The area is currently being used as a buffer zone by NKR forces. United Nations Security Council Resolution 853, adopted on 29 July 1993, condemned "the seizure of the district of Agdam and of all other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijani Republic", and demanded unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces.
Population
1989: 131,293, according to the last Soviet census, the last census able to record the entire rayon, though, with the Nagorno-Karabakh War starting in 1988, it is unknown how well the area could have been surveyed. The last census indisputably able to take a full counting of the area was in 1979, figures are not presently available. The rayon's area was increased after the dissolution of USSR from 1,093 to 1,150km2.
2009: 175,400, according to the preliminary results of the most recent census of Azerbaijan. The western part of the rayon is not controlled by Azerbaijani government; the figures are estimated.
Ağdam (also, Agdam and Akna) is a ghost town in the southwest part of Azerbaijan and the capital of its Agdam District. The forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic captured Agdam during their 1993 summer offensives. The heavy fighting forced the entire population to flee eastwards. After they took possession of the town the Armenian forces of Nagorno-Karabkh decided to destroy much of Agdam to discourage the Azerbaijanis from recapturing it. More damage occurred in the following decades when locals looted the deserted town for building materials. Agdam is currently ruined and uninhabited. The town's large Agdam Mosque survives intact but is in a derelict condition.
Etymology
The city's name is of Azerbaijani origin and means "White House", in which 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 Karabakh Khanate.
Another possibility is that it was derived from ancient Turkic glossary meaning "small fortress". In the distant past, Turkic speaking tribes built small fortresses for their protection and safety.
Azerbaijan (i/ˌæzərbaɪˈdʒɑːn/AZ-ər-by-JAHN; Azerbaijani:Azərbaycan[ɑzærbɑjdʒɑn]), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani:Azərbaycan Respublikası), is a transcontinental country in the Caucasus region, situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west and Iran to the south. The exclave of Nakhchivan is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, while having a short border with Turkey in the northwest.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence in 1918 and became the first Muslim-majority democratic and secular republic. It was also the first Muslim-majority country to have operas, theaters and modern universities. The country was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920 as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence on 30 August 1991, before the official dissolution of the USSR. In September 1991, the disputed Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh region re-affirmed its willingness to create a separate state as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The region, effectively independent since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1991, is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan until a final solution to its status is found through negotiations facilitated by the OSCE.
Armenians leave nothing behind as they flee disputed Aghdam district | AFP
The Armenians heave freshly-slaughtered pigs into the back of a van as they rush to pack every single one of their possessions before Azerbaijani forces arrive. As the village of Nor Maragha empties, even an entire house is loaded onto a flatbed truck so the incoming Azerbaijanis have nothing left to recover.
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published: 19 Nov 2020
Azerbaijani Army Rolls Into Agdam, A Day After Armenians Move Out
Azerbaijani troops have arrived in the country's Agdam district, a day after Armenian forces withdrew under the terms of a peace deal ending six weeks of fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. Many Armenian civilians, who had just days to pack their belongings, burned their houses as they departed
Originally published at - https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijani-army-rolls-into-agdam-a-day-after-armenians-move-out/30960820.html
published: 20 Nov 2020
Azerbaijan enters Nagorno-Karabakh district after peace deal
The Azeri army has entered Agdam, a district that has been under Armenian control for almost thirty years.
It is one of three areas Armenia has to hand back as part of a peace deal to end six weeks of fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The other two districts are to be returned by December 1.
While Azeris celebrate, Armenians are grieving the loss of land they have long claimed as their own.
Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel Hamid reports from from Lachin, Nagorno-Karabakh.
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#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
published: 21 Nov 2020
Agdam revival: Azerbaijani government wants to transform the city
Agdam was once a bustling city, home to about 40,000 people before Armenian forces took it in 1993.
Since then, the area has been a buffer zone.
Nearly 30 years later, when Azerbaijani forces entered Agdam, they found it deserted.
