Azerbaijanis celebrate anniversary of Zangilan's liberation

Today marks the "Zangilan City Day" in Azerbaijan to celebrate the liberation of Zangilan from Armenian occupation three years ago on October 20, 2020.

The solemn festivities in Zangilan are taking place for the first time since President Ilham Aliyev's signing a decree on July 31, 2023, to designate October 20 as the "City Day" in Zangilan, Caliber.Az reports.

On October 20, 2020, President Aliyev announced the liberation of the city of Zangilan, the administrative centre of the Zangilan district and 6 other villages of the district, including Havala, Zerneli, Mammadbayli, Hakari, Sharifan, and Muganly.

On October 20, the villages of Dordchinar, Kurdler, Yukhar Abdurrahmanly, Gargabazar, Ashagi Veyselli, Yukhar Aybasanly Fuzuli, Safarsha, Khasangaidy, Fuganly, Imambagi, Dash Veyselli, Agtepe, Yarakhmedli Jebrail and Agjakend, Mulkudere, Dashbashi, Gunashli and Chinarly of the Khojavand district were also freed from Armenian occupants.

The tricolour flag of Azerbaijan was hoisted in all liberated territories.

Zangilan was the first liberated to welcome former IDPs back in July 2022. The reconstructed Agali village was the first resettled territory.

Zangilan is also home to the second all-new airport in the liberated lands and the first in the East Zangezur region of Azerbaijan. The Zangilan International Airport was launched on October 20, 2022.

Zangilan is located in the southwest of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the border with Armenia and Iran, on the line of the Baku-Julfa-Nakhichevan main railways and highways and occupies a position of very important strategic importance.

The region was granted a city status in 1967. At that time, the Zangilan region had a city centre, 5 settlements, and 79 villages.

After the occupation of the Fuzuli and Jebrail regions, the people of Zangilan resisted and fought with the Armenian invaders for 67 days. On October 25-29, 1993, fighting until the last moment, the population fled under heavy shelling via the territory of Iran and settled in various regions across Azerbaijan as IDPs.

Twenty-seven years of occupation took a heavy toll on Zangilan. The district was all but razed to the ground by Armenians. Over 40 historical, religious, and cultural monuments were looted and destroyed. Europe's largest and the world's second-largest sycamore forest in Zangilan suffered ecological terror.