The Effect of the Armenian Occupation on Turkish and Islamic Artifacts: The Example of Aghdam, Azerbaijan
Project no. 23056 · Status: Kapanmış · 2022
Summary
<p>After Azerbaijan gained independence in 1991, it began a struggle to liberate its territories occupied by Armenia. When the Azerbaijan-Armenia War, which took place between September 27, 2020 and November 10, 2020, ended with Azerbaijan's victory, it liberated its occupied territories, which were considered part of Azerbaijan.</p><p><br></p><p>It is known that the city of Agdam in the Nagorno-Karabakh Region attracts attention with its numerous Turkish and Islamic period works such as mosques, tombs, and baths. These structures, many of which date back to the late 18th and 19th centuries, suffered great damage, especially during the occupation years. It is known that these structures were photographed and documented by the Azerbaijani government and various researchers before the Armenian occupation. With the occupation of Karabakh by Armenia, the people in the region migrated towards the interior of Azerbaijan, and the occupying forces destroyed some of the Islamic structures in particular, while also causing significant damage to others. The damage caused by the occupation to the structures will be determined by comparing the past and present conditions of the structures in question.</p><p><br></p><p>This study aims to examine the changes between the archival photographs of Islamic period works such as mosques, tombs and baths in the city of Agdam and their current state, and to document the effects of the occupation on the structures.</p>