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39°59′35″N 46°55′50″E / 39.99306°N 46.93056°E / 39.99306; 46.93056

Agdam Ağdam
From top left: Shahbulag Castle Shahbulag Mosque Imarat cemetery Agdam Mosque Bread Museum Panah Ali Khan’s Palace Ruins of Agdam
Agdam
Coordinates: 39°59′35″N 46°55′50″E / 39.99306°N 46.93056°E / 39.99306; 46.93056
Country	Azerbaijan
District	Agdam
Elevation	369 m (1,211 ft)
Population
• Total	Currently uninhabited Pre-war population was 28,031
Time zone	UTC+4 (AZT)

Agdam (Template:Lang-az) is a ghost town and the nominal capital of the Agdam District of Azerbaijan. Founded in the early 19th century, it grew considerably during the Soviet period and had 28,031 inhabitants by 1989.

Agdam was founded in the 18th century and granted city status in 1828. It lies 26 km (16 miles) from Stepanakert. Before the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, butter, wine and brandy, machine, and silk factories, an airport and two railway stations functioned there.

As Azerbaijani forces withdrew from Karabakh following political turmoil in the country during the aforementioned war, local Armenian forces captured Agdam in July 1993. The heavy fighting forced the city's population to flee eastwards. Upon the seizure, local Artsakhian forces sacked the town. More damage occurred in the following decades when the then-abandoned town was looted for building materials. Until 2020, it was almost entirely ruined and uninhabited. The city has sometimes been referred as the Hiroshima of the Caucasus.

As part of an agreement that ended the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, the town and its surrounding district came under Azerbaijani control on 20 November, 2020.

Etymology

The city's name is of Azerbaijani origin, meaning "white house", where ağ means "white" and dam is "house" or "attic", thus referring to a "bright sun-lit, white house" which was given by Panah Ali Khan of the Karabakh Khanate in reference to the Imarat cemetery. Another possibility presented by Azerbaijani authors is that it was derived from ancient Turkic glossary meaning "small fortress".

In November 2010 it was renamed by the NKR government to Akna (Template:Lang-hy). Prior to the return to Azerbaijani control it was administratively part of the town of Askeran, which is located some 10 km away.

History

Early history

Agdam lies in the vicinity of Tigranakert of Artsakh, an ancient Armenian city dating to the 2nd–1st centuries B.C.

Agdam was founded in the middle of the 18th century. It was the location of the summer palace of Panah Ali Khan Javanshir and the Javanshir family cemetery. In 1828, it received the status of a city in the Shusha Uyezd of Elisabethpol Governorate. During the Soviet period, Agdam had multiple industries such as butter, wine, brandy, and silk factories, as well as, hardware and tool factories. An airport and two railway stations functioned there. In terms of education, Agdam had technical, agricultural, medical, and music schools.

First Nagorno-Karabakh War

Agdam was the scene of brutal fighting in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. According to journalist Robert Parsons, Azerbaijani forces used Agdam as a base for attacks on Karabakh, launching BM-21 Grad rockets and bombing raids from there against civilians, while Armenian forces indiscriminately shelled Agdam.

According to Human Rights Watch, Armenian forces exploited the power vacuum in Azerbaijan at the time, and seized Agdam in July 1993. HRW reported that "during their offensive against Agdam, Karabakh Armenian forces committed several violations of the rules of war, including hostage-taking, indiscriminate fire, and the forcible displacement of civilians". After the city was seized, it was intentionally looted and burned under orders of Karabakh Armenian authorities, which HRW considers to be a serious violation of the rules of war. Parsons reported that every single Azeri house in the town was blown up to discourage return.

As the city fell, its entire population fled eastward.

The Armed Forces of Armenia used the city as a buffer zone until November 2020, as a result Agdam was empty, decaying, and usually off-limits for sightseeing.

Armenian occupation

The ruined city once had a population of almost 30,000 people, but today it is an almost entirely uninhabited ghost town.

An OSCE Fact-Finding Mission that visited the town in 2005 reported that the entire town of Agdam was "in complete ruins with the exception of the mosque in the center". FFM observed activity of scavenging for building materials in the town.

According to former U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Carey Cavanaugh, the city was destroyed not in fighting, but by being dismantled "brick by brick".

