A delegation of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), led by President H.E. Dr Fateh Boutbig, visited the historic Juma Mosque in the city of Shamakhi, Azerbaijan, on the margins of its official visit to the country.
The delegation learned about the mosque’s historical and religious significance and joined worshippers in prayer. The visit formed part of the delegation’s wider programme in Azerbaijan from 16 to 18 September 2026, undertaken at the invitation of H.E. Mrs Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Milli Majlis.
Regarded as the oldest mosque in Azerbaijan and one of the oldest in the Caucasus, the Juma Mosque was originally built as early as 743 AD. It stands among the country’s largest and most ornate places of worship, and its present structure was reconstructed in 2013.
Over the centuries the mosque was destroyed and rebuilt several times, notably following the 1859 earthquake that devastated much of Shamakhi and during the inter-ethnic clashes of 1918.
The President was accompanied by Hon. Djidda Mamar Mahamat, Third Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament; Hon. Dr Arlete Borges, Fourth Vice-President; and Hon. Yosri Baouab, Chairperson of the Northern Caucus.
Read the original release on pap.au.int
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