Azerbaijanis Celebrate Third Anniversary of Zangilan’s Liberation

Azerbaijanis celebrate today “City Day” in Zangilan to mark the third anniversary of its liberation from the Armenian occupation on October 20, 2020.

The district hosts the first “City Day” festivities since its celebration after a relevant decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev in July to designate the days of liberation of the cities once occupied by Armenia as the “City Day”.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces ousted Armenian occupiers from Zangilan as part of the 44-day Second Karabakh War three years ago. On October 20, 2020, President Aliyev announced the liberation of the city of Zangilan, the administrative center of the Zangilan district, and villages of the district, including Havala, Zerneli, Mammadbayli, Hakari, Sharifan, and Muganly.

Zangilan is located in the southwest of Azerbaijan on the border with Armenia and Iran. It sits along the Baku-Aghband railway and highway on a geographically strategic location. It is expected to enable the direct overland connection between Azerbaijan’s mainland and the southwestern Nakhchivan exclave, which was separated from Azerbaijan during the Soviet period in 1920 and faced aggravated isolation as a result of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories since the early 1990s.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds for nearly three decades. Following the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, Armenia launched a full-blown military campaign against Azerbaijan, marking the longest and deadliest war in the South Caucasus region. The bloody war lasted until a ceasefire in 1994 and saw Armenia occupying 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories. Over 30,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, and one million were expelled from those lands in a brutal ethnic cleansing policy conducted by Armenia.

After the occupation of the Fuzuli and Jabrayil regions, the people of Zangilan resisted and fought with the Armenian invaders for 67 days. On October 25-29, 1993, fighting until the last moment, the population fled under heavy shelling via the territory of Iran and settled in various regions across Azerbaijan as IDPs.

Twenty-seven years of occupation took a heavy toll on Zangilan. The district was all but razed to the ground by Armenians. Over 40 historical, religious, and cultural monuments were looted and destroyed. Europe's largest and the world's second-largest sycamore forest in Zangilan suffered ecological terror.

As part of the post-liberation measures enforced by the government of Azerbaijan, in July 2022, Zangilan was the first liberated district to welcome former IDPs back. The reconstructed Aghali village was the first resettled territory. As of August 2023, a total of 526 individuals from 108 families relocated to Aghali.

Aghali has been designed as the first smart village in the area, integrating advanced technologies and eco-friendly features. The village comprises 150 residential buildings, ranging from two to three stories, as well as a kindergarten, school, medical center, hydroelectric power plant, and other essential facilities. The development of Aghali revolves around five key components: housing, production, social services, smart agriculture, and alternative energy.

Moreover, Aghali hosts several offices, including Azerpost, the ASAN Service multi-purpose social services center, the DOST social support center, and the Center for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises. Additionally, an agricultural park is currently under construction in the village.

Zangilan is also home to the second all-new airport built in the liberated lands and the first in the East Zangezur region of Azerbaijan. The Zangilan International Airport was launched on October 20, 2022.

The runway of the air harbor measures 3,000 meters in length and 60 meters in width. It is designed to accommodate all types of aircraft, including wide-body heavy cargo aircraft. All necessary service facilities, including a VIP hall, a cafe, a medical center, as well as office rooms are available inside the airport's terminal.

The under construction Horadiz-Aghband railway running through Zangilan is expected to restore the direct connection between Azerbaijan’s mainland and the southwestern Nakhchivan exclave as part of the Zangezur Corridor multi-modal transport route. The 110-kilometer railroad is expected to become operational by the end of this year.