Work underway to include Shusha, Azykh Cave to UNESCO's World Heritage List

The work is being carried out to include Shusha in UNESCO's World Heritage List. This process may take 1 to 2 years, said Ramil Abbakirov, the chief of the art and digital development department at the Ministry of Culture, Report informs.

"UNESCO has several heritage lists: the UNESCO World Heritage List and UNESCO Creative Cities List. For example, Lankaran is in the list of UNESCO's Creative Cities List, in 'gastronomy.' We work to include the city of Shusha both in the UNESCO World Heritage List and in the UNESCO Creative Cities List," he said.

Abbakirov admits that Shusha's inclusion in UNESCO's World Heritage List is not a quick process and requires preparing and checking certain documents and files. He said it might take one to two years.

"If we speak about the inclusion to the Creative Cities List, then one of the key criteria is the creative activity of the applicant city. Since last year Shusha has held several events and festivals. Here we can mention the Kharibulbul festival and the 13th International Music Festival named after Uzeyir Hajibayli. These events are linked to music, making it possible for us to develop a special document that certifies that Shusha is a culturally active city in the sphere of music and submit this document to UNESCO to include the city to the Creative Cities List," he said.

The department chief also noted that there are other culturally significant sites in the liberated territories, such as the Azykh cave and the Khudafarin bridge.

"Work is underway to include them to these lists, along with studies, and special files are developed to be sent to UNESCO," Abbakirov said.