Shusha, June 15, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, First Lady Emine Erdogan have visited the “Khan gizi” spring in Shusha.

The Turkish President was informed of the “Khan gizi” spring.

A photo then was taken in front of the “Khan gizi” spring.

XXX

Then the Presidents and their family members headed to the Jidir Duzu plain by bus.

President Ilham Aliyev: This is Karabakh hotel. It was built during my father's leadership. The Armenians used only two of its floors.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: What about the other floors?

President Ilham Aliyev: They were in a deplorable state.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Is the hotel being restored now?

President Ilham Aliyev: Yes, restoration work has begun. They will be completed within three to four months.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: When work in this building and at the airport is completed, tourists will start coming here.

President Ilham Aliyev: The one you are staying at did not work either.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Was it there before?

President Ilham Aliyev: It was there in Soviet times. This is a place to live. These are the places left after the war. And this is the Govharagha mosque. We have renovated it too.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Is it operational now?

President Ilham Aliyev: Yes. Mehriban and I came here and prayed last time. One mosque here was dilapidated. And this is a spring.

Emine Erdogan: How many springs are there?

President Ilham Aliyev: There are 17 springs here because there were 17 blocks, 17 mosques and 17 springs in Shusha. This is what the Armenians have done to our buildings.

Bilal Erdogan: In other words, did they live in poverty?

President Ilham Aliyev: Yes, they lived in poverty. These are all buildings of the Soviet era. Have a look – these are traces of war. There were street fights here. Everything here is in such a ruined state.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Kharibulbul.

President Ilham Aliyev: Kharibulbul is the name of this flower.

Bilal Erdogan: It just grows here?

President Ilham Aliyev: Yes, we will show it there. And this is Vagif's mausoleum. He was the vizier of the Karabakh khan.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Is it newly built?

President Ilham Aliyev: My father built it. The Armenians destroyed it. We are rebuilding it now. It should be ready within a month. Molla Panah Vagif, the vizier of Ibrahimkhalil Khan, was at the same time a very famous poet. In 1982, my father built this mausoleum on his grave. And the Armenians destroyed it.

And now we are going to the historic place of Shusha – the Jidir Duzu plain.