World-renowned travellers visit Aghdam Juma Mosque PHOTO / UPDATED
As part of their visit to the Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur regions, members of the international travel club Most Traveled People (MTP) visited the historic Juma Mosque in the city of Aghdam.
The visit aimed to acquaint international travellers with the post-occupation reality in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories, Caliber.Az reports via local media
During the visit, the guests were briefed on the extensive damage inflicted on the mosque during the years of Armenian occupation. The delegation was informed that the Juma Mosque—one of Aghdam’s most significant spiritual and architectural landmarks—had been desecrated and misused, reflecting the broader pattern of cultural and religious destruction across the region.
The MTP delegation includes seasoned travellers from 15 countries and is led by the club’s founder, renowned American explorer Charles Veley.
The three-day itinerary of the group covers several key cities and towns across the liberated territories, including Fuzuli, Khojavand, Shusha, Khankendi, Khojaly, Aghdam, Kalbajar, Lachin, Zangilan, and Jabrayil.
The purpose of the visit is to provide the travellers with first-hand insight into the territories liberated from Armenian occupation, and to observe the large-scale reconstruction and infrastructure projects currently underway.
15:37
The international travellers' visit to Aghdam has begun.
According to APA, they visited the Alley of Martyrs in Aghdam.
Members of the Most Traveled People (MTP) international travel club visited Shusha’s Jidir Duzu plateau, as part of their visit to Karabakh and East Zangazur.
This visit allowed the participants to become acquainted with the region's rich cultural and natural heritage, Caliber.Az reports per local media.
The guests also had the opportunity to witness firsthand the destruction caused during the period of Armenian occupation.
12:25
As part of their visit to Karabakh and East Zangazur, members of the Most Traveled People (MTP) international travel club toured the historic prison in the city of Shusha.
The guests were informed that the prison building was constructed in the 19th century, during a time when Shusha held significant administrative and political importance in the region, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.
The prison fell into disrepair and was damaged during the Armenian occupation of the city.
Delegation members were briefed on the site's history during their visit.
11:55
Members of the Most Traveled People (MTP) international travel club visited the city of Shusha in Karabakh and East Zangazur as part of their tour to the region.
The delegation toured the administrative building in Shusha housing the Special Representative Office of the President of Azerbaijan, where they received a detailed briefing on the ongoing reconstruction efforts in the city, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.
The travelers also viewed the busts of prominent Azerbaijani figures — poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan, composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, and singer Bulbul.
The group later visited the historic Shusha Fortress, where they learned about its cultural and strategic importance, as well as the extensive damage it sustained during the period of Armenian occupation.
Participants explored sections of the fortress walls and gates during their tour.
11:02
A delegation of the international travellers’ club MTP (Most Travelled People) began their multi-day trip to Karabakh and East Zangazur on July 10, with their first stop in the city of Fuzuli.
On the first day of the visit, the travellers toured the Fizuli International Airport. They also inspected areas devastated during the occupation and witnessed the large-scale construction and restoration efforts currently underway in the liberated Fuzuli region, led by the Azerbaijani government, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.
The delegation, consisting of travellers from 15 countries, is headed by Charles Wiley, the American founder of MTP. Over the next four days, the group will travel along a route covering Fuzuli, Khojavend, Shusha, Khankendi, Khojaly, Aghdam, Kalbajar, Lachin, Zangilan, and Jabrayil.
This trip offers a broad opportunity to promote the liberated territories as part of the so-called “dark tourism” and to showcase the extensive reconstruction and development projects underway.
Over the past four years, international travellers have visited Karabakh and East Zangazur 13 times through initiatives organised by leading global travel clubs.
By Khagan Isayev