Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr K. Ramazanova / Azerbaijan intends to include more Azerbaijani cultural-historical monuments on the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO. The Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Minster, Abulfaz Garayev, reported to journalists on 4 July that cultural-historical monuments located in Shaki, Nakhchivan and Baku are among them.
Inclusion of monuments on the list of UNESCO World Heritage is quite a difficult procedure. It requires the development of documents and certificate on correspondence to UNESCO requirements. The Azerbaijani state historical reserve of Gobustan has already been included on the heritage list.
Rock carvings of Gobustan (some 40 km south-east of Baku) attracted the attention of Azerbaijani scientists in 1930 and a large-scale study began. As a result, at the decision of the Azerbaijani Government Gobustan was announced a state historical-artistic reserve in 1966.
In 2002, the Azerbaijani Government developed the documents necessary for the inclusion of Gobustan as a UNESCO World Culture Heritage site. At the initiative of the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, the Director General of UNESCO, Kouchiro Matsuura, was invited to Azerbaijan. He visited this unique open air museum. On 11 June 2007, the Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, signed a decree on 'Preservation of Historical and Cultural Values of Gobustan State Historical-Artistic Reserve' aimed at large-scale popularization of the reserve to the world. The decree stimulated inclusion of Gobustan to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.