Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of a museum built at the Gobustan state history and art reserve

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening of a museum built at the Gobustan state history and art reserve and reviewed the reconstruction work carried out.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev informed the President and his wife about the museum. President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva examined the plan of a site envisaged for the museum, office building and equestrian tourism.

It was indicated that the total area of the museum complex and the office building under construction at the Gobustan history and art reserve in accordance with a relevant Order of President Ilham Aliyev is 2,460 square meters. At the entrance to the museum there are conditions for the introduction of petroglyphs to visitors. Arranged in an annular pattern, the images reflect the movement of a live dance. At the museum’s information center, visitors can use a touch-screen to obtain detailed information in different languages. The museum, equipped with innovative technology, has special multimedia touch-screens, educational and entertaining games, interactive displays, 3D video, etc.

It was noted that the museum has 15 offices for the reserve staff. Along with the library, there is a photo lab and a research department.

It was mentioned that the museum’s exhibition hall consists of various sections. The section “Gobustan: UNESCO World Cultural Heritage” provides information about 200 similar monuments around the world. The hall “The natural environment of Gobustan” takes tourists to an illustrated man-made environment corresponding to the actual landscape. A touch-screen shows an animated presentation describing the changes of the Caspian Sea for thousands of years and provides information about the nature and flora of Gobustan. The hall “Archaeological discovery in Gobustan” sheds light on the discovery and study of petroglyphs and excavation. Of particular interest are human remains, stones, porcelain and other artifacts found in archaeological layers.

The section “Journey in time” describes life in Gobustan in different historical periods. Here tourists can watch the scale of natural change that occurred in Gobustan at an early period and the geography of nomads. The hall “Life of the people of an ancient period” contains information about the manufacture of stone tools and their functions. A 3D demonstration of stone objects, tools belonging to the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic ages, and the methods of their production are presented on three stands. The section “The art of the ancient period” features primitive people’s understanding of beauty and their artistic imagination. The hall “Petroglyphs from the depth of centuries” allows visitors to explore over 6,000 ornaments and the evolution of rock art.

The halls “Meaning of petroglyphs” and “Artists of the ancient period of Gobustan” provide information about the meaning of Gobustan rock engravings, while the halls “Animals and hunters” and “Cultural landscape of the Gobustan rock art” describe the remains of ancient animals and most hunted beasts of that period. While at the reserve, one can make a 3D virtual video-flight.

It was indicated that the museum has a 3D cinema with 45 seats. It has seven sound amplifiers, monitors and projectors. The meeting room has all the conditions for a variety of conferences, events of national and international importance.

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva watched a video describing projects to be implemented in Gobustan. According to one, an open-air museum is to be established on Boyukdash top in Gobustan. One can get here by small trailers through a tunnel. There are also plans to create a panorama describing the culture and nature of Azerbaijan at Boyukdash.

It was also mentioned that using a special machine that rotates 360 degrees, one can stop at any local monument. The museum fund has a collection of over 100,000 archaeological objects.

After familiarization with the museum, President Aliyev was informed about the current and future condition of the road leading to the Gobustan state history and art reserve, the overpass and the future reconstruction of a local bridge.

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva also reviewed the reconstruction under way at the Gobustan reserve. It was mentioned that the reserve now has an observation deck with a total area 283 square meters where two telescopes have been installed.

The President and his wife reviewed the gavaldash, an ancient musical instrument. During familiarization with the Anazaga cave, the President of Azerbaijan and his wife were informed that people of the prehistoric period had created many petroglyphs here. This is also reflected in a special reference system used at the reserve.

Thus, ancient rock paintings have helped our people preserve the material and cultural patterns the ancestors of modern Azerbaijanis had created for thousands of years, communicating the history of early Azerbaijanis to the present time and giving humanity the historical monument of international importance – Gobustan.