Historical background to the document "Speech by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev at the inauguration ceremony of the Bibiheybat mosque shrine complex (July 12, 1998)"

Heydar Aliyev attached great significance to the religious rituals and traditions related to Islam. Allocating funds for the reconstruction of the Bibi-Heybat Mosque and personally supervising the related activities can prove it. The Bibi-Heybat Mosque was built as a sanctuary during the era of the Shirvanshah. The inscription on the portal of the mosque says that
it has been built by architect Mahmud ibn Said by the order of Farrukhzad II in 1281-1282. The Bibi-Heybat Mosque includes the tomb the daughter of the Seventh Imam Museyi Kazim, sister of the eighth Imam Riza Hazrat Hakima and three grandchildren (2 males, 1 female) of Imam Musei Kazim. The sanctuary was completely destructed twice within the anti-religion
campaign in 1934; the Triumphal Arch in honor of the victory of the Soviet Army in Azerbaijan and a statue to Stalin were erected on its place.

The Bibi-Heybat sanctuary gained a new life thanks to Heydar Aliyev. Rehabilitation and reconstruction of the mosque began in 1997. A year later, on July 12, on the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, Heydar Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the mosque. In 2008, with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev, the sanctuary was opened as a whole complex.