Azerbaijan Protects Keshikchidag Reserve at State Level

Baku / 10.05.19 / Turan: Azerbaijan, at the state level, has taken protection of historical monuments in the Keshikchidag cave-temple complex. To this end, the State Historical and Cultural Reserve Keshikchidag was created in 2007.

As the director of the reserve Musa Guliyev told Turan, the cave-temple complex stretches along the mountain range for 25 km.

According to the scientist, the ancient settlements have a history of 3-4 thousand years BC.

Long since this territory because of its strategic importance - elevations above the steppe zones on both sides - was used for defensive purposes.

Here were shelters in the form of natural caves, and artificially created in the early Middle Ages. Historical monuments of the Middle Ages belong to the Christian culture of Caucasian Albania.

In Soviet times, this territory was a military training ground, where exercises and artillery firing took place. Currently, the whole complex consists of three parts. One of them, where actually is the monastery of David Gareji, is located on the Georgian territory.

Another cave complex is located on the Azerbaijani territory.

The site claimed by the Georgian side is located on the border itself. Here the border passes through the center of the ridge and each side controls its slope. In this place on the Azerbaijani site there are about 40 caves, one fortress and two temples. These temples are visited for pilgrimage from the Georgian side and for tourist purposes. According to Guliyev, Azerbaijan has never prevented visits to these places.

"The issue was updated after the recent visit to the border by the President of Georgia, and her statements. On the Georgian side, there were unauthorized actions, so the reserve was closed for a couple of days. Now it is available again," he said.

Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to the protection of the Keshikchidag monument, declaring it as a reserve. On the part of Georgia, such status at the state level has not been presented to the monument. -06D-