But plans for revival could mean it becomes a home again.
The Azerbaijani government says it is determined to transform regained territories like Agdam into areas of high-tech development based on what it calls the "smart city" concept.
But that could take years.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reports from Agdam, Azerbaijan.
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#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
published: 04 Jul 2021
Armenian military set up checkpoint on border with Aghdam region | AFP
Armenian soldiers set up a checkpoint on the road from Martakert to the Aghdam district, which is the first of three to be handed back to Azerbaijan by Armenia as part of a Russian-brokered peace deal to end fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. As Azerbaijani forces are expected to enter the district, an Armenian man packs his belongings and sets fire to his own house before leaving Aghdam.
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published: 20 Nov 2020
Ethnic Armenians flee as area turned to Azerbaijan
(18 Nov 2020) Scores of ethnic Armenians packed up their belongings and left their homes in the Agdam district of Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, two days before the area is turned over to Azerbaijan.
Residents of the small village of Nor Maraga loaded precious heirlooms and essentials into vans and buses, after local authorities informed them that their village was due to be handed over to Azerbaijan.
According to a Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, several districts in Nagorno-Karabakh inhabited by ethnic Armenians are to be turned over to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan considers Nor Maraga and several other villages part of the Agdam region, even though ethnic Armenians claim it is part of Martakert district, which stays under their control.
Many villagers...
published: 23 Nov 2020
Azerbaijan Military Enters Aghdam Territory Following Cease-Fire
Azerbaijani troops entered the Aghdam region Friday, November 20, following a cease-fire agreement in the highly contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
—————————
READ MORE: Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry announced Friday that its army units entered the Aghdam region as agreed upon in a cease-fire deal brokered by Russia last week to end the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Aghdam is the first of three territories outside the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave ceded by Armenian forces.
Armenian forces will roll out of the Kalbajar district on November 25 and from the Lachin district by December 1.
The three territories have been held by Armenia for about 30 years.
—————————
LINK: https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/azerbaijan-army-units-enter-region-formerly-held-armenia
published: 20 Nov 2020
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Displaced Agdam residents hoping to resettle
As part of last week's deal to end the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is giving control of certain regions back to Azerbaijan.
One of those areas is Agdam, taken in 1993 by Armenia.
An estimated 200,000 were displaced after more than 70 percent of Agdam was taken by Armenia.
Now many of those who fled the war in the 1990s are preparing for an emotional return home, once Agdam is cleared of mines and infrastructure is redeveloped.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports from Agdam, Nagorno-Karabakh.
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#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
published: 24 Nov 2020
Mosques turned into a pigpen & cowshed in Azerbaijan's occupied Agdam district.
An entire city & culture obliterated. How Armenia desecrated & erased Azerbaijani heritage in the occupied Karabakh
published: 16 Apr 2020
Armenia hands over Aghdam to Azerbaijan as part of Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire
Azerbaijan's president declared Friday that his forces have taken control of the Aghdam region, a territory ceded by Armenia in a cease-fire agreement that ended the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
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The Armenians heave freshly-slaughtered pigs into the back of a van as they rush to pack every single one of their possessions before Azerbaijani forces arrive....
The Armenians heave freshly-slaughtered pigs into the back of a van as they rush to pack every single one of their possessions before Azerbaijani forces arrive. As the village of Nor Maragha empties, even an entire house is loaded onto a flatbed truck so the incoming Azerbaijanis have nothing left to recover.
Subscribe to AFP and activate your notifications to get the latest news 🔔
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC86dbj-lbDks_hZ5gRKL49Q/?sub_confirmation=1
The Armenians heave freshly-slaughtered pigs into the back of a van as they rush to pack every single one of their possessions before Azerbaijani forces arrive. As the village of Nor Maragha empties, even an entire house is loaded onto a flatbed truck so the incoming Azerbaijanis have nothing left to recover.
