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Laman Ismayilova

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Parliamentary Committee on Culture has conducted a public hearing themed "A Modern Approach to the Protection and Promotion of Historical and Cultural Monuments," Azernews reports.

The hearing was attended by members of the Azerbaijani Parliament, heads and representatives of relevant government agencies, and experts in the field.

The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Polad Bulbuloglu, spoke about the large-scale restoration and reconstruction works currently being carried out in the country, emphasizing the importance of efforts related to historical and cultural monuments in this context.

He underlined that significant steps have been taken in the restoration, protection, research, and promotion of our historical monuments.

Polad Bulbuloglu also highlighted the growing public interest and care in preserving historical and cultural monuments.

Following this, the Culture Minister Adil Karimli delivered a speech.

Speaking on the importance of the topic, the minister stated that historical and cultural monuments form an integral part of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage.

The minister noted that since the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, new directions have been defined in the implementation of state policy in the field of culture, which are reflected in the draft document "Azerbaijan Culture Strategy 2040."

He emphasized the importance of issues such as the types and scope of cultural heritage, its management, and the establishment of a legal framework.

The minister mentioned that a working group has been created within the Ministry, and that work is underway on the draft law "On Cultural Heritage."

He also highlighted the development of a unified vision and management approach for cultural heritage, as well as the preparation of an action plan for the restoration, protection, and promotion of cultural heritage.

Adil Karimli stated that currently, there are 6,150 registered historical and cultural monuments, more than 4,300 of which are under the administration of the Culture Ministry.

He said there are plans to implement a unified framework for their registration and documentation, and emphasized that recent amendments to the Law "On the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments" were appropriate and timely.

The minister stressed the importance of awareness and education in the field of protection of historical and cultural monuments.

He noted that, under the President's directive, serious efforts are currently being made toward the restoration of historical and cultural monuments, especially those that were damaged or destroyed in the territories liberated from occupation.

He underlined that the large-scale projects being implemented in this regard, particularly under the leadership of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

During the hearing, Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Culture Committee Gunay Afandiyeva, as well as MPs Shahin Seyidzade, Alibala Maharramzade, Elnara Akimova, Gulshan Pashayeva, Ulviyya Hamzayeva, Sahib Aliyev, and Head of the Parliamentary Apparatus's Department of Social Legislation Adil Valiyev, shared their views on the protection of historical and cultural monuments, the preservation of national cultural heritage, and its transmission to future generations.

In their remarks, they emphasized the importance of creating an electronic registry of historical and cultural monuments, and noted the significance of instilling the protection of national and moral values in the younger generation.

It was also stated that the legislative framework regulating the protection of monuments has been established and continues to be improved.

Speakers at the event, including Chairman of the Board of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan Elbay Gasimzade, Rector of the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction Gulchohra Mammadova, Chair of the Architectural Heritage Commission of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan Rizvan Bayramov, Chairman of the Board of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration Rufat Mahmud, Director of the Institute of Architecture and Art of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Ertegin Salamzade, Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology Farhad Guliyev, and independent expert Faig Nasibov, emphasized the importance of institutional, financial, and human resources in the protection of monuments.

They outlined the need for the training of restoration specialists, raising public awareness regarding care and attention to national heritage, and ongoing work in the discovery, restoration, and inclusion of monuments in the list of state-protected sites.

They also shared thoughts on strengthening oversight of the condition and usage of monuments, defining liability for damage caused to them, and the wide application of modern technologies in their protection.

During the discussions, the Culture Minister Adil Karimli responded to the points raised in the speeches.