Zangilan District is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the south-west of the country and belongs to the Kalbajar-Lachin Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Qubadli, Jabrayil and the Syunik Province of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Zangilan. As of 2020, the district had a nominal population of 45,200. On October 29, 1993, the district came under the occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

There are historical monuments in the territory of the district: a circular tower in Khadijally village, an octagonal mausoleum of Yahya ibn Muhammad al-Haj (1304–1305) in Məmmədbəyli village.

On 20 October 2020, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, announced that Azerbaijani military forces recaptured some settlements in Zangilan district, namely, Havali, Zarnali, Mammadbayli, Hakari, Sharifan, Mughanli villages, as well as Zangilan city itself.
On October 21, 2020, it was announced that Minjivan settlement and 12 more villages of Zangilan district have been recaptured. Azerbaijani authorities announced the capture of 13 more villages and Aghband settlement of Zangilan district on October 22, 2020. The recapture of Aghband settlement was highlighted for the reason that full control over the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran was established after the recapture.