Gunduz Ismayilov: Hundreds of historical religious monuments in Azerbaijan are still used for their intended purpose

“There are hundreds of historical religious monuments in our country that are still being used for their intended purpose today. These historical religious monuments function as mosques, churches and synagogues, and each of them has a religious community.”

TodayPress TV reports that Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Gunduz Ismayilov made the remarks to journalists ahead of the conference titled “Preservation of Historical and Religious Monuments: Challenges and Prospects.”

Ismayilov said that, as part of the declaration of 2026 as the “Year of Shusha” by a presidential decree, the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations and the Ministry of Culture are carrying out joint measures to protect historical religious monuments.

According to him, the main purpose of the conference is to discuss issues related to the preservation, repair and restoration of the hundreds of historical religious monuments operating in the country, as well as their transmission to future generations.

“Each of our historical religious monuments has its own story. These stories are very important for our society and believers today. One of the main objectives is to discuss these issues in order to draw lessons from the past, and to consider the role and capabilities of religious communities, clergy and believers in preserving historical religious monuments,” Ismayilov said.

The deputy chairman stressed that activities in this area are coordinated with the Ministry of Culture and that further strengthening mutual cooperation is planned.

He noted that the vast majority of historical religious monuments in the country are monuments of world, national and local significance, and some of them have already been restored.

Ismayilov specifically mentioned the Tazapir, Bibi-Heybat and Ajdarbay mosques in Baku, as well as the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi and the Imamzadeh complex in Ganja.

He also spoke about historical churches and synagogues operating in the country:

“I would particularly like to mention the Albanian churches. There are Russian Orthodox churches, as well as synagogues, which, alongside Baku, operate in Oghuz, Guba and the Red Village.”

According to the deputy chairman, the preservation and restoration of historical religious monuments, as well as the role of religious communities and clergy in this process, are among the conference’s main topics of discussion.

It should be noted that the conference is attended by religious figures, members of religious communities, believers, as well as specialists working in the preservation of cultural and historical religious monuments and cultural monuments in general.

Giymat Mahir