The goal of the media tour was to report on all the projects within the year of cultural landscape of Khinalig and Migration Route being announced a World Heritage Site. The structuring works have already been completed, and crucial documents on restoring and conserving have been drawn up based on the rules of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, building a database on the reserve underway.

The Agency presented all the projects they have undergone this year to preserve the architectural elements that carry the cultural DNA of Khinalig, including repairs and restoration works throughout the village.

They have already completed the designs to repair 60 dangerous houses since 2010, while 41 have already been repaired and delivered back to the villagers. They are planning to complete another 19 houses within the next two years. The agency is careful to preserve the historical value of the architectural structures while planning all their projects.

Most houses in Khinalig comprise two floors, which expands the total repair area of the houses to 18,000 square metres.

Khinalig’s mountainous terrain and harsh climate complicate the works and only 5 months of the year, from May to September, are suitable for any construction due to the weather.

The work that was initially planned was increased as the projects launched, which also lead to the extension of the timeline and financing involved. The agency considered numerous requests by the Khinalig villagers to create more comfortable living conditions for them, thus building tandoor houses, bathrooms, stables for animals and other infrastructure which were not initially included in the project designs. These ultimately caused a serious boost in costs.

Prioritizing high-price special construction materials while restoring and repairing as per recommendations of the World Heritage Committee to protect the architectural attributes in Khinalig has also been one of the factors that affected the construction costs.

Journalists were told that the large-scale repairs in Khinalig and numerous other projects by the Agency have greatly increased well-being and employment among the locals. Almost 90% of the villagers have been engaged in various jobs with certain intervals within several years.

Khinalig being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site has increased interest among local and foreign tourists. This has inspired introduction of new tourism products which has also motivated self-employment among the villagers. The State Tourism Agency is also hard at work building tourism products such as camping and hiking in the territories of the Khinalig and Migration Route State Historical-Cultural and Ethnographic Reserve.

Khinalig and Migration Route State History, Culture and Ethnography Reserve was established under the State Tourism Agency on 4 September 2023 upon an order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Shortly after, on 18 September 2023 the cultural landscape of Khinalig and the Migration Route were announced a UNESCO World Heritage site at the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Khinalig villagers’ nomadic way of life and unique language, their ancient architectural traditions settled in the Caucasus mountains and their ingenuity while adapting to complicated natural conditions reflect the exceptional universal values of this area.

AzVision.az

More about: Azerbaijan   Khinalig   tourism