minaret.

A piece of stone from the Aghdam Juma Mosque, given to national leader Heydar Aliyev during the occupation on May 9, 2000, is also on display at the mosque.

On April 25, 2024, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov attended the official opening of the mosque after its restoration.

By Tamilla Hasanova