36 historical exhibits return to Azerbaijan after two decades abroad

In 2003-2023, 36 exhibits of special importance to Azerbaijan were returned from abroad.

According to Report, this is reflected in the Azerbaijan Culture – 2040 Cultural Concept approved by President Ilham Aliyev.

It was noted that 20,085 exhibits have been restored.

The document also emphasized that more than 42,700 exhibitions have been organized in museums and galleries operating across the country.

It was highlighted that during 2003–2023, four of Azerbaijan's cultural and natural heritage sites were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List: Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape (2007), the Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace (2019), Hirkan Forests (2023), and the "Köç Yolu" Transhumance Route (2023). With these, the number of Azerbaijan's cultural and natural heritage sites on the list has reached five.

Baku (2017), Sheki (2018), and Lankaran (2019) were included in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. Azerbaijan's 24 examples of intangible cultural heritage are listed in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (22 examples) and the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding (2 examples).

Additionally, three medieval manuscripts on medicine and pharmacology - Rustam Jurjani's Zakhireh Nizamshahi (Treasure of Nizam Shah), Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi's Al-Maqalat al-Thalathin, and Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine - were inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2005. A copy of Muhammad Fuzuli's Divan (collected poems) was added in 2017, and Khurshidbanu Natavan's illustrated poetry album The Flower Notebook was included in 2023.