Visit to the Shahbulag Castle in Aghdam

On April 25, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov visited the Shahbulag Castle in Aghdam.

Dating back to the 18th century, this castle is one of the most famous landmarks in the Karabakh region. Located about 10 kilometers from Aghdam city, near the Shahbulag village, the castle was constructed in 1751–1752 by Panah Ali Khan, the founder of the Karabakh Khanate. Known in scholarly literature as the Shahbulag Castle, the site was actually the inner castle of a large fortress complex. The complex included residential buildings, a marketplace, a bathhouse, and a mosque. Till the construction of the Shusha Fortress by Panah Ali Khan, Shahbulag Castle served as the administrative center of the Karabakh Khanate. After the Armenian occupation of Aghdam, the Armenians attempted to convert Shahbulag Castle into an Armenian cultural site, and the nearby mosque was presented as a church.

Currently, restoration work is being carried out at the site by the Azerbaijani government. A 12-hectare area has been renovated, and an administrative building, a ticket sales kiosk, and a parking lot have been constructed. The site now includes the Shahbulag residence, Shah Abbas Mosque, a restaurant, a hotel complex, gazebos, an event venue, and a storage facility.