Imarat Cemetery
Location: Aghdam city, Aghdam
Condition Assessment
Status: Major damage
The Imarat Cemetery, located in the city of Aghdam, is not included on the Republic of Azerbaijan's official list of heritage sites. But CHW has include this site in its analysis given its historical importance. The cemetery includes several mausolea of important historical figures (e.g., Panah Ali Khan , Ibrahim Khalil Khan , and Mehdigulu Khan Javanshir ). In addition, the cemetery was the focus of an archeological expedition during the 1920s, 1 according to which the oldest tombstone in the cemetery dates to 1174. The latest mausolea in the cemetery, according to the archaeologists who investigated the site, date to the 19 th century.
Due to tree cover, Hexagon satellite imagery dated August 1977 2 does not provide a clear "baseline" condition of the cemetery during the late Soviet period.
Drag the swipe tool right to see the cemetery in August 1977; 2 drag left to see the cemetery in November 2004. 3
Available satellite coverage of the later years is also not suitable for assessing the changing conditions of the cemetery.
Drag the swipe tool right to see the cemetery in November 2004; 3 drag left to see the cemetery in June 2019. 4
Despite the limitations of the satellite imagery, CHW determines that the cemetery has sustained major damage given that a) one of the mausolea in the cemetery ( Panah Ali Khan Mausoleum ) sustained major damage at some point prior to 2004; b) the tomb and monument of the famous Azerbaijani poet, Khurshidbanu Natavan, was destroyed and vandalized ; and c) there is evidence for vandalism and disturbance ( a , b , c ) of other tombstones in the cemetery.
Geolocation
The Imarat Cemetery is marked on a 1:25k scale map of 1975. 5
The cemetery on a 1:25K scale map of 1975. 5
Supplementary Images
The cemetery after the 2020 Karabakh War
References
1 Александрович Дж., Азимбеков И., Сысоев В. М., Евлах-Шуша: археологический очерк: отдельный оттиск из 3-го выпуска "Известий Азкомстариса". АЗКОМСТАРИС. Баку: [б. и.], 1928, p. 4.
2 KH-9 Hexagon, D3C1213-200317F01, August 22, 1977.
3 Google Earth and Maxar Technologies, November 12, 2004.
4 Google Earth and Maxar Technologies, June 23, 2019.
5 1:25K scale topographic map of the General Directorate of Geodesy and Cartography of USSR Ministries’ Council (Sheet A-39-28-B-b, 1975).
