President of the European Council Charles Michel visits the Shamakhy Juma Mosque

President of the European Council Charles Michel visited Shamakhy in the framework of his business trip to Azerbaijan, July 18.

The guest paid a visit to the Shamakhy Juma Mosque, one of the oldest Muslim temples in the South Caucasus and the Middle East.

Assistant to the Azerbaijani President, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Anar Alakbarov met President of the European Council Charles Michel.

Imam of the mosque Marhamat Mustafayev informed the guest of the religious temple. It was informed that the mosque was built in 743. One of the oldest Muslim temples on the territory of Azerbaijan and, in general, in the South Caucasus and the Middle East, the Shamakhy Juma Mosque was constructed in the time of Caliph Khalid ibn Waliyadin, in honour of his brother Muslim ibn Waliyadin’s coming to Azerbaijan.

The museum arranged in the mosque’s yard was viewed. While becoming familiar with the museum, it was noted that a genocide was committed also during the massacre in Shamakhy by armed Dashnak bands in 1918. The biggest massacre occurred in the Juma Mosque.  Seeing that Shamakhy residents took refuge in the mosque, considering it Allah’s home, Armenians set fire to the mosque and killed, in general, 1700 innocent people as a result. As the mosque was not used during the Soviet time for its intended purpose - due to certain reasons, it was under the peril of destruction.

It was brought to the guest’s attention that, following the initiative and instruction of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, who had been approaching the development of all spheres, including the preservation of national and moral values, with great care and attention, the temple was repaired in 1980. Basic repair works in Shamakhy Juma Mosque was carried out in the framework of the project “Address of Tolerance-Azerbaijan” of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and the madrasa, cell and graves that were discovered during the restoration works in the 70-80s of the last century, were preserved. Basic improvement works were carried out around the Shamakhy Juma Mosque State Historic and Architectural Monument, restoring the old cells. In 2013, inauguration of the mosque took place after restoration, with participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.