Gunduz Ismayilov: Around 1,000 mosques in Azerbaijan have no religious officials

Around 1,000 of the nearly 2,500 functioning mosques in Azerbaijan have no religious officials, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Gunduz Ismayilov said at a joint meeting of the Milli Majlis committees on Youth and Sports, Public Associations and Religious Organizations, and Culture during discussions on the draft law "On the State Budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2027".

According to Report, he noted that around one-third of the religious officials appointed to their positions had neither secondary nor higher religious education.

He added that at least 3,500 people had received religious education abroad and returned to Azerbaijan, stressing that under these circumstances, engaging Azerbaijani citizens living abroad in pursuing religious education in the country was becoming a key priority.