Subscribe to AFP and activate your notifications to get the latest news 🔔
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Azerbaijani troops have arrived in the country's Agdam district, a day after Armenian forces withdrew under the terms of a peace deal ending six weeks of fighti...
Azerbaijani troops have arrived in the country's Agdam district, a day after Armenian forces withdrew under the terms of a peace deal ending six weeks of fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. Many Armenian civilians, who had just days to pack their belongings, burned their houses as they departed
Originally published at - https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijani-army-rolls-into-agdam-a-day-after-armenians-move-out/30960820.html
Azerbaijani troops have arrived in the country's Agdam district, a day after Armenian forces withdrew under the terms of a peace deal ending six weeks of fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. Many Armenian civilians, who had just days to pack their belongings, burned their houses as they departed
Originally published at - https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijani-army-rolls-into-agdam-a-day-after-armenians-move-out/30960820.html
The Azeri army has entered Agdam, a district that has been under Armenian control for almost thirty years.
It is one of three areas Armenia has to hand back as ...
The Azeri army has entered Agdam, a district that has been under Armenian control for almost thirty years.
It is one of three areas Armenia has to hand back as part of a peace deal to end six weeks of fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The other two districts are to be returned by December 1.
While Azeris celebrate, Armenians are grieving the loss of land they have long claimed as their own.
Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel Hamid reports from from Lachin, Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
The Azeri army has entered Agdam, a district that has been under Armenian control for almost thirty years.
It is one of three areas Armenia has to hand back as part of a peace deal to end six weeks of fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The other two districts are to be returned by December 1.
While Azeris celebrate, Armenians are grieving the loss of land they have long claimed as their own.
Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel Hamid reports from from Lachin, Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
Agdam was once a bustling city, home to about 40,000 people before Armenian forces took it in 1993.
Since then, the area has been a buffer zone.
Nearly 30 y...
Agdam was once a bustling city, home to about 40,000 people before Armenian forces took it in 1993.
Since then, the area has been a buffer zone.
Nearly 30 years later, when Azerbaijani forces entered Agdam, they found it deserted.
But plans for revival could mean it becomes a home again.
The Azerbaijani government says it is determined to transform regained territories like Agdam into areas of high-tech development based on what it calls the "smart city" concept.
But that could take years.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reports from Agdam, Azerbaijan.
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
Agdam was once a bustling city, home to about 40,000 people before Armenian forces took it in 1993.
Since then, the area has been a buffer zone.
Nearly 30 years later, when Azerbaijani forces entered Agdam, they found it deserted.
But plans for revival could mean it becomes a home again.
The Azerbaijani government says it is determined to transform regained territories like Agdam into areas of high-tech development based on what it calls the "smart city" concept.
But that could take years.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reports from Agdam, Azerbaijan.
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
Armenian soldiers set up a checkpoint on the road from Martakert to the Aghdam district, which is the first of three to be handed back to Azerbaijan by Armenia ...
Armenian soldiers set up a checkpoint on the road from Martakert to the Aghdam district, which is the first of three to be handed back to Azerbaijan by Armenia as part of a Russian-brokered peace deal to end fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. As Azerbaijani forces are expected to enter the district, an Armenian man packs his belongings and sets fire to his own house before leaving Aghdam.
Subscribe to AFP and activate your notifications to get the latest news 🔔
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Armenian soldiers set up a checkpoint on the road from Martakert to the Aghdam district, which is the first of three to be handed back to Azerbaijan by Armenia as part of a Russian-brokered peace deal to end fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. As Azerbaijani forces are expected to enter the district, an Armenian man packs his belongings and sets fire to his own house before leaving Aghdam.
Subscribe to AFP and activate your notifications to get the latest news 🔔
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC86dbj-lbDks_hZ5gRKL49Q/?sub_confirmation=1
(18 Nov 2020) Scores of ethnic Armenians packed up their belongings and left their homes in the Agdam district of Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, two days before...
