Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Department

The "Icherisheher" State Historical-Architectural Reserve Department was established in accord with presidential order No 629, dated 10 February 2005, under the Ministers` Cabinet of Azerbaijan.

In 2017, the Department was separated by order of the Ministers' Cabinet. The Department has been established to create management system including the functions of central and local executive authorities, to preserve the historical monuments located in the territory of Icherisheher, investigate those monuments, to ensure their restoration.

Overview
"Icherisheher" State Historical-Architectural Reserve Department is guided by Azerbaijan's Constitution, laws, presidential decrees and orders, as well as decrees and orders of the Ministers `Cabinet, Statute on "Icherisheher" State Historical-Architectural Reserve. A historical and architectural reserve museum Shirvanshahs` Palace Complex and Maiden Tower, located in the territory of the department, are under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan.

The Administration and other divisions of the Department constitute the single unit of the Department. The Department manages its activities directly and through those agencies. The President of Azerbaijan approves the structure of the Administration and determines the number of employees of the apparatus. The activity of the Department is headed by the chief, appointed by the president of Azerbaijan. The Chief of the Department is responsible for fulfilment of the tasks entrusted to the Department and implementation of the rights. The head of the Department has two deputies appointed/dismissed by the president of Azerbaijan. Deputy Chiefs of the Department fulfil the duties entrusted to them by the Chief of the Department.

The Chief of "Icherisheher" State Historical-Architectural Reserve Department organizes and manages the activity of the Department, approves the statutes of the structural units and divisions of the Departments, appoints and dismisses employees and heads of divisions of the Department, issues orders and decrees, which are obligatory for execution in accordance with the legislation, organizes and supervises the execution of normative legal acts.

The structure of the Department
"Icherisheher" State Historical-Architectural Reserve Department includes Housing and Maintenance Service, Workshop for scientific production and restoration work, Scientific and Cultural Center, Shirvanshahs` Palace Complex and Gala historic-architectural reserve museums.

The Housing and Maintenance Service was established for construction and rehabilitation works that carried out in the territory. In parallel, the division carries out sanitary, cleaning and planting works, as well as housing maintenance.

The Icherisheher Historical Museum enlightens the public about Icherisheher (Old City), which was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The museum also collects and protects the national artefacts of the Old City.

Shirvanshahs’ Palace Complex museum provides preservation, studying and propagation of the monuments, architecture, culture, trading relations of the medieval feudal state Shirvanshahs. Gala State Historical-Ethnographic Reserve was established in accordance with the Resolution No 135 of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR dated April 18, 1988.

Workshop for scientific production and restoration work designs rehabilitation and regeneration projects for the monuments located in the territory of Reserve, investigates the causes of their deformation and destruction.

Scientific and Cultural Center organizes and carries out scientific, historical and cultural studies of architecture, historical and cultural monuments of the territory. It also organizes cultural and public events to stimulate the interest in development and promotion of national culture.