Not only Baku, but many of Azerbaijan’s ancient cities can also be proud of their architecture, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said during his speech at the opening ceremony of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), APA reports.
“Urban planning is one of the main directions we deal with on a daily basis, not only for Baku, but also for many cities of Azerbaijan. By my Order, this year has been declared the ‘Year of Urban Planning and Architecture.’ I would like to express my gratitude to UN-Habitat for its support in organizing this event, for the cooperation, and for entrusting us with such a responsible mission as hosting WUF13. Since 2022, together with UN-Habitat, we have held three national urban forums in Azerbaijan — in Aghdam, Zangilan, and Khankendi. These cities were territories that had remained under occupation for many years. Today, by hosting this global gathering, we once again demonstrate our commitment to urban planning, urban development, improving people’s living conditions, and creating all necessary opportunities for our population to feel comfortable. Not only Baku, but many of Azerbaijan’s ancient cities can also be proud of their architecture. I will mention only a few of them.
One of the world’s oldest mosques is located in the city of Shamakhi, which was once the capital of the Shirvanshah state and the homeland of the great 14th-century Azerbaijani poet Nasimi. This mosque was built in 743.
Nakhchivan, which was once the capital of the Atabegs state, is the homeland of the great Azerbaijani architect Ajami Nakhchivani,” the head of state noted.
The President noted that the Momine Khatun Mausoleum, built by Architect Ajami and dating back to the 12th century, still exists today:
“Ganja, one of the world’s oldest cities, is the homeland of another great 12th-century Azerbaijani poet, Nizami Ganjavi, and while this city is developing in parallel with Baku today, it has also preserved its historical appearance.
Gabala and Sheki, which were among the capitals and main cities of Caucasian Albania, possess numerous historical monuments. The church located in the village of Kish near Sheki is probably one of the world’s oldest churches.
Another example of the talent of our ancestors is the village of Lahij. Fifteen centuries before the establishment of the village, people there built a sewage and water supply system that is still functioning today.
The city of Shusha, the crown of Karabakh, is now being rebuilt almost from scratch after remaining under occupation for nearly 30 years, and its destroyed fortress has been restored. All of the monuments I have listed, as well as the city of Baku with the Maiden Tower dating back to the 6th century, were not only built by our ancestors, but also restored and preserved to this day by different generations after surviving occupations, destruction, and devastation. Everyone can visit all of these places, listed see them, enter them, and touch them. I think this is the best indication of our attitude toward our historical heritage and legacy. We are proud of it, we are proud of our ancient history. This history is reflected not only in our music and poetry, but also in our architecture. And our duty is to preserve it for future generations. I am sure that future generations will act in the same way as well.”
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
