Zangilan district – Administrative district in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It was established in 1930. Situated in the southern-east of Lesser Caucasus and left Shore of Aras River. The district is bordered with Gubadli district to the north, Jabrayil district to the east, the Republic of Armenia in the west and northern-west, the Islamic Republic of Iran in the south and southern-east.

The territory of the region was subjected to separate administrative-territorial division in different periods. During the Russian invasion until 1828, part of the territory of the region to the west of Basitchay was part of Nakhchivan, and part to the east was part of the Karabakh Khanate. At the beginning of the 19th century, after the occupation of the South Caucasus by Russia, a new territorial-administrative division was implemented. According to the new division, the territory of Zangilan district was included in Zangazur district. In the documents of 1925, Zangilan was listed as part of the Jabrayil district.

In 1929, by the decision of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the villages of Nuvedi, Togud, Ernazir of Zangilan district were taken from the Republic of Azerbaijan and donated to the Republic of Armenia, as well as 4 thousand hectares of forest lands in 1946.

Zangilan district, which had no clear boundary for the last two hundred years, was established as an independent district on 8 August 1930, and its territory was defined then. In 1967, Zangilan was given the status of a city. At that time, Zangilan district had one town, 5 settlements and 79 villages.

Before the occupation of Zangilan district by Armenian troops on 29 October 1993, the population of the district was 32.6 thousand people (as of 1 January 1989). Before the occupation there were 128 cultural institutions, 123 educational institutions, vocational schools, 64 health care institutions, Kotursu health zone, 80 communication institutions, 21 cinemas, 2 local history museums, 142 trade facilities, 49 catering facilities, 2 wineries, canning enterprises. There was also a textile shop, a brick factory, a bakery, a gravel plant, 2 asphalt plants, 8 railway stations, a poultry farm, a cattle fattening complex, 3400 ha of vineyards.

Dozens of Azerbaijani architectural monuments, cultural centres, mosques and cemeteries have been destroyed in occupied Zangilan by Armenian separatists. In general, in our territories, which have been under occupation for almost 30 years, most of the settlements and social and economic infrastructure necessary for life have been destroyed. Serious damage was done to our historical, cultural, religious monuments and the environment. Armenians have also looted molybdenum, marble, gold, granite and other underground resources of the region. Most of the valuable trees in the Basitchay State Nature Reserve, the second largest sycamore forest in Europe, established in 1974, were cut down and used in the furniture industry. As a result of the occupation, the Zangilan region suffered damage worth US$ 3.4 billion (in 1994 prices).

On 27 September 2020, a counter-offensive was launched in response to Armenia’s yet another large-scale military attack on Azerbaijani Army positions and civilian settlements. During the Patriotic War, the enemy has been dealt a devastating blow in Jabrayil district, located east of Zangilan district. The liberation of more than 30 settlements from occupation, allowed the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to reach the administrative borders of Zangilan district. On 18 October 2020, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched an operation to liberate the Zangilan district. The battles here were fought under the command of the Border Troops. On 20 October 2020, the villages of Khavali, Zarnali, Mammadbeyli, Khakari, Sherifan, Birinji-Mughanli of Zangilan district and the town of Zangilan were liberated from occupation.

As a result of the Zangilan battles, the town of Zangilan, 4 settlements and 49 villages of the district were liberated from occupation by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. With the liberation of Zangilan from occupation, the Azerbaijani-Iranian border was fully restored. 132 kilometres of the occupied borders were restored. Immediately after the war, all necessary fortification and defensive works were started along the border.

After the liberation of the district from occupation, restoration and reconstruction work was started there. In addition to demining operations of the area, infrastructure restoration works are also ongoing. The “Great Return” to Karabakh began with the village of Aghali in the Zangilan region. Thus, the return of former IDPs to the village of Aghali, built on the basis of the “smart village” concept in the region, was ensured.

Zangilan plays a special role in the process of transforming Karabakh into a “green energy” zone. There is a great potential for solar energy in Zangilan. Preliminary studies have already been carried out, and through the reconstruction of energy facilities and transmission lines on the liberated lands, crop, fruit, and livestock farming will develop at a faster pace.

In addition, an airport has been built in the region. On 20 October 2022, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the opening ceremony of Zangilan International Airport. The Zangilan airport, railway, and road of international status, which will be integrated into the Zangazur corridor and connected to the East-West transport corridor, will play an important role in turning not only the Zangilan district, but also the entire region into an international transport and logistics centre.

According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated 31 July 2023 on establishing city days in the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 20 October is solemnly celebrated as Zangilan City Day.

Recommended literature:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Əfşar, Cahangir Hüseyn. Yeni Qarabağnamə / C. H. Əfşar ; elmi red.: N. Q. Cəfərov [et al.]. - Bakı : Təhsil NPM, 2021. - 320 s.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 44 gün anbaan... : rəsmi xronika / tərt. F. Cəfərli. - II nəşr. - Bakı : TEAS Press, 2022. - 648 s.
8. 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.
9. 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.
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.