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Special representative: Khankendi cemetery was completely destroyed during occupation

19 May 2026 10:46 (UTC +04:00)

“During the occupation period, our cultural monuments in Aghdara, Khankendi, and Khojaly were also destroyed. Visitors saw this with their own eyes,” Elchin Yusubov, Special Representative of the President in Khankendi city and the Aghdara and Khojaly districts, said during the event titled “Post-Conflict Urban Planning: Restoring Destroyed Identity and Rebuilding an Integrated Future” held at the Azerbaijan pavilion within the framework of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), APA reports.

The special representative stated that only one religious site — the Malibeyli mosque — remained in an unfinished condition in these territories: “Most of the monuments in these territories had disappeared without a trace. The Khankendi cemetery was completely destroyed and erased. Our cities and villages were devastated, and the structures that remained were unfinished buildings dating back 30 years. Apart from a few villas and private buildings, there was no infrastructure shaping the overall urban appearance. There was infrastructure built in the 1950s with funds from the Azerbaijani state. During the 30 years of occupation, not even one manat was invested in these territories. After the territories were liberated, the first thing we did was carry out inventory work.”

Firuza Vahid

WUF13 Elchin Yusubov Khankendi Aghdara Khojaly cultural heritage occupation post-conflict reconstruction Azerbaijan pavilion urban planning Malibeyli mosque destroyed monuments liberated territories restoration Karabakh