One of the buildings stripped of materials was the Agdam Mosque. In June 2010, Andrei Galafyev, a photographer who visited the mosque in 2007, reported that "he floor in the mosque is entirely dirtied with manure of cattle, which wander on the ruins of Agdam in the daytime." His photographs showed cattle within the mosque. Its derelict condition, including a purportedly missing roof, drew criticism from Azerbaijani and Turkish communities, who wrote a letter in 2010 to Pope Benedict XVI asking him to warn Armenians (though Armenians predominantly follow a church which broke with Rome in the 6th century) about the situation.

Return to Azerbaijan

As part of the agreement that ended the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, the town and its surrounding area were returned to Azerbaijani control on 20 November 2020.

On 24 November 2020, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife, Mehriban Aliyeva visited the ruined city and made a speech.

Shortly after the return to Azerbaijani control, a big clean-up of the city began. It is predicted to take 2–5 years for people to be able to live in the city again and that the last landmines should be removed in 15 years' time.

Reconstruction of Agdam

On May 22, 2021, Azerbaijani news outlets reported that Agdam city center will be rebuilt. In addition, construction of a road between Barda and Agdam started.

On May 28th, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev visited the city of Agdam. There, he announced that reconstruction of the city had begun. He laid the foundation stones of the city's school No1, Victory Museum and Open Air Occupation Museum, the Industry Park, the first residential building, and other projects. He also visited the palace of the ruler of Karabakh Khanate Panah Ali Khan, the Imarat tombs and some other reconstruction projects.

The master plan of the city was presented, according to which 8 nearby villages will be merged with Agdam, and the population of the city will be around 100,000. The residential areas will consist of multi-storey buildings and private houses. The city will be surrounded by gardens. It will be rebuilt on the basis of a “smart city” concept, and will be a green energy zone. Inside the city, there will be a large green belt covering an area of 125 hectares, as well as an artificial lake, canals and bridges. The city will have motorways, pedestrian and bike paths, and public transportation will be electricity powered.

Geography

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2014)

Climate

Agdam has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) according to the Köppen climate classification.

Demographics

Economy

Before the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, butter, wine and brandy, machine factories and a railway station functioned in the city.

Culture

Music and media

Mugham music, a tradition in the Karabakh region, is an important part of Agdam's musical heritage; the city was home to Agdam Mugham School, which produced "Karabakh nightingales" ensemble.

Sport

Despite the invasion, the town is represented by a professional association football team competing in the top-flight of Azerbaijani football – Qarabağ FK, currently playing in the Azerbaijan Premier League.

The Imarat Stadium, which was Agdam's only stadium, was also destroyed by bombardments from Armenian military forces during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Transport

Prior to the war, the city had bus and tram lines and an airport which no longer function. In November 2020, Azerbaijan Railways announced that it was discussing plans to build a 104 km railway line from Yevlakh to Khankendi via Agdam.

Education

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2014)

Prior to the city's destruction and subsequent abandonment, it contained 74 schools, none of which are functioning now.

Notable residents

Some of the city's notable former residents include military commanders Allahverdi Bagirov and Asif Maharammov, footballers Ramiz Mammadov, Mushfig Huseynov and Vüqar Nadirov, mugham singers Gadir Rustamov, Mansum Ibrahimov, Arif Babayev and Sakhavat Mammadov, actor Jeyhun Mirzayev, scientist Zakir Mammadov and singer Roya.

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

• Tiszavasvári, Hungary

See also

• Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh
• Bread Museum (Aghdam)
• Tea House (Aghdam)
• Panah Ali Khan’s Palace

