“I declare Shusha to be the capital of Azerbaijani culture. The city of Shusha deserves that. I think that it can be considered not only the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, but also of the entire region. The cultural life of Shusha should be rich,” said President Ilham Aliyev as he received in a video format Anar Karimov on his appointment as Minister of Culture.

Aliyev noted that work had already begun on the restoration of Shusha, adding that a large delegation was sent there on his instruction.

“So, the housing stock and historical sites must be inspected, the damage must be accurately calculated, and we must begin the restoration of Shusha. However, the original appearance and the historical image of Shusha must be restored without wasting time, but at the same time without haste,” Aliyev said.

Shusha is a city and the center of the Shusha District of Azerbaijan.

Between May 1992 and November 2020, Shusha was under the de facto control of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh and administered as part of its Shushi Province. On 8 November 2020, Azerbaijani forces retook the city during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War following a three-day long battle.