ICESCO rep assesses scale of Armenia’s vandalism in Azerbaijan's Karabakh

Representative of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) Bilal Celebi has stated that the delegation witnessed acts of vandalism and destruction perpetrated by Armenian forces in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region. 

Celebi made these remarks during the symposium "Islamic Architectural Heritage of Shusha" being held in Azerbaijan’s Shusha city, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

"I am pleased to be here at this event dedicated to the historical and cultural landmarks of Shusha city. We extend our gratitude to Azerbaijan and the Shusha City State Reserve Management for organising this event. It is particularly encouraging to see that Azerbaijan places great importance on preserving its historical and cultural heritage," he noted.

"I would like to emphasise that this event will become a tradition. We support Azerbaijan's initiatives and efforts to restore monuments and reconstruct urban infrastructure. Unfortunately, we have witnessed acts of vandalism and destruction in Shusha, Aghdam, and throughout Karabakh," he noted.

Celebi also mentioned that ICESCO is dedicated to assisting member states in the restoration of cities, villages, and historical monuments that have been affected as a result of conflicts. 

The symposium "Islamic Architectural Heritage of Shusha" launched on October 11, 2024 is being held in Shusha as part of the year "Shusha – Cultural Capital of the Islamic World 2024" through the support of ICESCO. The event features the participation of over 80 architects from Türkiye, Egypt, the UAE, Tunisia, Kenya, Jordan, Italy, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

By Naila Huseynova