(18 Nov 2020) Scores of ethnic Armenians packed up their belongings and left their homes in the Agdam district of Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, two days before the area is turned over to Azerbaijan.
Residents of the small village of Nor Maraga loaded precious heirlooms and essentials into vans and buses, after local authorities informed them that their village was due to be handed over to Azerbaijan.
According to a Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, several districts in Nagorno-Karabakh inhabited by ethnic Armenians are to be turned over to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan considers Nor Maraga and several other villages part of the Agdam region, even though ethnic Armenians claim it is part of Martakert district, which stays under their control.
Many villagers had hoped that their homes would not be touched by the ceasefire agreement.
Garik Sarkisyan has lived for more than 30 years with his uncle, Nikolay Karapityan, in a home they built from scratch.
Karapityan cries as he squeezed himself into an overpacked car, taking a final look at everything he holds dear before setting off for Stepanakert.
Uncertain of what his future might hold, another villager decided to slaughter his precious livestock, rather than leaving the animal behind.
"If Karabakh doesn't exist anymore, we don't have either house or motherland. We're refugees now," Ovik Vanyan said.
Before boarding buses provided by local authorities, Vanyan and some of his friends and neighbours had one last dinner, reminiscing about their time in Nor Maraga and worrying about their future.
Agdam district will be the first territory turned over to Azerbaijan on 20 November.
Ethnic Armenian forces had controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and sizeable adjacent territories since the 1994 end of a separatist war.
Fighting resumed in late September and ended with an agreement that calls for Azerbaijan to regain control of the outlying territories as well as allowing it to hold on to parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that it seized during the fighting.
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#Armenians
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/18c75689780e4dcfb39f0c2b53c91234
(18 Nov 2020) Scores of ethnic Armenians packed up their belongings and left their homes in the Agdam district of Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, two days before the area is turned over to Azerbaijan.
Residents of the small village of Nor Maraga loaded precious heirlooms and essentials into vans and buses, after local authorities informed them that their village was due to be handed over to Azerbaijan.
According to a Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, several districts in Nagorno-Karabakh inhabited by ethnic Armenians are to be turned over to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan considers Nor Maraga and several other villages part of the Agdam region, even though ethnic Armenians claim it is part of Martakert district, which stays under their control.
Many villagers had hoped that their homes would not be touched by the ceasefire agreement.
Garik Sarkisyan has lived for more than 30 years with his uncle, Nikolay Karapityan, in a home they built from scratch.
Karapityan cries as he squeezed himself into an overpacked car, taking a final look at everything he holds dear before setting off for Stepanakert.
Uncertain of what his future might hold, another villager decided to slaughter his precious livestock, rather than leaving the animal behind.
"If Karabakh doesn't exist anymore, we don't have either house or motherland. We're refugees now," Ovik Vanyan said.
Before boarding buses provided by local authorities, Vanyan and some of his friends and neighbours had one last dinner, reminiscing about their time in Nor Maraga and worrying about their future.
Agdam district will be the first territory turned over to Azerbaijan on 20 November.
Ethnic Armenian forces had controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and sizeable adjacent territories since the 1994 end of a separatist war.
Fighting resumed in late September and ended with an agreement that calls for Azerbaijan to regain control of the outlying territories as well as allowing it to hold on to parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that it seized during the fighting.
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
#Armenians
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/18c75689780e4dcfb39f0c2b53c91234
Azerbaijani troops entered the Aghdam region Friday, November 20, following a cease-fire agreement in the highly contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
—————————
...
Azerbaijani troops entered the Aghdam region Friday, November 20, following a cease-fire agreement in the highly contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
—————————
READ MORE: Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry announced Friday that its army units entered the Aghdam region as agreed upon in a cease-fire deal brokered by Russia last week to end the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Aghdam is the first of three territories outside the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave ceded by Armenian forces.
