Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

April 18 is celebrated as the International Day for Monuments and Sites each year around the world.

Approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983, the event is aimed to promote awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity, their vulnerability and the efforts required for their protection and conservation.

The cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people is an inseparable part of the world culture and the tool attracting thousands of foreign tourists.

The Icheri Sheher, Shirvanshahs Palace, Maiden Tower and other unique monuments that testify for rich culture of Azerbaijani people are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Atashgah Fire Temple and Gobustan State History and Arts Reserve, an open air museum and one of the oldest historic sites in Absheron and many others are unique samples of Azerbaijan, proving the antiquity of its civilization.

Sightseeing in the country’s regions such as Palace of the Sheki Khans, Sheki Caravansarai and Juma Mosque of Ganja and Momine Khatun Mausoleum in Nakhchivan are other interesting attractions mesmerizing many tourists.

Establishment of the Gala Archeological and Ethnographic Museum Complex located in one of Absheron’s most ancient settlements serves to preservation of the historical past and transformation of the country into a tourism center.

Historical and Ethnographic Reserve Gala is located in 40 km of Baku - Sulh street, 5. Founded in 2008 in the Gala settlement, the reserve is dedicated to the history of the Absheron Peninsula. The visitors can get acquainted with the lifestyle the people enjoyed in between the 16th-19th centuries. The complex features cave paintings, gavaldash, pottery, household items, jewelry, weapons and coins, and ancient settlements dating back from the III-II millennium BC. to the Middle Ages.

The Shirvanshahs Palace, located in the heart of the Old City is another place of interest which hold many mysteries and secrets. The palace was constructed in the 13th-16th centuries.The palace also has a colorful museum, which will not leave any history lover indifferent.

The Maiden Tower, a historical symbol of Baku dating back to ancient times, has always been a source of national pride. It is believed that the monument was built as a Zoroastrian temple used for fire worshipping, sacrifice rituals and other religious ceremonies. In January 2014, the tower opened its doors to visitors after a major conservation work.

The cultural property of the Azerbaijani people isn't limited and include many ancient places. The Armenian armed forces that occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan territories officially recognized by all the UN member states violently destroyed the national and cultural monuments there.

As a result of military aggression, the Azykh and Taglar Caves, known as pioneer settlements of primitive man, and while Garakopek and Uzarliktep barrows are used in military purposes and destroyed partially. Along with burial mounds in Khojaly, Agdam, Agdere, Fizuli, Jabrail regions, cemeteries, mausoleums, gravestone monuments, mosques, temples, monuments of the Caucasian Albania and other national monuments in the occupied regions have been purposefully destroyed.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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