Azerbaijan hosts Cultural Heritage Forum

Baku, The Gulf Observer: Co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Heritage Forum has commenced in Azerbaijan for the first time, according to media reports.

The forum, hosted at the Gulustan Palace, is part of the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

The event brought together officials, art and science figures, as well as experts on cultural heritage.

First, the participants viewed the exhibition of national applied-decorative art examples – coppersmithing, carpet weaving, kalaghayi making, and tekalduz examples arranged in the foyer of the palace.

Addressing the forum, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Culture Saadat Yusifova said that National Leader Heydar Aliyev had always paid a special attention to the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage. “President Ilham Aliyev and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva always keep the preservation, restoration and promotion of the country’s cultural heritage in the spotlight,” Yusifova underlined.

She noted that 705 historical and cultural monuments in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur had been state-registered.

“During the occupation, they were deliberately destroyed, vandalized, with 47 monuments completely wiped from the face of the earth. In 2020-2022, the Azerbaijan’s State Service for Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, inspected 433 historical and cultural monuments. Additionally, they conducted monitoring of newly discovered monuments, identifying approximately 182 objects with historical, architectural, and archaeological features that were not previously state-registered,” the Deputy Minister added.

Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan’s Union of Architects Elbay Gasimzade spoke about the exploration and preservation of the historical heritage of the country. He highlighted President Ilham Aliyev’s and Firs Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva’s contributions to the exploration and preservation of the country’s cultural and historical heritage.

The event then featured the screening of a video highlighting the historical and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan.

Following the remarks, the forum continued with panel discussions.

The forum, which will run until December 20, will feature discussions on the preservation, development and promotion of culture and national heritage. Topics include the current situation, state support for tangible and intangible heritage, fine and applied arts, historical monuments, and various related areas.

The Forum envisages panels on “Immovable history of Azerbaijan – problems of research and protection of cultural heritage”, “History of Azerbaijan in the post-conflict period – issues of protection of cultural and natural heritage”, “Movable cultural heritage in Azerbaijan: museum work and modern challenges”, “Protection of intangible cultural heritage and modern challenges”, “Fine art and modern challenges” and “Cultural heritage and modern architecture – principles of urban planning”.

The panels will delve into the current situation and prospects of the respective fields.