President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva gets acquainted with the catacombs restored with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation

Azerbaijan’s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva acquainted herself with the mausoleum named after Saint Helen and the catacombs restored with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation while on a visit to Italy, June 2.

The mausoleum was constructed by Empress Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine. A number of exhibits are displayed here. Ancient items related to that period and also to Saint Helen were found during the diggings carried out on the catacombs in the mausoleum, and they are still preserved there. Works being preserved here are of historical significance.

Then, after getting acquainted with the Roman catacombs restored with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva was informed that the Saint Marcellinus and Pietro catacombs - with their special place among ancient Christian monuments in historical and architectural terms - have not yet been fully studied. Among some 60 catacombs located around the city of Rome, just these catacombs are considered to be the most significant one for the Christian world. Restoration works have made the catacombs – the best samples of the Roman artistic heritage – more significant. Implementation of this project is appreciated as contribution by the Muslim world to sacred monuments of the Christian world. So, this contribution made by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, an organization operating in a Muslim country, to the art and moral values of the Christian world is the first event in the Roman history, and this stems from our country’s playing a historic role between religions and cultures.

Restoration of the Holy Roman catacombs have been carried out in accordance with the agreement signed between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Holy See in 2012.