Ağdam

Ağdam. That's it. No corny blog titles. No tantalizing lead-ins. None of the, admittedly blunt, literary tools I may have in my limited arsenal. There's no need. The stark reality of the place more than speaks for itself.

I have spent the majority of the last 2 decades living overseas, largely in developing countries. I have travelled to numerous war affected areas. Recently I visited both Afghanistan and Iraq. I've been to Chechnya, Kosovo, Kashmir and Lebanon. I have seen the aftermath of war. I have never seen anything like Ağdam.

Years of full blown war ravaged the tiny Nagorno-Karabagh enclave. Although internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, Armenia also stakes claim to it. In the early 90's, Armenian forces were successful in driving out not only the Azeri military but essentially the entire Azerbaijani population. The region is littered with deserted ghost towns once inhabited by the Azeri settlers. None even remotely compare to the scale of the city of Ağdam. Once a major city of 100,000 people, it now lies completely empty. But more than simply being abandoned, like a fresh kill on the Serengeti the city has been picked cleaned by opportunity seeking vultures. The homes, businesses and schools now lie as skeletal remains strewn upon landscape.

Other than the scrap collectors rifling through the remains, there are a few farmers using the land for their cows. The only building even remotely intact is a large mosque in the city. It's minarets still lead the faithfuls eyes to, what must surely be, a Godless Ağdam sky. But in some cruel punishment (either intentional or not) the mosque, holy building of the banished Muslims, is now a stable for the cattle of the Christian Armenians. Climbing the minaret of the mosque is the best way to try to fully grasp the enormity of the situation. I can only compare the site to that of a mixture between post-Hiroshima bombing and the Trenoble nuclear disaster. For miles, the underbrush has grown to engulf the once vibrant town.

I get it. War sucks. I'm not laying blame or taking sides. I am not a politician. I have no idea what the best course of action to attain a solution to the conflict is. But apparently, after almost 20 years, neither do the parties involved. I am well aware that a number of the friends I made while living in Azerbaijan will be disappointed, if not angry, on my decision to visit Karabagh. But by seeing and experiencing the situation first-hand, I will be able to better inform others about it. Information breeds interest. Interest breeds determination. Determination breeds solution. In a world grown complacent about war, hearing for the up-teenth time that XXX number of Iraqis were killed in yet another bombing. Or some tiny mountain village, they can't pronounce, was attacked in Afghanistan. It is the personal stories of individual experience that are the only way to convey a message. It is through dialogue that we can achieve peace.

In terms of the logistics, any traveller should seriously consider whether a trip to Ağdam is worth it. Upon arrival in the "capital" Stepanakert, all foriegners must register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They will ask your intenary for Karabagh and give a permit for those regions. They will not, under normal circumstances, give permission to enter Ağdam. That means a visit there is a visa violation and could result in jail time. On top of which, Ağdam lies on, what is essential, the front lines of the war. There are still reports of cross border shooting making the area very dangerous. And if that wasn't enough, the area is a highly sensitve military zone, so taking picutes is tantamount to spying. There's no public transport and no way to hitchhike. I had to bargain with taxis to take me the 30km. Private taxis wouldn't do it. It had to be the metered ones. Making the trip around 6,000 Dram.

*some of my photos of Karabagh were deleted, so not of picutures on this blog post are mine*