Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

An international scientific and practical conference on the topic "Protection of ancient human settlements: threats and modern approaches" began at Heydar Aliyev Center, organized by the Culture Ministry, Azernews reports.

The two-day conference brought together scientists, researchers, experts, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations and media representatives from a number of countries.

The participants first got acquainted with the exhibition consisting of exhibits discovered from ancient settlements in Azerbaijan.

Welcoming the participants of the international conference, Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli said that the most valuable element of Azerbaijan's rich cultural heritage is the prehistoric human settlements located in Azerbaijan. Thus, numerous ancient settlements inhabited by primitive people, especially cave camps such as Azikh, Taglar and Damjili, as well as the Gobustan rock paintings, play an important role in studying the stages of development of human civilization:

"These monuments, in addition to being considered the cradle of civilization and culture, are of exceptional importance in terms of studying the stages of physical and spiritual development of people, the path of perfection, labor habits and lifestyles, as well as their migration routes."

The Culture minister said that the national cultural policy implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev is based on the state's protection, restoration and promotion of all the cultural heritage, including historical and cultural monuments located in the country, regardless of ethnic and religious affiliation. As the head of state noted in his speeches, multiculturalism has become a way of life for the Azerbaijani people.

The minister, who proposed to consider the issue of establishing a single platform for joint research and promotion of ancient human settlements during the conference, said that multi-level international exchange programs in this area should not only be implemented within the framework of intergovernmental and international organizations, but also between scientific institutes, universities, think tanks, museums, and even NGOs.

As a state that has been subjected to military aggression and part of its lands have been occupied for nearly 30 years, we have experienced this bitter truth in our own experience. In addition to the destruction of historical monuments and the looting of rich and ancient exhibits belonging to our people by the occupying forces, illegal archaeological expeditions have also been observed in the Azikh cave, one of the oldest human settlements in the world. In this regard, I think that during the second panel session, within the framework of discussions, ways to improve the existing mechanisms of international organizations and expand monitoring capabilities should also be touched upon," the Culture Minister emphasized.

Adil Karimli noted that the Azerbaijani government, by the will and instructions of the President, is carrying out large-scale restoration and construction work in the territories liberated from occupation. These measures are also designed to revive our culture.

Noting the importance of the conference, President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Academician Isa Habibbayli, said that this event will contribute to the study and promotion of historical monuments in the territory of our country in the future. Providing information about the Azikh cave, which has no equal in the world, the academician said that as a result of the occupation of our lands by Armenians, this monument, along with all our historical heritage in Garabagh, was also greatly damaged.

After the historic Victory we won in the Patriotic War, special importance is attached to the study of monuments in these territories. In the last two years, serious research work has been carried out in the Azikh cave with the participation of Azerbaijani and foreign specialists.

The President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Aktoty Raimkulova , the President of the Turkic Academy Professor Shahin Mustafayev, TURKSOY Secretary-General Sultan Raev, the Director of UNESCO for Culture and Emergencies Krista Pikkat and the President of the OIC Institute of Culture Saad S. Khan made speeches at the conference and wished success to the work of the conference.

It was outlined that the conference aims to discuss new ideas and solutions for the protection, promotion, research and promotion of the most ancient examples of cultural heritage.

At the same time, the event aims to take important steps to strengthen international and regional cooperation, develop new strategies for the protection of cultural heritage and create mechanisms for their implementation.

The participants of the opening ceremony watched a video clip dedicated to the theme of the conference.

The international conference has continued its work throughout the day with panel sessions on the topics "Ancient Human Settlements: Cultural Heritage as the Cradle of Humanity ", "Ancient Human Settlements in a Changing Climate and Armed Conflict ", and "Ancient Human Settlements of Azerbaijan as Part of the World Heritage ".

The discussions review existing international mechanisms and national efforts, and identify best practices and areas for improvement.