Azerbaijan has established a systematic approach to protecting religious, historical and architectural monuments, Culture Minister Adil Karimli said.
Karimli made the remarks at the conference “Preservation of Historical and Religious Monuments: Challenges and Prospects” in Baku, organised by the Ministry of Culture and the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations, Caliber.Az reports.
He said the monuments form part of Azerbaijan’s ancient history and stressed the importance of preserving them in their original form for future generations.
“Azerbaijan is doing everything to preserve this heritage in its original form and pass it on to future generations. In the modern world, there are alarming challenges threatening religious, historical and architectural monuments. The most dangerous of these are climate change, urbanization and armed conflicts,” Karimli said.
He also referred to the destruction and damage to Azerbaijani historical and architectural monuments during the 30-year occupation.
“Unfortunately, during the 30-year occupation, hundreds of Azerbaijani historical and architectural monuments were destroyed or subjected to desecration, vandalism and looting. This is the bitter truth that we had to endure,” he said.
Karimli said restoration efforts were now being carried out on a large scale in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev.
“Now, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, large-scale work is being carried out to restore historical and architectural monuments in Karabakh and East Zangazur. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, led by First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, plays an important role in this,” Karimli said.
By Tamilla Hasanova
