BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 10. The establishment of new and further strengthening of existing relationships for expanding cultural ties is one of the priority issues, Special Envoy of Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, Secretary-General of the National Commission of Azerbaijan for UNESCO Seymur Fataliyev said, Trend reports.
Fataliyev made the remark at an international conference themed "Viable and sustainable heritage cities" organized by the "Icherisheher" State Historical and Architectural Reserve in collaboration with the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
According to him, the initiative to create a network of Turkic heritage managers, as outlined in the Samarkand Declaration adopted at the 9th summit of the Turkic Council in Uzbekistan in 2022, has now become a reality.
"Congratulations to all the states that have joined this initiative. International cooperation in the preservation, research, and restoration of cultural heritage is conducted through UNESCO conventions," the envoy noted. "The establishment of a network of Turkic heritage managers will create ample opportunities for closer cooperation and the exchange of expertise among specialists from Turkic-speaking countries regarding the relevant heritage sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List."
"This network will enable us to introduce innovations in this field in the future. I'm pleased that during the conference, guests will become acquainted with the cultural heritage of both Icherisheher in Baku and the city of Shaki. Guests are also expected to visit the city of Shusha," said Fataliyev.
He also added that, according to the decree of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Shusha has been declared a cultural city.
"This city has a rich cultural heritage. Azerbaijan has five cultural monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The first entries were Icherisheher, the Maiden Tower, and the Shirvanshahs' Palace. It's gratifying that a few weeks ago, the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held in Riyadh, where Hyrcanian Forests (the first natural monument in Azerbaijan) and Khinalig [State History-Architecture and Ethnography Reserve] were added to the UNESCO list in two nominations. The creation of a network of Turkic heritage managers will help implement new measures in this area in the future," he emphasized.
Azerbaijan has a number of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. Among them are Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, Historic Center of Shaki with the Khan’s Palace, Ichersheher in Baku with the Shirvanshahs' Palace and Maiden Tower, etc.
In April 2023, Azerbaijan said it submitted its proposal (on the country's Hyrcanian Forests) for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's transnational nomination at the end of 2022.
Meanwhile, as a result of the Karabakh war and Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani lands, a lot of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage suffered enormous damage.