On 05.10.2023, at the initiative of the State Service of Conservation, Development and Rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, with the support of the Aghstafa District Executive Power, the “Keshikchidagh” State Historical and Cultural Reserve organized the scientific seminar entitled “Heydar Aliyev’s role in the protection of historical monuments and cultural heritage of our region” at the Heydar Aliyev Center of the Aghstafa District. At the scientific seminar held on the 100th anniversary of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev and the results of the archaeological excavations conducted in the territory of the reserve, the management and responsible persons of the State Service of Conservation, Development and Rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the management and responsible persons of the Aghstafa District Executive Power, including the reserve scientists who conducted scientific research in the area, district intellectuals participated.
The event began with a visit to the monument of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev erected in front of the Heydar Aliyev Center in Aghstafa district, the participants of the seminar got acquainted with a small museum about the life and work of Heydar Aliyev, and then the guests visited a corner of printed products belonging to the reserve and artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations in the reserve. They got acquainted with the archaeological exhibition and the process of restoration of jars found in fragmented condition.
The scientific seminar was opened by Lala Eyyubova, the deputy head of the Aghstafa District Executive Power, who welcomed the guests, Sabina Hajiyeva, the head of the State Service of Conservation, Development and Rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mahir Gahramanov, the head of the sector of management and control of the use of reserves, gave a speech and spoke about Heydar Aliyev, the founder of independent Azerbaijan. They talked about their contributions to historical monuments, our cultural heritage, and our historical past. Then Fariz Huseynli, the senior advisor of the International Relations sector of the State Service, made a presentation on “Let’s get to know, recognize, and jointly protect our cultural heritage”. After the official part of the scientific seminar was over, the guests visited the reserve area in order to get acquainted with the results of the archaeological excavations carried out in the mounds No.1 and No.2 of Garasoy, located in the territory of the Keshikchidagh caves complex, within the framework of the project “Scientific-archaeological excavations in Keshikchidagh and summer school-3”. The head of the expedition, associate professor of the Institute of Archeology, Ethnography and Anthropology of ANAS, doctor of philosophy in history, archaeologist Shamil Najafov gave detailed information about the excavated Garasoy mounds, the rich artifacts obtained from the mounds, and their periods. They also got acquainted with the material and cultural samples exhibited in the information center located in the territory of the reserve, and visited the monuments located in the direction of “The peak named after Ilham Aliyev”.