References

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20. ^ "Azerbaijanis celebrate Karabakh deal". aa.com.tr. Anadolu Agency. 10 November 2020.
21. "Azerbaijan Army Enters Agdam As Armenians Flee". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
22. "Agdam city". Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
23. Gan, Karl Fedorovich (1909). объяснения кавказских географических названий [Experience in explaining Caucasian geographical names]. Printing house of the office of His Imperial Majesty's Vicar in the Caucasus. p. 3.
24. Soviet Azerbaijan. Baku: Publishing house of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR. 1958. p. 693 -762.
25. "Armenian separatists rename Azeri town". azernews.az. 3 November 2010.
26. "July 23 marks 21st anniv.Aghdam liberation". PanARMENIAN.Net. 23 July 2014.
27. Musayelyan, Lusine (26 April 2011). "Life Among Ruins of Caucasus' Hiroshima". Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
28. Hewsen, Robert H. (2001). Armenia: A Historical Atlas. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 58, 73, map 62. ISBN 0-226-33228-4.
29. Abdulvahab Salamzadeh (1964). Архитектура Азербайджана XVI-XIX вв. Baku: Издательство Академии Наук Азербайджанской ССР. p. 84.
30. Agdam (in Russian). {{cite encyclopedia}}: |work= ignored (help)
31. ^ Parsons, Robert (3 June 2000). "Tug-of-war for Nagorno-Karabakh". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 April 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
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33. Paul, Amanda. "Agdam – an Azerbaijani ghost town". Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
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36. "20 Abandoned Cities from Around the World". Daily Cognition. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
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38. Cavanaugh, Carey. "Twit of Nov 18, 2020". Twitter. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
39. Carlotta Gall and Anton Troianovski (11 December 2020). "After Nagorno-Karabakh War, Trauma, Tragedy and Devastation". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 December 2020 – via nytimes.com.
40. "Велопоход по Армении и Нагорному Карабаху 2007". bestandreyspb.narod.ru. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
41. Qureshi, Shahid (13 July 2020). "Armenians converted 'Aghdam Jamia Mosque' into Pigsty in Occupied Qarabakh – why no Protests?". The London Post. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
42. "Turks complain to Pope on vandalism in Karabakh mosque by Armenians". Archived from the original on 20 July 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
43. "President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the liberated city of Agdam". apa.az. 24 November 2020.
44. "Nagorno-Karabakh: Tough rebuilding ahead for devastated city of Agdam". France 24. 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
45. "Ağdam sıfırdan qurulur - Fotolar". www.azerbaycan24.com. May 23, 2021.
46. "Reconstruction work underway in center of Azerbaijan's Agdam [PHOTO]". AzerNews.az. May 22, 2021.
47. "Visit of Ilham Aliyev to Aghdam". Official web-site of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
48. "Prezident İlham Əliyev Ağdam şəhərinin bərpasının təməl daşının qoyulması mərasimində iştirak edib, rayon ictimaiyyətinin nümayəndələri ilə görüşüb YENİLƏNİB -2 VİDEO". azertag.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2021-05-30.
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62. "Vaxt olmayan yer". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011.
63. Ermənilərin xarabaya çevirdiyi Ağdamın «İmarət» stadionu Archived 2016-03-22 at the Wayback Machine (8 June 2010) (in Azerbaijani)
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67. "Dağlıq Qarabağ münaqişəsi". khatai.cls.az (in Azerbaijani). 23 July 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
68. AzerNews.az: Azerbaijani occupied town twinned with Hungary's Tiszavasvari

External links

• Video footage of Agdam before the occupation
• Aghdam: This is no Hiroshima
• Fleeing from Aghdam. Refugee poem
• Pictures of the deserted town: "Abandoned War-Torn City of Agdam, Azerbaijan"
• Pictures of the deserted town: "Aghdam"
• "Clashes Intensify Between Armenia and Azerbaijan Over Disputed Land". The New York Times. January 31, 2015.

