Conservation of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage highlighted at UNESCO

“Icherisheher, with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower,” Azerbaijan’s first site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, marks its 25th anniversary this year. This milestone not only reflects Azerbaijan's contribution to global cultural heritage but also vividly illustrates the extensive experience the country has gained in heritage conservation over the past 25 years,” said Seymur Fataliyev, Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO, addressing the event titled "Safeguarding the World Heritage: Heritage Conservation and Communication Practices." The event was held as part of the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris.

Fataliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan currently has five sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Icherisheher with the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower; Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape; Cultural Landscape of Khinalig People and “Köç Yolu” Transhumance Route; Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace; and Hyrcanian Forests - the first natural heritage site from Azerbaijan to be inscribed.

He noted that Azerbaijan, a country rich in both cultural and natural heritage, is actively preparing new nomination dossiers for inclusion in the coming years. He reiterated Azerbaijan’s strong engagement with the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and underlined its active role as a former member of the World Heritage Committee.

“In 2019, Baku successfully hosted the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee,” Fataliyev recalled, adding that the event significantly contributed to strengthening international cooperation in the field of heritage. As a continuation of this commitment, Azerbaijan organized large-scale cultural heritage training programs in 2022–2023 for representatives of National Commissions from about 50 African countries, reinforcing the idea that heritage is a universal value transcending geographical boundaries.

Noting that Azerbaijan is bidding for membership in the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the 2025–2029 term, Fataliyev said: “By supporting Azerbaijan’s candidacy in the elections this November, member states will contribute to the protection of universal heritage and support efforts to enhance the equitable representation of African heritage on the World Heritage List.”

He also drew attention to the post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories, where around 100 cultural heritage monuments were found to be at risk due to extensive landmine contamination left behind by Armenia. These monuments, he said, face serious threats and require urgent protection.

Concluding his remarks, Seymur Fataliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan remains firmly committed to the conventions it has ratified and the obligations arising from them. He described cultural and natural heritage as the shared inheritance of all humanity, stressing that their protection is both a moral duty and a responsibility to future generations.