President Ilham Aliyev inspects ongoing restoration work at Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque [PHOTOS]

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva reviewed the ongoing restoration work at the Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque, Azernews reports.

The head of state and the First Lady were briefed on the details on the restoration process.

The restoration project is led by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation with support from PA?A Holding. The project involves experts from Austria, Italy, Latvia, and Türkiye. The Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque, designed by Karbalayi Safikhan Garabaghi in the 19th century, was the first mosque in Shusha, built at the request of Govhar Agha, daughter of Ibrahim Khan. During the occupation of Shusha, the mosque suffered significant damage due to Armenian vandalism, including severe harm to the building and its minarets from Armenian armored vehicles' fire.

Local and international experts carried out assessments and created design plans based on the mosque's existing condition. The minarets have been restored, roof and floor coverings have been replaced, and other repair works are ongoing. The restoration also extends to the madrasa section of the mosque.