Fuzuli - an administrative district in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Fuzuli covers sloping plains and lowlands from the south-eastern foothills of the Karabakh mountain range to the Araz river. It borders on Azerbaijan’s districts of Khojavand, Jabrayil, Aghjabadi and Beylagan, as well as Iran along Araz river.

Fuzuli district was established as an administrative territorial unit on September 10, 1827, and its original name was Karabulagh. It was organized as a district on August 8, 1930 and was named Karyagin. In April 1959, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the birth of the great Azerbaijani poet Muhammad Fuzuli, the name of the district was changed to Fuzuli district. Its area is 1386 km2 . The district envisages 2 cities, 16 settlements, 82 villages and other built-up areas in the region.

On August 23, 1993, the Armenian armed forces occupied the city of Fuzuli and a large part of the district, which have rich infrastructure and historical and religious monuments.

The following educational and social institutions and its activities before the occupation: 86 secondary schools; 2 vocational schools; 54 kindergartens; 10 musical schools; 27 clubs; 2 museums; 90 libraries; 13 hospitals; 17 medical treatment points; 48 maternity services centers. During the Armenian ocupation all of them were brutally looted and destroyed.

Fuzuli district is one of the oldest settlements in Azerbaijan. The famous Azikh cave and Taghlar cave, located 17 km west of Fuzuli, have been included in the list of UNESCO’s material and cultural heritage as the world’s oldest human habitation. A number of architectural monuments were built in Fuzuli district under the influence of the Ajami architectural school. Mirali Tomb (15th century) in Ashaghi Veysalli village, Hajigiyasaddin Mosque (1682) in Garghabazar village, Caravanserai (1684), mosque in Gochahmadli village (18th century), Haji Alakbar mosque (19th century) in Fuzuli city, “Mashadi Habib” bath (19th century), ancient monuments of figures of a horse and a ram carved from stone near Merdinli village (18th-19th centuries) and other monuments of historical importance were brutally desecrated, destroyed and burned by the Armenians forces.

The Armenian invaders also looted the natural resources of Fuzuli district. The total reserves of Dovletyarli and Dilaghar limestone used in the production of sawn stone in the region were 58858 thousand m2, Kurdmahmudlu clay had 11211 thousand m2 of reserves suitable for the production of clay bricks and tiles, there were 13053 thousand m2 of Guruchay sand and gravel deposits. In the territory of the district, 11 Eastern sycamores, whose age is from 200 to 1400 years old, were passported as natural monuments and protected until the occupation.

On January 5, 1994, on the order of national leader Heydar Aliyev, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated 22 residential areas of the distrcit from occupation.

The Azerbaijani army under the command of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev liberated 62 settlements, including Fuzuli city from occupation in the Patriotic War that began on September 27, 2020. Fuzuli city was liberated from occupation on the 21st day of the glorious victory. The Fuzuli operation was one of the most important battles of the Azerbaijani Army in the Second Karabakh War on the south-eastern front. On October 17, 2020, along with Fuzuli city, the villages of Gochahmadli, Chiman, Musabayli, Pirahmadli, Dedeli, Ishigli and Juvarli were completely freed from occupation. This was one of the heaviest and bloodiest battles of the Patriotic War. The strong fortifications built by the enemy on the contact line over the years were destroyed thanks to the skill and valor of the Azerbaijani army.

Today, like our other districts freed from occupation, large-scale construction works are being carried out in Fuzuli, villages and settlements are being rebuilt, and roads and railways are being built. Suffice it to say that Fuzuli International Airport, which was founded on January 14, 2021 and is called the air gate of Karabakh, was built in just a few months. The opening ceremony took place on October 26, 2021 with the participation of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The airport is the first airport in the history of the world built in a short period of time in a mined area. A second “smart village” is being built in Dovletyarli village of Fuzuli district. On October 17, 2021President Ilham Aliyev laid foundation stone for “smart village” in Dovlatyarli village, Fuzuli district. According to the “smart village” project, which will be implemented using green and alternative energy and a “smart management” system, a total of 450 houses with three, four and five rooms will be built at the initial stage. A school, a kindergarten, a market, and a square will be built in the center of the village. A necessary environment will be created for local residents to live comfortably and engage in agriculture.

