Minister: Shusha’s declaration as Turkic world's cultural capital sign of special respect

Azerbaijani Culture Minister Adil Karimli has said that announcement of the liberated Shusha city as the Turkic world’s cultural capital is a sign of special respect.

He made the remarks at the official opening ceremony of the event "Shusha is the cultural capital of the Turkic world -2023", Report informs.

"The announcement of the cultural capital of Azerbaijan – the city of Shusha - as the cultural capital of the Turkic world for 2023 is a manifestation of special respect from the Turkic world," he said.

The minister recalled that Shusha has great spiritual significance for Azerbaijanis.

"This city is of great importance in the fate of our people, its history, culture, and national development. National leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev paid special attention to the cultural centre of our people - the city of Shusha and the preservation of our cultural heritage. Today, this policy is successfully continued by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev," he said.

Karimli stressed that today Shusha and the entire Karabakh are experiencing a renaissance.

"The historical appearance of the city of Shusha is being restored, and cultural life is reviving here," he said.

Shusha, which was occupied by Armenian forces on May 8, 1992, was liberated from occupation on November 8, 2020. The city, which played a critical role in liberating Karabakh, is located on the road to Khankandi, the region's largest city.

A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.

The ceasefire deal stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin districts and the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the Azerbaijani lands. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centres, and historic Shusha city.

On May 7, 2021, President Aliyev declared Shusha the country’s cultural capital. An immediate inventory of the damage to the city, its historical and cultural heritage and nature was carried out, and restoration work was started. To ensure the efficiency of restoration works, great attention was paid to public administration in Shusha. A special envoy of the Azerbaijani president was appointed in the city.