Alessandro Bianchi: 'We want to restore the Imarat complex as it was before the occupation'

We want to restore the Imarat complex as it was before the occupation,' Alessandro Bianchi, an international Italian expert on the restoration of ancient monuments, told journalists, Report informs.

The expert, who was invited to Azerbaijan to work in the restoration process of the Imarat Complex, said that in addition to being an ancient historical monument, the complex also has an ancient cemetery: “When we came here for the first time after the liberation of Aghdam, we noticed that the condition of the Imarat Complex was quite deplorable. We know that the restoration of the complex is very important for the people of Azerbaijan. At the same time, from a religious point of view, this is a sensitive place."

He said that after the liberation of Aghdam from occupation, negotiations were held with the Ministry of Culture, and last year a plan for the restoration of the Imarat Complex was developed: "The work done in the Imarat Complex was divided into two phases. The first stage is the restoration of the existing buildings, and the second stage is the restoration of the ancient cemetery. The restoration of the cemetery poses great challenges. Almost all graves were destroyed and looted. At the same time, lack of knowledge about graves creates additional difficulties for us. So, the graves are not in their place."

Bianchi emphasized that Azerbaijani archaeologists have done great work in the Imarat Complex: "At present, work is being continued to restore and put the complex into use at the highest level. The palace complex of Panahali Khan was restored at the end of the 1970s (Soviet period). We conduct research on those archive documents and prepare the restoration project based on those documents. It was reported to President Ilham Aliyev that the main goal is to restore the complex as it was before the occupation."