v t e Aghdam District
Capital: Aghdam
Abdal Abdınlı Acarlı Alıbəyli Ayaq Qərvənd Bağbanlar Baharlı Ballar Baş Qərvənd Bənövşələr Bəybabalar Birinci Alıbəyli Birinci Baharlı Birinci Dördyol Birinci Quzanlı Birinci Yüzbaşılı Boyəhmədli Bozpapaqlar Böyükbəyli Cavahirli Cinli Çəmənli Çıraxlı Çullu Çullu Çuxurməhlə Dadaşlı Evoğlu Eyvazlı Eyvazxanbəyli Əfətli Əhmədağalı Əhmədavar Əliağalı Əlimədətli Ətyeməzli Göytəpə Gül Baharlı Gülablı Güllücə Hacıməmmədli Hacıturalı Həsənxanlı İkinci Alıbəyli İkinci Baharlı İkinci Dördyol İkinci Yüzbaşılı İlxıçılar İmamqulubəyli İmamqulubəyli İsalar İsmayılbəyli Kəbləhüseynli Kəngərli Keştazlı Kiçikli Kolqışlaq Kosalar Küdürlü Kürdlər Mahrızlı Maqsudlu Məmmədbağırlı Mərzili Mirəşelli Mollalar Mollalar Muğanlı Muğanlı Nəmirli Novruzlu Orta Qərvənd Orta Qışlaq Papravənd Paşabəyli Pirzadlı Poladlı Qalayçılar Qaradağlı Qaradağlı Qarapirimli Qaraqaşlı Qarazeynallı Qasımbəyli Qasımlı Qazançı Qəhrəmanbəyli Qərvənd Qiyaslı Qızıl Kəngərli Qullar Qurdlar Quzanlı Rzalar Salahlı Kəngərli Salahsəmədlər Sarıcalı Sarıçoban Sarıhacılı Saybalı Səfərli Seyidli Sofulu Suma Şahbulaq Şelli Şirvanlı Şişpapaqlar Şıxbabalı Şıxlar Şotlanlı Şuraabad Şükürağalı Tağıbəyli Talışlar Təpəməhlə Tərnöyüt Təzəkənd Tükəzbanlı Umudlu Üçoğlan Xaçındərbətli Xıdırlı Xındırıstan Yusifcanlı Yusifli Zəngişalı

v t e Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan
Districts	Absheron Agdam Aghdara Agdash Aghjabadi Agstafa Agsu Astara Babek Balakan Barda Beylagan Bilasuvar Dashkasan Fuzuli Gadabay Goranboy Goychay Goygol Hajigabul Imishli Ismayilli Jabrayil Jalilabad Julfa Kalbajar Kangarli Khachmaz Khizi Khojaly Khojavend Kurdamir Lachin Lankaran Lerik Masally Neftchala Oghuz Ordubad Qabala Qakh Qazakh Gobustan Quba Qubadli Qusar Saatly Sabirabad Sadarak Salyan Samukh Shabran Shahbuz Shaki Shamakhi Shamkir Sharur Shusha Siyazan Tartar Tovuz Ujar Yardimli Yevlakh Zangilan Zagatala Zardab
Cities	Baku Ganja Khankendi Lankaran Mingachevir Naftalan Nakhchivan Shaki Shirvan Sumgait Yevlakh
Towns	Aghdam Aghdara Agdash Aghjabadi Agstafa Agsu Astara Babek Balakən Barda Beylagan Bilasuvar Dashkasan Fuzuli Gadabay Goranboy Goychay Goygol Hajiqabul Imishli Ismayilli Jabrayil Jalilabad Julfa Kalbajar Khachmaz Khizi Khojavend Khojaly Khirdalan Kurdamir Lachin Lerik Masally Neftchala Oğuz Ordubad Gabala Qakh Gazakh Gobustan Quba Qubadli Qusar Saatly Sabirabad Salyan Shabran Shahbuz Shamakhi Shamkir Sharur Shusha Siyazan Tartar Tovuz Ujar Yardimli Zangilan Zagatala Zardab
Names in italics indicate parts of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic

v t e Askeran Province
Capital: Askeran
Urban communities	Askeran
Rural communities	Astghashen Aygestan Berkadzor Dahrav Dahraz Dashushen Harav Hilis Hovsepavan Ivanyan Jamilli Karmirgyugh Khachen Khachmach Khandzk Khnapat Khnatsakh Khndzristan Khramort Krasni Kyatuk Lusadzor Mkhitarashen Nakhijevanik Nerkin Sznek Noragyugh Patara Parukh Rev Sardarashen Sarnaghbyur Sarushen Shosh Tsaghkashat Urakhach Varazabun Vardadzor Verin Sznek
Not under Artsakh control	Akna Aknaghbyur Armenakavan Avetaranots Jraghatsner Madatashen Moshkhmhat Sghnakh Ughtasar

• Populated places in Agdam District
• Former populated places in the Caucasus
• Destroyed cities
• Ghost towns in Azerbaijan
• Ruins in Azerbaijan
• 1828 establishments in the Russian Empire
• Populated places established in the 18th century
• Elisabethpol Governorate
• Askeran (province)