Shusha to become city with over 20,000 residents Statement by special presidential representative

The Special Presidential Envoy to the Shusha region of Azerbaijan Aydin Karimov has said that Shusha will become a town with over 20,000 residents.

He made the statement at the event organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center in Shusha, APA reports.

According to him, the city plan reflects in detail the development of streets and houses over the next 20 years.

Karimov added that the city has about 200 historical monuments, most of which have been destroyed, and 13 of them have been restored so far. He noted that thanks to the work done, the city will attract 2-3 times more tourists.

Additionally, Karimov stated that the most important of President Ilham Aliyev's orders is to complete the construction of residential houses and create conditions for the return of Azerbaijani compatriots from Shusha to their homes in the near future.

According to him, it is important to have the entire infrastructure, not only houses:

"Now the construction of the hospital is in full swing. The school is expected to open in the new school year on September 15. Work in this area also continues apace. The first apartment complex will consist of 450 apartments. This means that by the end of the year, by the beginning of next year, hundreds of families will be resettled in Shusha. Today we are working in detail with the respective structures, the State Committee on Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, State Employment Agency under the Labour and Social Security Ministry, we are working together with the Shusha district Executive Power on the lists. We are making efforts to ensure that at least one member of the displaced family is employed,” he noted.

Azerbaijan is aiming to reconstruct Shusha, a cultural and historical capital destroyed by Armenian forces during its three-decadelong illegal occupation.

Buildings in the seven districts of the city, which was liberated on November 8, 2020, after a 28-year occupation, including mosques, schools, residential compounds and historical sites, have been damaged and many were destroyed by Armenian forces before they fled the city.

At least 17 mosques, springs and historical sites, like the tomb complex of the Molla Panah – also known as Vagif, a prominent Azerbaijani poet – were destroyed but have now been rebuilt by the government.

In January 2021, Azerbaijan’s president declared Shusha the cultural capital of the country.

Shusha, also known as the pearl of Karabakh, founded by Karabakh Khan Penahali in 1752, has numerous historical monuments. But most monuments and even the Shusha fortress walls were damaged and are now being repaired by the government.

After the liberation of Shusha, the government approved a master plan to rebuild it. It is going to restore the old city, build business centres and 25 residential complexes that will consist of 2,000 residential flats. “The master plan has already been approved by the government and all projects will be completed within 18 months,” said a senior official with the Shusha administration.