Shusha and Aghdam Monuments Added to ICESCO's Tentative List of Islamic World Heritage
As reported earlier, Shusha, designated as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2024, hosted the 12th meeting of Islamic World Heritage Committee of ICESCO on October 8-9. The meeting resumed on October 9. During the third session, various nominations for the Islamic World Heritage List were reviewed.
The proposal of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan to nominate the "Shusha Historical-Architectural Reserve" and the "Aghdam Building Complex and Juma Mosque" for inclusion in the ICESCO Tentative List of Islamic World Heritage was discussed. First, the Islamic World Heritage Committee of ICESCO listened to Rizvan Bayramov, an expert representing our country in the Committee. Later, Araz Baghirli, Head of the Division for Cooperation with International Organizations of the Ministry of Culture, gave a presentation titled "Pearls of Aghdam." The presentation highlighted four key phases of the cultural heritage of Aghdam: the creation phase related to the Karabakh Khanate and the 19th century, the expansion of cultural institutions until 1993, the period of occupation and culturicide from 1993 to 2020, and the cultural revival after 2020. The participants saw photos reflecting the condition of symbolic monuments such as the Imarat Complex, Juma Mosque, Aghdam State Drama Theater, Bread Museum, and Tea House in different periods.
During the meeting, it was emphasized that Azerbaijan's experience in the restoration of cultural heritage serves as a unique model for revitalization of post-conflict areas all over the world. The 12th session of the Committee in Shusha was of special importance for our country.
After discussions, the Committee members decided to include "Shusha Historical and Architectural Reserve" and "Aghdam Imarat Complex and Juma Mosque" in the Tentative List of Islamic World Heritage. This step serves as a basis for their possible inclusion in the Islamic World Heritage List in the coming years.
It should be noted that at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Islamic World Heritage Committee (2019) held in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, the Old City (with the Maidens' Castle and the Shirvanshahs' Palace Complex), the historical center of Shaki (with the Khan's Palace), and the Gobustan rock paintings of our country were included in the ICESCO World Heritage List.