President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order establishing the Azykh-Taghlar Archaeological Park as a state reserve in Azerbaijan.
The official order, dated October 21, gives the archaeological complex connected with the Azykh and Taghlar caves a separate protected status.
The Paleolithic sites are among the most important monuments of early human history in the region. The new reserve is intended to provide state protection for the complex and an administrative basis for further research.
Planning for such a designation had been underway for several years. A 2021 Culture Ministry report said a draft order to create a state historical and archaeological reserve covering the Azykh and Taghlar cave sites had been prepared and submitted for approval, according to Vesti Baku.