Once, when Garatel came to Gazakh, he brought red, blue, and green pieces, sewed them together, and painted the moon and stars with chalk. He said: "Mother, this is the tricolor flag of Azerbaijan, and we will be an independent state." I said, "Where are you going to raise this flag? The Russians will break us." He said, "I will raise this flag in the square myself, mother."
Garatel, who was attached to his native village, fought for his homeland until his last breath. The lady who shot herself at the last moment to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy became a warrior legend.
Garatel Hajimahmudova was born in 1948 in Ashagi Askipara village of Gazakh region. After graduating from the Baku Trade College, he studied by correspondence at the Faculty of Commodity Studies of the Institute of National Economy.
For some time he worked in Baku, in the oil exploration department. In the most difficult days of the 90s, he returned to his native village and from the very first days voluntarily defended his motherland. As the road from Azerbaijan to Armenia passed through Ashagi Askipara, ungrateful neighbors tried to seize this important strategic position at any cost.
Garatel last met his younger brother Humbat in 1990. He advised his brother to go there because of the war in Lower Askipara. Humbat says he will go to Karabakh. He comes to his village and joins a volunteer self-defense group of young people from the village. Garatel cooked for the warriors and washed their clothes. When there was not enough food, he would go and gather herbs from the gardens and cook them so that the warriors would not go hungry. At the same time he was fighting in the trenches.
On June 8, 1992, the Armenians launched a strong attack. A self-defense group of about 30 people was formed. Hajimahmudova was in a group of 28 people, each given a submachine gun and two grenades. Despite all the difficulties, the group was able to repel the Armenian attack.
On June 9, there was another intense shooting. Garatel was often mentioned in enemy positions, and evil deeds were planned against him. For this reason, no matter how hard his brother and mother, Teyyuba, try to send Garateli home. "I swear by the grave of my brother Muhammad. I will fight to the last breath, I will not let the feet of fools touch this land," he said.
On June 14, Armenian bandits attacked Ashagi Askipara from three directions. They put money on Garatel's head and wanted to keep him alive no matter what. Knowing this, Garatel never hesitated and did not back down. He fought in the platoon of Commander Yashar Gasimov. In the so-called Falamaz position, artillery and tanks came under fire from all sides. Garatel Hajimahmudova fulfilled the difficult task of the commander. He brought a grenade launcher from another trench. As the strength of the enemy and the Azerbaijani fighters was unequal, the situation could worsen at any moment. Although Commander Gasimov ordered Hajimahmudova to leave the trench, even to leave the village, she did not retreat, occasionally changing her position. He always carried poison and sewed it on the collar of his shirt. Garatel Hajimahmudova shot herself after drinking the poison she was carrying to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy. Vali Namazov was captured together with the villagers.
Armenians heard that Garatel shot himself at the last moment to avoid capture. Admired by the courage of this brave woman, the Dashnaks came one by one, three by one, watching the brave warrior. On June 26, the body of Garatel Hajimahmudova, along with the bodies of Mardan Askerov, Shamistan Amiraslanov, Surkhay Mammadov and Ali Aliyev, and the captured villager Vali Namazov were exchanged for Armenian hostages. After his death, he was awarded the "Flag of Azerbaijan" order by the President. Qaratel was single. He adopted the three children of his brother Muhammad and dedicated his life to them.
Works were written about him, films were made, a memorial corner was created in the Kazakh Museum of Ethnography. Thus, the name of the brave Qaratel became a legend. "It is a real fortress of honour," said Hussein Arif