"I remember that exactly a year ago, after the Great Patriotic War, we visited Shusha. Our visit, organised on the joint initiative of the Israeli Diaspora Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, continued along the way, accompanied by Azerbaijani soldiers. For the first time, I set foot on the lands of Karabakh, and the holes opened by shells along the way, the remnants of arsoned cars gave the impression of a real war. Our way was to Shusha ... ”
This opinion was expressed by Israeli journalist Rachel Avraham, who participated in the first International Food Festival held in Shusha. She told Ednews about her impressions of his trip to Shusha, the pearl of Azerbaijan's culture.
Rachel is an Israeli citizen and works as a correspondent for the Canadian Jewish News (TheCJN). She notes that she watched with great excitement all the processes of the war in which Azerbaijan fought for restoration of its territorial integrity. It was after such a great victory that the desire to see Karabakh brought her to Azerbaijan.
"Military escort cars were taking us to Shusha from Fuzuli direction. The asphalt layer of the road was completely destroyed and had many potholes. Strict mine inspections were carried out on the roads ahead of us. The most annoying thing was that in those vast areas it was impossible to find a single person to stand and talk while looking around.
When we finally reached Shusha, there was only a mosque, destroyed buildings and a city plunged into darkness. In the evening, the city looked even scarier. We spent the night by candlelight with the soldiers because the power lines were completely ruined. Without realising it, I tried to look for a market nearby, but then I remembered where I was. I was very hungry and azerbaijani soldiers generously shared their food with us. When I first arrived, Shusha gave me the impression of hunger."
Journalist Rachel Avraham said that for a long time her thoughts about Shusha were remembered with hunger. She also stressed that during her second visit to Shusha, she intends to completely eliminate these feelings.
"In fact, I was happy, because Karabakh and its heart, Shusha, were freed from 30 years of occupation. But that feeling of absence in Shusha made a bitter impression on me. That is why this time I decided to come to Shusha on the eve of the first ever International Food Festival."
A year later, Rachel Avraham made one more visit to Shusha, where she came the same way.
"This time I could not believe my eyes when I went to Shusha. It was as if I were entering a magical world, as in the tale of Alice's Wonderland. It was completely different here ...
Smooth asphalt roads led us straight to Shusha. There were neither sign of the burnt cars on the side of the road, nor the holes opened by the shells. When we entered Shusha, we came across a festival that was giving life to surrounding. It wiped out the feeling of hunger in my memory. The city was in celebration. And most importantly, there was no question of a 5-star hotel where we spent the night.”
Rachel Avraham notes that neither Karabakh nor Shusha had witnessed the war. Those pleasant places, which once smelled of gunpowder, now adorn the air with an appetising aroma of intoxicating spices and delicacies.
It should be noted that on May 5-8, for the first time in Azerbaijan, with the joint support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency, the International Food Festival was organised in Shusha to display the delicacies of world cuisine. More than 11 Azerbaijani and 12 foreign cuisines were represented at the event, which was attended by dozens of foreign and local chefs.
By Elnur Enveroglu
