Last year, three mosques and one church in Baku, as well as four mosques, 20 mausoleums, four monasteries and 13 temples in the liberated territories, were registered as state-protected monuments, Deputy Minister of Culture Saadat Yusifova said at a conference titled “Preservation of historical and religious monuments: challenges and prospects,” jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture and the State Committee for Affairs with Religious Associations, Report informs.
She said mosques, churches, monasteries, mausoleums, shrines and other religious structures are not merely historical architectural monuments, but also living witnesses to spiritual values, religious traditions and the history of coexistence among different communities formed over centuries.
“Azerbaijan has historically been a place where different religions have converged. Today, various regions of our country are home to religious and historical monuments dating from both the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods. All of them are considered part of our national cultural heritage and are protected by the state,” Yusifova said.
She noted that, under Cabinet Decision No. 132 of 2001, 423 mosques, 213 mausoleums, 163 cemeteries and 222 churches and temples were placed under state protection.
“The process is continuing. Last year alone, three mosques and one church in Baku, as well as four mosques, 20 mausoleums, four monasteries and 13 temples in the liberated territories, were registered as state-protected sites. These figures once again demonstrate the role of state policy in preserving religious monuments,” the deputy minister said.
Yusifova added that, as part of the implementation of the presidential decree on organizing temporary special administration in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories, the State Service for Protection, Restoration and Development of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture has inventoried 575 monuments since November 3, 2020, including 196 in Shusha.
The inventory of 130 state-registered monuments in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur has not yet been completed, she said, citing landmine contamination as the main reason.
According to the results of the analysis, 68 monuments in the liberated territories have been completely destroyed, while 114 others have suffered damage of varying degrees.
Report