International travelers in Khojavand briefed on Azykh Cave's history

International travelers visiting Azykh Cave in Azerbaijan's Khojavand district were provided with detailed information about the site's history.

According to Report's correspondent in Khojavand, Nihat Rahimli, a representative of the State Service for the Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, said that Azykh Cave is the largest limestone cave in the South Caucasus and one of the oldest known human habitation sites in Eurasia.

He added that research conducted since 1960 under the leadership of Mammadali Huseynov uncovered ten cultural layers with a total thickness of 14.5 meters, along with thousands of stone tools and faunal remains.

"Evidence of human habitation in the cave dates back approximately 1.2 million years. Of particular scientific importance are the fragment of the lower jawbone of an ancient human, known as Azykhanthropus, discovered in 1968 and dated to 300,000-400,000 years ago, as well as a stone-lined hearth dating back 500,000-700,000 years," Rahimli said.

He also highlighted evidence of unauthorized excavations carried out in the cave during the period of occupation:

"Beginning in 2002, Armenian archaeologists, together with foreign researchers, conducted excavations in the cave without Azerbaijan's consent, and the findings were taken to Armenia. These actions were contrary to the 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1992 European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage.

Currently, the Azykh International Paleolithic Archaeological Expedition has been continuing its research for a third year under a memorandum signed between the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of ANAS and Germany's Leibniz Centre for Archaeology (LEIZA). In addition to experts from Azerbaijan and Germany, specialists from ten other countries are taking part in the expedition.

A previously unknown large gallery has been discovered at the cave's second entrance (Azykh 2), and samples taken from Layer III in 2025 were dated to approximately 300,000 years ago using the Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) method.

In 2021, Azykh Cave, together with Taghlar Cave, was included in UNESCO's Tentative World Heritage List."

The visit is being organized under the leadership of Charles Veley, founder of the globally known Most Traveled People (MTP) club. This year's group includes around 40 travelers from 13 countries, including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Under the program, the visitors will also tour Caucasian Albanian monuments reflecting Azerbaijan's ancient history.