Former IDPs receive key for new homes in Aghdam’s Khidirli village PHOTO / UPDATED

Former internally displaced persons (IDPs), who arrived in the village of Khidirli in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam district as part of the ongoing “Great Return” initiative, were handed the keys to their new homes.

A formal ceremony was held to hand over the keys to newly constructed homes, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

The event was attended by representatives from the Special Representative Office of the President of Azerbaijan in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Khojavand districts, along with officials from the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

The resettled families had previously been living temporarily in various parts of the country, including Baku, Sumgait, Mingachevir, and the districts of Absheron, Aghdam, Agjabadi, Barda, Yevlakh, and Gabala.

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Another group of former internally displaced persons has been relocated to the village of Khidirli in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam district as part of the ongoing “Great Return” initiative.

According to local media, this latest phase of the resettlement program has enabled 60 families—comprising a total of 236 individuals—to return to their native village. Prior to their return, these families had been living in temporary accommodations, including dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative facilities in Baku and other regions across the country.

The return home has stirred deep emotions among the returnees.

“It is impossible to describe my emotions in words. The joy is overwhelming. Praise be to Allah—we are going back to our homeland,” said Amil Gurbanov, one of the residents returning to Khidirli.

Gurbanov extended his gratitude to all those who made the return possible. “I pray for Allah’s mercy upon all our martyrs and wish good health to our veterans. We are deeply grateful to our President, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. It is thanks to their efforts that we are now returning to our liberated lands,” he said.

Recalling his own displacement, Gurbanov added, “I was only 13 years old when we were forced to leave Agdam. Since then, I’ve told my children countless stories about Karabakh—so much so that they might even know these places better than I do. Praise be to Allah, our liberated lands are being rebuilt and revitalised every day. Aghdam was once wiped off the map, but now my heart is full as I witness its revival. Today, I return with my family—my wife, two daughters, and son. My life as an internally displaced person is now in the past.”

Currently, over 43,000 people live in the territories of Karabakh and East Zangezur. This figure includes not only resettled former IDPs but also more than 50,000 professionals and civil servants engaged in various reconstruction and administrative projects across the region. These individuals are employed in fields such as healthcare, education, culture, tourism, industry, and energy, and serve in local branches of state institutions.

The rebuilding of Khidirli is part of a larger development plan. President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva previously participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the village. The total planned area of Khidirli covers over 417 hectares, with plans to resettle approximately 6,000 people. Across the first and second phases, 1,498 individual houses are to be constructed.

The first phase alone spans 170.44 hectares and will accommodate 719 families, equivalent to 2,951 individuals. A total of 719 houses have already been built in this phase, including 263 two-room, 332 three-room, 121 four-room, and 3 five-room homes.

The “Great Return” initiative continues as Azerbaijan restores and repopulates its liberated territories.

By Tamilla Hasanova