Armenian forces will roll out of the Kalbajar district on November 25 and from the Lachin district by December 1.
The three territories have been held by Armenia for about 30 years.
—————————
LINK: https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/azerbaijan-army-units-enter-region-formerly-held-armenia
Azerbaijani troops entered the Aghdam region Friday, November 20, following a cease-fire agreement in the highly contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
—————————
READ MORE: Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry announced Friday that its army units entered the Aghdam region as agreed upon in a cease-fire deal brokered by Russia last week to end the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Aghdam is the first of three territories outside the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave ceded by Armenian forces.
Armenian forces will roll out of the Kalbajar district on November 25 and from the Lachin district by December 1.
The three territories have been held by Armenia for about 30 years.
—————————
LINK: https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/azerbaijan-army-units-enter-region-formerly-held-armenia
As part of last week's deal to end the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is giving control of certain regions back to Azerbaijan.
One of those areas is Agda...
As part of last week's deal to end the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is giving control of certain regions back to Azerbaijan.
One of those areas is Agdam, taken in 1993 by Armenia.
An estimated 200,000 were displaced after more than 70 percent of Agdam was taken by Armenia.
Now many of those who fled the war in the 1990s are preparing for an emotional return home, once Agdam is cleared of mines and infrastructure is redeveloped.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports from Agdam, Nagorno-Karabakh.
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#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
As part of last week's deal to end the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is giving control of certain regions back to Azerbaijan.
One of those areas is Agdam, taken in 1993 by Armenia.
An estimated 200,000 were displaced after more than 70 percent of Agdam was taken by Armenia.
Now many of those who fled the war in the 1990s are preparing for an emotional return home, once Agdam is cleared of mines and infrastructure is redeveloped.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports from Agdam, Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
Azerbaijan's president declared Friday that his forces have taken control of the Aghdam region, a territory ceded by Armenia in a cease-fire agreement that ende...
Azerbaijan's president declared Friday that his forces have taken control of the Aghdam region, a territory ceded by Armenia in a cease-fire agreement that ended the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
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Azerbaijan's president declared Friday that his forces have taken control of the Aghdam region, a territory ceded by Armenia in a cease-fire agreement that ended the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
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The Armenians heave freshly-slaughtered pigs into the back of a van as they rush to pack every single one of their possessions before Azerbaijani forces arrive. As the village of Nor Maragha empties, even an entire house is loaded onto a flatbed truck so the incoming Azerbaijanis have nothing left to recover.
Subscribe to AFP and activate your notifications to get the latest news 🔔
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC86dbj-lbDks_hZ5gRKL49Q/?sub_confirmation=1
Azerbaijani troops have arrived in the country's Agdam district, a day after Armenian forces withdrew under the terms of a peace deal ending six weeks of fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. Many Armenian civilians, who had just days to pack their belongings, burned their houses as they departed
Originally published at - https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijani-army-rolls-into-agdam-a-day-after-armenians-move-out/30960820.html
The Azeri army has entered Agdam, a district that has been under Armenian control for almost thirty years.
It is one of three areas Armenia has to hand back as part of a peace deal to end six weeks of fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The other two districts are to be returned by December 1.
While Azeris celebrate, Armenians are grieving the loss of land they have long claimed as their own.
Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel Hamid reports from from Lachin, Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
Agdam was once a bustling city, home to about 40,000 people before Armenian forces took it in 1993.
Since then, the area has been a buffer zone.
Nearly 30 years later, when Azerbaijani forces entered Agdam, they found it deserted.
But plans for revival could mean it becomes a home again.
The Azerbaijani government says it is determined to transform regained territories like Agdam into areas of high-tech development based on what it calls the "smart city" concept.
But that could take years.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reports from Agdam, Azerbaijan.
