President of the European Council Charles Michel visited Shamakhi on July 18 as part of a working visit to Azerbaijan.

Axar.az reports that the guest visited the Shamakhi Juma Mosque, one of the oldest Muslim temples in the South Caucasus and the Middle East.

Aide to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Anar Alakbarov welcomed President of the European Council Charles Michel.

Imam of the mosque Marhamat Mustafayev informed the guest about the religious temple. It was stated that the mosque was built in 743. Shamakhi Juma Mosque, one of the oldest Muslim temples in Azerbaijan, in the South Caucasus and the Middle East, was built during the reign of Khalifa Khalid ibn Waliyad in honor of his brother Muslim ibn Waliyad.

There was also a visit to the museum in the courtyard of the mosque. During the acquaintance, it was noted that during the March massacres committed by armed Armenian Dashnak groups in 1918, an act of genocide was committed in Shamakhi. The biggest massacre took place in the Juma Mosque. Seeing that the residents of Shamakhi took refuge in the mosque as the house of God, the Armenians set fire to it and killed about 1,700 innocent people. The mosque, which was not used for its intended purpose during the Soviet era, is in danger of destruction.

It was noted that this historical monument was repaired in 1980 on the instructions and initiative of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, who paid great attention and care to the development of Azerbaijan in all areas, including the protection of our national and spiritual values. The overhaul of the Shamakhi Juma Mosque was carried out within the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's "Address of Tolerance - Azerbaijan" project, and the madrassas, cells and graves discovered during the restoration work in the 1970s and 1980s were preserved. The ancient cells around the Shamakhi Juma Mosque State Historical-Architectural Monument have been restored and major landscaping work has been carried out. In 2013, the mosque was inaugurated after restoration with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.