Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

On January 13, President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Academician Isa Habibbeyli, met with Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan, Head of the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage operating under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, and Burcu Bilir, a specialist at the ministry, member of the Climate Action Union, and archaeologist.

Speaking at the meeting held at the Presidium of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that cooperation between the two countries across all fields, including science, literature, and culture, is currently at a very high level. He noted that ANAS cooperates with Türkiye’s leading academic organizations such as TÜBİTAK, TÜBA, and the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History, as well as with many higher education institutions. Academician Isa Habibbeyli also emphasized that the ANAS–TÜBİTAK Coordination Center and the “Aziz Sancar Honor Room” operate in the building of the Presidium of ANAS, and that the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Center functions at the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS.

Providing information on archaeological excavations carried out in recent years, Academician Isa Habibbeyli said that last year staff members of the ANAS Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology conducted excavations in Karabakh, including in Khojaly, Aghdam, and Asgaran, and that he personally familiarized himself with these works on site. He added that excavations are also planned in Lachin and Kalbajar in the future. The head of ANAS further noted that Azerbaijani archaeologists also took part in archaeological excavations in Türkiye last year, that the institute publishes an English-language journal, and that the results of future joint research could be published in this journal. In addition, he stated that specialists from various fields would be involved in research to be conducted this year and that multidisciplinary approaches would be applied.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli also spoke about renewal reforms underway at the Academy and research related to artificial intelligence, noting that work is being carried out in the field of digital archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology.

The ANAS President emphasized that the cooperation memorandum signed between the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage and the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology would give impetus to future joint archaeological research, expeditions, and projects.

Then, Prof. Dr. Şaban Doğan, Head of the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, provided information about the activities of the institute he leads. He noted that the main goal of the institution is to conduct research on Turkish and Islamic archaeology outside Türkiye, primarily in Turkic-speaking countries, as well as in the Balkans, the Middle East, and other regions; to encourage such research; to publish its results; to train future archaeologists; and to cooperate with academic institutions. The scholar stated that research is already being conducted in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, and that this year they aim to expand archaeological studies to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. He also highlighted that it is planned to invite young archaeologists from the Turkic world to Türkiye within the framework of a summer school to familiarize them with ongoing excavations, emphasizing that these activities are carried out with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye.

Next, Director of the ANAS Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, PhD in History, Associate Professor Farhad Guliyev, stated that the Turkish Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage would contribute to advancing joint archaeological research between the two countries. He noted that, first of all, research related to Turkish and Islamic culture is planned in Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan. He also stated that within the framework of cooperation, it is envisaged that Turkish specialists will conduct scientific expert assessments of archaeological monuments destroyed in Karabakh.

After the speeches, the parties exchanged mutual gifts and took commemorative photographs.

Translation by Gulhane Aghayeva, Department of Public Relations, Press, and Information, Presidium of ANAS.

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