The speed of all these works suggests that the residents of Fuzuli will soon experience the joy of returning to their native land. That day is not far away.

According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated July 31, 2023 on the establishment of city days in the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, October 17 is solemnly celebrated as the city day of Fuzuli.

Recommended literature:

1. Sevdimalıyev, Ramiz. İkinci Qarabağ müharibəsi və yeni geosiyasi reallıqlar / R. Sevdimalıyev, E. Sevdimalıyev ; Azərbaycanda Vətəndaş Cəmiyyətinin İnkişafına Yardım Assosiasiyası. - Bakı : CBS Polygraphic Production, 2022. - 352 s.
2. 44 gün anbaan... : rəsmi xronika / tərt. F. Cəfərli. - II nəşr. - Bakı : TEAS Press, 2022. - 648 s.
3. Ermənistan-Azərbaycan Dağlıq Qarabağ münaqişəsinin həllində Azərbaycanı Zəfərə aparan yol / F. Mirzəyev, C. Vəliyev, E. Cəfərova [et al.] ; ideya müəl. R. Rzayev ; Azərbaycan Respublikasının Qaçqınların və Məcburi Köçkünlərin İşləri üzrə Dövlət Komitəsi, Beynəlxalq Münasibətlərin Təhlili Mərkəzi. - Bakı : Qanun, 2021. - 232 s.
4. Qələndərli, Nurlan. İlham Əliyev - Böyük yolun Müzəffər davamçısı : [60 ilə sığan tarix] / N. Qələndərli ; ön sözün müəl. T. Y. Budaqov ; Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyası. - Bakı : TEAS Press, 2021. - 596 s.
5. Zəfər yolu = The Way to Victory / A. Oqtay, X. Əliyev, N. Qasımova [et al.] ; tərt.-müəl.: İ. Əlili, V. Şahinoğlu ; tərc. X. Qurbanova ; red. E. Dərziyeva ; ön sözün müəl. C. Məmmədov. - Bakı : Ləman Nəşriyyat Poliqrafiya MMC, 2021. - 148 s.
6. Attar, Aygün. Qarabağ zəfəri : 44 gün pərdəarxası / A. Attar ; tərc.: K. Ələkbərova, S. Nağı ; red. E. M. Başkeçid ; Türkiyə-Azərbaycan dostluq, əməkdaşlıq və həmrəylik fondu, Azərbaycan Dövlət Tərcümə Mərkəzi. - Bakı : Azərbaycan Dövlət Tərcümə Mərkəzi, 2021. - 158 s.
7. Əfşar, Cahangir Hüseyn. Yeni Qarabağnamə / C. H. Əfşar ; elmi red.: N. Q. Cəfərov [et al.]. - Bakı : Təhsil NPM, 2021. - 320 s.
8. Cəfərli, Tural Vaqif oğlu. "44 gün" zəfərə doğru : döyüşlərin xronologiyası, hərbi əməliyyatlar, Xüsusi Təyinatlı Qüvvələr, 10 noyabr Bəyanatı / T. Cəfərli ; red. V. Əlioğlu. - Bakı : Mücrü, 2022. - 96 s.
9. Piriyev, Heydər. İkinci Qarabağ müharibəsi : hərbi-siyasi təhlil / H. Piriyev, R. Tahirov, X. İskəndərov ; elmi red. E. Q. Həşimov ; red. A. A. Mirzəliyeva ; Silahlı Qüvvələrin Hərbi Akademiyası. - Bakı : Hərbi Nəşriyyat, 2022. - 168 s.
10. Mədətli, Eynulla Yadulla oğlu. Heydər Əliyev - İlham Əliyev: azərbaycançılığın zəfər yolu : monoqrafiya / E. Y. Mədətli ; elmi red. İ. R. Məmmədzadə ; AMEA Fəlsəfə və Siyasi-Hüquqi Tədqiqatlar İnstitutu. - Bakı : Turxan NPB, 2021. - 272 s.