Azerbaijani president attends opening of restored historic mosque in Giyasli PHOTO

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the newly restored historic mosque on July 18 in the village of Giyasli, located in the Aghdam district.

Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President, provided an update on the restoration efforts, which began in 2022 under the leadership of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Caliber.Az reports via presidential website.

The Giyasli mosque, severely damaged during the Armenian occupation of Aghdam, was previously used as a cattle shed—resulting in the destruction of its roof and domes. President Aliyev had visited the site earlier, on May 28, 2021, as part of a trip to the region.

The restoration project aimed to preserve the mosque’s original structure, relying on archival documents and historical video footage. 

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. Facade stones were cleaned using special chemical agents, and joints between old stones were cleared. Auxiliary buildings were constructed around the mosque.

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