BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 8. More than 20 historical monuments have been restored in Azerbaijan's Shusha, while construction and restoration work are ongoing at others, Farida Mammadova, chief specialist of the Shusha city museum department, told Trend's Karabakh bureau.
According to her, before the occupation, there were about 300 historical monuments in Shusha city. During the occupation, most of these monuments were completely destroyed.
"One of the restored historical monuments is the Mehmandarov mansion complex. The complex includes a large residential building, a small residential building, a family mosque, and a spring. The mansion belonged to Mirza Alibay Mehmandarov, who worked as a mehmandar (a historical official responsible for hosting and managing guests) during the reign of Ibrahimkhalilkhan and Panahalikhan.
At that time, hospitality was considered one of the most responsible positions. The mehmandar performed important tasks such as welcoming the khan's guests, accommodating them, and delivering their letters to the khan," she said.
Mammadova noted that once Mirza Alibay Mehmandarov got older, the khan handed him a piece of land in one of the new neighborhoods, and he built his mansion there.
"The mansion was built in 1848 by the famous architect of Karabakh, Karbalayi Safikhan Karabakhi. The large residential building of the mansion was destroyed by the Armenians during the occupation. Currently, the small residential building, which has been preserved, functions as a museum. The museum displays exhibitions on the theme of the interiors of the Karabakh nobility of the 19th century. The atmosphere created here transports visitors to that era, allowing them to see the lifestyle of the Karabakh noble families and the objects they used up close," she added.
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