On March 15, an international scientific-practical conference on “Preservation of Prehistoric Human Settlements: Threats and Modern Approaches” was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center, organized by the Ministry of Culture.

According to AZERTAC, the event began with a video presentation about the Azykh and Taghlar caves.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Culture Farid Jafarov highlighted key points related to the topic. He stated that the main issue is the organization of international efforts to protect ancient human settlements. “Naturally, these settlements are most vulnerable to vandalism during wars. Additionally, natural phenomena also impact this process. In fact, the issue of cultural heritage during armed conflicts has been relevant in international law for 150 years. A major conference on the impact of landmines on cultural heritage was held in Aghdam. Aghdam is one of the areas facing the threat of landmines. Today, protection regimes must change and adapt to new challenges. Particularly, measures must be taken against threats related to climate change. Within the framework of COP29, the mutual impact of culture and climate change was also discussed. Culture plays a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change,” added F. Jafarov.

Elman Abdullayev, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, noted that the biggest threat to cultural heritage today is the landmine problem. He mentioned that a significant portion of the liberated territories is home to cultural heritage monuments: “Certain works are being carried out within the framework of UNESCO in this direction. The issue of landmines is one of the most important topics related to both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Research in ancient human settlements once again proves that the protection of cultural heritage is one of the top priorities. Holding such discussions is crucial because the directions presented to international organizations are based on topics shaped by experts and the public. However, first and foremost, knowledge and expertise are fundamental. Without these, the positions presented to international organizations will weaken. Advancing the recognition of ancient human settlements within the framework of UNESCO and their future nomination is a very important issue.”

Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, spoke about the Foundation’s activities related to the topic. “Ancient settlements are the spiritual and historical sources of the past. Their preservation is crucial for passing our history and culture to future generations. Protecting such monuments requires the application of new methods in archaeology and restoration. Today’s event provides us with the opportunity to discuss the preservation of historical monuments, which are an integral part of world cultural heritage,” she added.

Saad S. Khan, President of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Cultural Institute, provided information on the activities of the ECO.

Farhad Guliyev, Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute, expressed his feelings while working in the liberated territories: “During that period, we witnessed the deliberate destruction of our cultural monuments. It was extremely painful and difficult. The historical monuments of the Azerbaijani people were systematically destroyed. Our goal is to restore these monuments and pass them on to future generations.”

Vali Bakhshaliyev, Deputy Director of the Institute of History, Ethnography, and Archaeology at the Nakhchivan Branch of ANAS and corresponding member of the Academy, provided detailed information about the Gamigaya rock carvings, emphasizing that they are witnesses to our ancient history.

The event continued with a Q&A session.