Participants of Global Summit of Religious Leaders conclude visit to Azerbaijan’s Karabakh PHOTO / UPDATED

The participants of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders have completed their visit to Karabakh, with key stops in Aghdam, Khankandi, and the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque.

The delegation, led by Sheikh ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office, kicked off their visit at the Alley of Martyrs and Juma Mosque in Aghdam, where they paid tribute to the martyrs of the region, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

The religious leaders recited prayers and verses of Quran in memory of those who lost their lives during the conflict.

A special moment of the visit included the call to prayer (azan) at Aghdam Juma Mosque, delivered by Ali Erbas, the head of the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs.

The guests were shown around several mosques and religious monuments that were vandalized during the occupation of Aghdam.

Deputy Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Khojavand regions, Eldar Seyidov, provided insights into the First Karabakh War and the Khojaly tragedy.

The delegation also visited Khankandi, where they took a commemorative photograph at Victory Square. The visit concluded with a collective namaz (prayer) at the Yukhari Govhar Aga Mosque, attended by the religious leaders.

By Vafa Guliyeva

13:07

The visit of the participants of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders to Azerbaijan’s Karabakh Region has started.

The guests headed by Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office (CMO) Sheikh ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazada were met at Fuzuli International Airport by Deputy Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in Aghdam, Fuzuli, Khojavand districts Eldar Seyidov, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

During the visit, guests will tour the monuments in Fuzuli, Aghdam, Khojaly, Asgaran, Khankendi, and Shusha, which were vandalised during the period of Armenian occupation. They will also visit mosques and shrines and receive updates on the construction and restoration efforts underway in these liberated areas.

The call to prayer (Azan) at the Juma Mosque in Aghdam will be read by the Chairman of the Religious Affairs Department of Türkiye Ali Erbaş. The mosque will host the first collective prayer of visitors after the renovation. Its official opening after restoration took place on April 25, 2024, attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov.

While the Aghdam city was under occupation by Armenian armed forces, the Juma Mosque had been burnt by Armenians, subjecting it to acts of vandalism.

Furthermore, the world religious leaders visited the Alley of Martyrs in Aghdam.

Deputy Special Representative of Azerbaijan's President in Aghdam, Fuzuli and Khojavand districts Eldar Seyidov informed the visitors about the servicemen from Aghdam who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignity and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan both in the first and second Karabakh wars.

The group solemnly visited the graves of the martyrs, where they recited Surahs from the Quran as a mark of reverence and remembrance.

Notably, the Global Summit of Religious Leaders, themed “World Religions for a Green Planet,” was held in Baku on November 5-6 as part of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Baku on November 11-22.

Initiated and supported by President Ilham Aliyev, the summit was co-organized by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Committee on Work with Religious Institutions, the Muslim Council of Elders, the Caucasus Muslims Office, and the United Nations Environment Programme.

The two-day summit brought together nearly 30 leaders from world and traditional religions, heads of prominent religious centres, including patriarchs, officials from the Vatican and Al-Azhar, and notable religious and public figures from various continents and faiths. Representatives from 55 countries and 30 international organizations are attending, including state, academic, religious figures, and media representatives.

By Khagan Isayev