One of the Ancient mosques of Azerbaijan is the Garghabazar Mosque located in the Garaghabazar village of Fuzuli district of Azerbaijan. The Mosque is situated on the top of the rock, in the upper part of Shah Abbas Caravanserai in Garghabazar village. The architectural analysis of the construction of the caravanserai and the mosque suggests that both monuments were built by the same architect. That is why the Garghabazar Mosque also known as Shah Abbas Mosque among the people. However, in the academic literature, the Mosque is referred to as Haji Giyaseddin Mosque, which is related to the person who constructed the Mosque. The dates of construction of the mosque and caravanserai date back to the seventeenth century, mainly to 1683-1684. The door of the Mosque bears an inscription as, “O Allah, Mohammed or Ali. This mosque was constructed by a generous servant of God Haji Giyasaddin. Hijrah 1095.” The inscription on the right side says: “Allah is the one who opens the doors”.[1]

The Garghabazar Mosque does not have a veranda. It was completely constructed of the local stone and consisted of one hall. The roof is in the arched ceiling form. Wooden materials were used nowhere except the entrance door. The Mosque was built on the slab rock hill in the centre of the village.[2]

The Garghabazar Mosque was destroyed, burnt down, and plundered by Armenians as the result of the occupation of the Fuzuli district by the Armenian Armed Forces in 1993.

[1] Garabaghli, Rizvan, “Monuments of Architecture in Fizuli (Mosques)”, Problems of Arts and Culture: International scientific journal, No. 1(67), 2019, p. 65.

[2] “Fizuli Region”, Armenian Vandalism: Azerbaijani Monuments in Captive. https://www.armenianvandalism.az/en_fizuli.html.