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#Azerbaijan #NagornoKarabakh #Agdam
Armenian soldiers set up a checkpoint on the road from Martakert to the Aghdam district, which is the first of three to be handed back to Azerbaijan by Armenia as part of a Russian-brokered peace deal to end fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. As Azerbaijani forces are expected to enter the district, an Armenian man packs his belongings and sets fire to his own house before leaving Aghdam.
Subscribe to AFP and activate your notifications to get the latest news 🔔
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC86dbj-lbDks_hZ5gRKL49Q/?sub_confirmation=1
(18 Nov 2020) Scores of ethnic Armenians packed up their belongings and left their homes in the Agdam district of Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday, two days before the area is turned over to Azerbaijan.
Residents of the small village of Nor Maraga loaded precious heirlooms and essentials into vans and buses, after local authorities informed them that their village was due to be handed over to Azerbaijan.
According to a Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, several districts in Nagorno-Karabakh inhabited by ethnic Armenians are to be turned over to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan considers Nor Maraga and several other villages part of the Agdam region, even though ethnic Armenians claim it is part of Martakert district, which stays under their control.
Many villagers had hoped that their homes would not be touched by the ceasefire agreement.
Garik Sarkisyan has lived for more than 30 years with his uncle, Nikolay Karapityan, in a home they built from scratch.
Karapityan cries as he squeezed himself into an overpacked car, taking a final look at everything he holds dear before setting off for Stepanakert.
Uncertain of what his future might hold, another villager decided to slaughter his precious livestock, rather than leaving the animal behind.
"If Karabakh doesn't exist anymore, we don't have either house or motherland. We're refugees now," Ovik Vanyan said.
Before boarding buses provided by local authorities, Vanyan and some of his friends and neighbours had one last dinner, reminiscing about their time in Nor Maraga and worrying about their future.
Agdam district will be the first territory turned over to Azerbaijan on 20 November.
Ethnic Armenian forces had controlled Nagorno-Karabakh and sizeable adjacent territories since the 1994 end of a separatist war.
Fighting resumed in late September and ended with an agreement that calls for Azerbaijan to regain control of the outlying territories as well as allowing it to hold on to parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that it seized during the fighting.
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Azerbaijani troops entered the Aghdam region Friday, November 20, following a cease-fire agreement in the highly contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
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READ MORE: Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry announced Friday that its army units entered the Aghdam region as agreed upon in a cease-fire deal brokered by Russia last week to end the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Aghdam is the first of three territories outside the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave ceded by Armenian forces.
Armenian forces will roll out of the Kalbajar district on November 25 and from the Lachin district by December 1.
The three territories have been held by Armenia for about 30 years.
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LINK: https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/azerbaijan-army-units-enter-region-formerly-held-armenia
As part of last week's deal to end the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia is giving control of certain regions back to Azerbaijan.
One of those areas is Agdam, taken in 1993 by Armenia.
An estimated 200,000 were displaced after more than 70 percent of Agdam was taken by Armenia.
Now many of those who fled the war in the 1990s are preparing for an emotional return home, once Agdam is cleared of mines and infrastructure is redeveloped.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports from Agdam, Nagorno-Karabakh.
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Azerbaijan's president declared Friday that his forces have taken control of the Aghdam region, a territory ceded by Armenia in a cease-fire agreement that ended the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
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The area is currently being used as a buffer zone by NKR forces. United Nations Security Council Resolution 853, adopted on 29 July 1993, condemned "the seizure of the district of Agdam and of all other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijani Republic", and demanded unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces.
Population
1989: 131,293, according to the last Soviet census, the last census able to record the entire rayon, though, with the Nagorno-Karabakh War starting in 1988, it is unknown how well the area could have been surveyed. The last census indisputably able to take a full counting of the area was in 1979, figures are not presently available. The rayon's area was increased after the dissolution of USSR from 1,093 to 1,150km2.
2009: 175,400, according to the preliminary results of the most recent census of Azerbaijan. The western part of the rayon is not controlled by Azerbaijani government; the figures are estimated.