Work on restoration of religious monuments underway in liberated territories

By Azernews

By Laman ?smayilova

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has started work on the restoration of Azerbaijan's religious monuments and mosques, destroyed as a result of the Armenian vandalism.

The restoration works are carried out by local and foreign experts upon the instructions of the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva. 

The relevant work has already begun to restore religious places of worship in Shusha and Aghdam regions.

Head of the Austrian "Atelier Erich Pummer GesmbH" company, architect Erich Pummer visited the Aghdam mosque and assessed its current state.

Since 2004, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has been actively contributing to the social and economic development of the country, by implementing various projects in spheres such as education, public health, culture, sports, science and technology, environment, and social and other spheres.

The Foundation's activities are also aimed at preserving and restoring cultural, historical and religious monuments.

Azerbaijan's Heydar Aliyev Foundation has previosly completed the work to restore the bas-relief of "the meeting between Pope 1st Leo and Hun Emperor Attila” in the St. Peter’s Basilica. 

The initiative was carried out under the agreement signed in February 2019 between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the St. Peter’s Basilica.

On February 22, 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, viewed the St. Peter’s Basilica and the bas-relief of "the meeting between Pope 1st Leo and Hun Emperor Attila" as part of their visit to the Vatican.

Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of the Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. St. Peter, who is considered to be the first Supreme Pontiff, is buried in the church. 

The St. Peter's Basilica is also a holy place of pilgrimage and religious ceremonies.

The projects carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation are highly appreciated at the Holy See. These works demonstrate to the whole world the contribution made by the Foundation to universal values. 

On November 7, the opening of the Albanian Church of Saint Virgin Mary in Gabala's Nij settlement took place after restoration.

The Albanian Church of Saint Virgin Mary has been basically restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the framework of the project "Azerbaijan-Address of Tolerance".

This is the second church repaired by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Nij settlement. In 2006, the Jotary Alban-Udi Church was repaired as well.

These initiatives also show the significant attention that Azerbaijan pays to monuments and holy places of various religions.

The Foundation has also sponsored several projects in Europe to finance renovations at the Louvre Museum, the Palace of Versailles among many other historical buildings and museums.

All these strengthen the country's position in the world, and its role in building a dialogue between religions, as a country loyal to multicultural values, and promoting these values.