Khojavend:An international group of travelers from 13 countries, led by American traveler Charles Veley, founder of the Most Travelled People (MTP) club, visited the Azykh cave in Azerbaijan's Khojavend district. This visit is part of a broader itinerary exploring Garabagh and East Zangezur.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the group received detailed information about the Azykh cave from Nihad Rahimli, an employee of the State Service for Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture. The Azykh cave, the largest limestone cave in the South Caucasus, is one of the oldest known human settlements in Eurasia.

The cave was first scientifically explored in the 1960s by an archaeological expedition led by Azerbaijani archaeologist Mammadali Huseynov. Notably, a lower jawbone found in the cave, dating back 350,000 to 400,000 years, was confirmed as the third such relic discovered worldwide. This finding supports evidence that Azerbaijan was inhabited by humans as far back as 1 million years ago.

In 2021, the Azykh and Taglar caves were added to the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage sites. During the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, unauthorized excavations by Armenian archaeologists, along with foreign researchers, were conducted at Azykh cave, and the findings were taken to Armenia.

Currently, the Azykh International Paleolithic Archaeological Expedition continues its research, supported by a Memorandum between the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of ANAS and the Leibniz Center for Archaeology (LEIZA) of Germany. Researchers from 12 countries, including Azerbaijan and Germany, are involved in this expedition.

The visit to Garabagh and East Zangezur marks the 17th group tour by major international travelers' clubs since 2021, providing participants with an opportunity to witness the reconstruction and restoration efforts underway in these liberated territories.