Aghdam’s powerful rebirth amid ruins of tragic past PHOTO that depicts contrasts

A new, rather epic photograph of the reviving Aghdam is gaining popularity on social media.

Captured from a striking angle, the image portrays both the city’s past — ruined during years of occupation to the point of being called the “Hiroshima of the Caucasus”— and its rebuilding future.

Aghdam has endured profound devastation over the past decades. On July 23, 1993, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied roughly 846 square kilometres — about 77.4% — of the district. This included the city itself and 80 surrounding villages. Key infrastructure and cultural heritage sites were destroyed during the occupation, including 26 collective and state farms, 105 medical facilities, 74 schools, 199 cultural centres, 24 construction organisations, 67 enterprises, and 14 out of 17 mosques. Among the most painful losses was Aghdam’s iconic Bread Museum — once the first in the former USSR and second of its kind in the world — reduced to ruins.

In total, Aghdam gave 6,000 martyrs in defence of the homeland, including 16 who were awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan.

The city was returned to Azerbaijani control on November 20, 2020, following the signing of the trilateral ceasefire agreement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This came after the 44-day Patriotic War, launched on September 27, 2020, in response to Armenian provocations along the front. In a sweeping counteroffensive, the Azerbaijani Army liberated large swathes of territory, including cities, villages, and strategic positions.

Though Aghdam had been heavily mined and fortified during the occupation, the Azerbaijani Army refrained from a direct offensive in the area to avoid heavy casualties and instead focused on other operational directions. Ultimately, Armenia's military collapse led to its leadership signing the capitulation agreement, which paved the way for the peaceful return of Aghdam without a single shot being fired in the district itself.

To honour its liberation, Aghdam City Day is officially celebrated each year on November 20, following a decree issued by President Ilham Aliyev on July 31, 2023.

By Sabina Mammadli