Swedish travellers witness Armenian vandalism in Aghdam PHOTO

More than 30 employees of the Swedish "Club 100” organisation, which represents the elite of international travellers, arrived in Aghdam after visiting the Fuzuli and Khojavand districts as part of a visit to the liberated Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.

According to the regional correspondent of AZERTAG, foreign travellers saw with their own eyes the atrocities committed by Armenian armed forces in Agdam and also got acquainted with the creative work carried out by the Azerbaijani state after the liberation of the city from occupation.

Swedish travellers inspected residential houses, civil objects, and religious and cultural monuments in Aghdam, which were destroyed during the Armenian occupation.

Employees of the special representation of the Azerbaijani president told the guests in detail about the history of Aghdam, its current state, about the Armenian fascism committed there.

It was noted that before the Armenian occupation, Agdam was one of the largest, developed cities not only in the Karabakh region but also in the entire republic. Industry and agriculture were developed here. After the occupation of Aghdam on July 23, 1993, the Armenians looted, destroyed and burned houses, public buildings, schools, cultural institutions, kindergartens, hospitals, and industrial enterprises in the city and villages of the district. Cemeteries, historical and cultural monuments were also subjected to Armenian vandalism in Aghdam. In the place of Aghdam, which was once one of the most beautiful cities in Azerbaijan, ruins now gape.

Travellers who got acquainted with the ruins of the Aghdam Bread Museum were informed that, like all buildings in the city, this building was destroyed by Armenian barbarians, and its exhibits were either destroyed or looted. In this museum, considered the second in the world, rare exhibits were collected - archaeological finds related to agriculture. Among the exhibits are petrified grains, hand mills, dishes, ancient books, manuscripts, and samples of agricultural tools.

Then the foreign travellers arrived at the Aghdam Juma Mosque.

It was noted that the Aghdam Juma Mosque was built in 1868-1870 by the architect Karbalai Safikhan Karabagi. This mosque, which is on the list of monuments of national importance, belongs to the Karabakh architectural school. The Armenians did not destroy the mosque for military reasons, they used its minarets for coordination.

The minarets of the mosque were destroyed from the inside, the ceiling collapsed in several places, and the interior decoration and inscriptions were deliberately brought to an unrecognizable state. Armenian vandals used the Agdam Juma Mosque as a stall. After the liberation of the city of Aghdam from occupation by the Azerbaijani state, the restoration of the mosque began.

The guests also examined the remains of the buildings destroyed by the Armenians on the central street of the city of Aghdam. The Agdam Drama Theater was once located on this street, and now it is only ruins. The delegation was provided with detailed information about the damage caused by the Armenians to Azerbaijani cultural heritage, including the Agdam State Drama Theatre. It was noted that the remains of the theatre building in the future will be stored in an open-air museum.

Then the Swedish travellers witnessed the Armenian barbarism on the Alley of Martyrs in Aghdam. It was reported that the souls of the heroic Azerbaijanis who became martyrs in the First Karabakh War, including the residents of the city who died in the Khojaly genocide, are buried here. Armenian vandals did not leave a stone unturned in Aghdam, digging and destroying even the graves on the Alley of Martyrs.

Travellers were also informed about the creative work being carried out in Agdam. It was noted that in a short time, without any external financial support, Azerbaijan is restoring Aghdam, which has completely turned into ruins.

It should be noted that the delegation of travellers is headed by Bengt Hildebrand, who is represented on the Board of Directors of the “Club 100”. This prestigious regional club is known for bringing together travellers of Scandinavian origin. Within three days, the delegation plans to drive along the Fuzuli-Khojavand-Aghdam-Tartar-Kalbajar-Lachin-Zangilan-Jabrail (Khudafarin) highway.

This trip is of exceptional importance for getting acquainted with the territories liberated from occupation within the framework of black tourism. Over the past 2 years, trips to Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur were organized six times by delegations of the leading international travel networks of the world - ETIC, MTP, TCC, NomadMania, the Turkish travel club, the British club Piki Reels. One visit took place in 2021, four in 2022 and another in 2023. The trip of the Swedish delegation is the seventh in a row.

During the visits, more than 200 world-famous travellers had the opportunity to get acquainted with Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur on the spot.