During the 30-year occupation, the rich cultural heritage of Aghdam was destroyed, looted, and stolen. It is now a city of ruins, Deputy Minister of Culture Farid Jafarov said at the special session on “Impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance on cultural property” held in Aghdam within the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, Report informs.
He noted that, by the order of President Ilham Aliyev, the city of Aghdam is being restored in accordance with high standards.
Speaking about the impact of landmines on cultural heritage, the Deputy Minister noted that UNESCO has a special convention on this matter:
“According to official figures, more than 110 million mines have been laid worldwide. Azerbaijan is at the top of the list of countries suffering from landmine problem. About 1.5 million landmines were laid in Aghdam alone.”