President Ilham Aliyev addressed the opening ceremony of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), emphasizing Azerbaijan's commitment to preserving its historical heritage alongside modern urban development.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the head of state highlighted the country's ancient urban culture during his speech. "Today, Baku preserves its historical identity. Gabala and Sheki served as capitals and were centers of Caucasian Albania. There are many historical monuments. The church in the village of Kish in Sheki is perhaps one of the oldest churches in the world. The talent of our ancestors is also evident in the settlement of Lahij, where a sewage system built centuries ago remains functional to this day," President Ilham Aliyev stated.
The World Urban Forum, established by the United Nations in 2001, is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization and the future of cities. Azerbaijan's participation in WUF13 underscores its growing role in international urban planning discussions, particularly as the country implements large-scale "smart city" and "smart village" projects. The preservation of historical sites, such as the UNESCO-listed Icherisheher in Baku, remains a cornerstone of Azerbaijan's national urban development strategy, balancing rapid modernization with the protection of cultural legacy.
