Cultural heritage protection is based on UNESCO’s relevant conventions, recommendations, and classifications, which include immovable, movable, and intangible heritage. Immovable cultural heritage in the Republic of Azerbaijan is primarily under the jurisdiction of the State Service for the Protection, Development, and Restoration of Cultural Heritage within the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and partially under the jurisdiction of other state bodies. Thus, 4.326 (70.34%) of the 6,150 registered historical and cultural monuments are under the jurisdiction of the State Service, 732 (11.9%) monuments are under the jurisdiction of the Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve “Icherisheher”, 210 (3.41%) monuments – the Reserves Management Centre under the State Tourism Agency, 196 (3.19%) – the Shusha City State Reserve Department, and another 686 (11.16%) registered monuments are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The number of newly discovered monuments under the protection of the State Service of the Ministry of Culture is 1802, of which 402 were found in the liberated territories and 1400 in other regions of the country. Thus, the total number of immovable monuments, registered and newly discovered, is 7952.
In addition, there are 29 historical, cultural, architectural, artistic and ethnographic reserves in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan: 13 reserves are under the jurisdiction of the State Service of the Ministry of Culture, nine under the Tourism Agency, two under the Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve “Ichersheher”, one under the jurisdiction of the Shusha City State Reserve Department and four historical and cultural reserves of the Ministry of Culture of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Among the main directions of activity of the State Service for Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the last years are:
- Monitoring the current condition of historical monuments;
- Inventory work in the liberated territories;
- Updating the register of monuments, preparing passports and protection zones;
- Restoration and conservation of monuments;
- Improving cultural heritage protection;
- Activities of historical and cultural reserves;
- International cooperation.
On December 18-19, 2023, the Cultural Heritage Forum was held in our country for the first time, organised by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture. The forum, which included extensive discussions with the participation of well-known historians, archaeologists, artists, architects, sculptors, artisans, and other specialists in the field, discussed the preservation, development, and promotion of national heritage, the current situation, state support for tangible and intangible heritage, fine and applied arts, historical monuments, and other areas. Panels were organised at the forum on the topics of “Problems of research and protection of immovable history – cultural heritage of Azerbaijan”, “Issues of protection of the historical-cultural and natural heritage of Azerbaijan in the post-conflict period”, “Movable cultural heritage in Azerbaijan: museum work and modern challenges”, “Protection of intangible cultural heritage and modern challenges”, “Fine arts and modern challenges”, “Cultural heritage and contemporary architecture – Principles of urban planning”.
Special attention is paid to preserving, restoring and supporting Azerbaijan’s intangible cultural heritage: local lore (customs and traditions, ceremonies and festivities, symbols and mysteries), national folklore (music and dances, verbal literature traditions, games and performances), and artisanship (traditional applied, visual and decorative arts). The “State Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Azerbaijan” (https://intangible.az/front/az/contests) comprises a list of over 5,000 intangible cultural heritage items, a database of more than 850 intangible cultural heritage samples, and information on 180 intangible cultural heritage bearers, as well as 68 institutions and organisations. The Ministry of Culture established the State Register in collaboration with the Institutes of Folklore, Archaeology and Ethnography, Architecture and Art of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, relevant public associations and non-governmental organisations, and individual researchers.
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