Ministry: 163 monuments are located in areas at risk of mine and ammunition explosions, they weren't inventoried

Alongside climate change, wars also result in the significant destruction of both cultural and natural heritage, Saadat Yusifova, the Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan during her speech at a panel session on “Preservation of the past and the future: cultural heritage in the context of climate change” held within the framework of the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, APA reports.

She recalled that the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia for nearly 30 years led to the destruction of the cultural and natural heritage, and subjected the national heritage to cultural genocide: "In general, 705 historical and cultural monuments were registered in Garabagh and Eastern Zangezur. At the same time, as a result of conducted analyses, it has been determined that during the occupation period, they were deliberately subjected to destruction and vandalism, with 47 monuments being erased from the surface of the earth. 163 monuments were not inventoried due to security reasons. These monuments are mainly located in areas at risk of mine and ammunition explosions. The restoration and conservation of these monuments are part of the Great Return process. Preserving cultural heritage and delivering it as a whole to future generations are among the primary objectives before us", the Deputy Minister noted.