Azerbaijan has inaugurated the first phases of the rebuilt villages of Soltanli in the Jabrayil district and Jahangirbeyli in the Zangilan district, moving both projects from construction into active resettlement.
President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the openings during a Nov. 6 visit to the formerly occupied territories, according to the Vesti Baku report and statements from the Azerbaijani presidency.
Aliyev and the first lady later met residents relocating to both villages in Jahangirbeyli, where the president presented families with keys to their new homes.
Soltanli’s First Phase
The first phase of Soltanli covers 78 hectares and was designed for 1,336 residents, with 315 detached houses.
Under the village master plan, Soltanli is expected eventually to cover nearly 399 hectares and accommodate about 6,100 people, or 1,525 families. The development plan includes detached and apartment housing, a school, kindergarten, hospital, sports and commercial facilities, as well as production and agricultural areas.
The opening announcement did not specify how many families would move into the village immediately.
Jahangirbeyli’s First Phase
The first phase of Jahangirbeyli was designed with 242 detached homes for 1,200 residents. The broader project covers 179.5 hectares and is intended to house 2,520 people, or 573 families.
The village plan includes a school, kindergarten, medical point, community center, retail and sports facilities, craft workshops and other services needed for permanent settlement.
During the same regional visit, Aliyev and the first lady also opened a Sunbeverage non-alcoholic drinks plant in the Jabrayil district. The inauguration of the villages is part of Azerbaijan’s Great Return program for people displaced from territories retaken in the 2020 war.