Over 400 Azerbaijani families to return to Fuzuli's Garakhanbayli, Merdinli villages In first stage of ressetlement / PHOTO

Residents of Fuzuli's Garakhanbayli and Merdinli villages, destroyed during the years of occupation, will soon return to their homeland. 

They will live in a newly built settlement, the foundation of which was laid by the President of Azerbaijan, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“The first stage, scheduled for completion next year, will cover an area of about 87 hectares. During this stage, 404 families — a total of 1,861 people — will be resettled. A total of 404 individual houses will be built, including 81 two-room, 202 three-room, 101 four-room, and 20 five-room houses. The settlement will also feature social infrastructure facilities, including administrative and service buildings, a school, a kindergarten, and a medical centre. Around 16 kilometres of internal roads will be laid, along with electricity, gas, water supply, and sewage networks,” Sarabi said.

She added that the second stage, spanning 2027–2030, will cover an area of about 230 hectares. During this period, 1,075 families — a total of 4,093 people — will be resettled. Construction will include 771 private houses of various sizes as well as two- and three-story residential buildings. The second stage also foresees the construction of another school and two kindergartens.

Both the number of homes and the projected population were determined with a view to the village’s long-term development over the next 20 years, Sarabi noted.

Officials stress that the project is not only about construction but also about restoring the hopes of displaced families who have long awaited the chance to return to their native lands. For the residents of Garakhanbayli and Merdinli, the long-anticipated day of homecoming is approaching.

By Khagan Isayev