page_title: State reserves of Azerbaijan
section_title: Gobustan State Reserve
hierarchical_section_title: State reserves of Azerbaijan / State Reserves / Gobustan State Reserve
caption_attribution_description: Entrance to Qobustan Petroglyph site, Azerbaijan
context_page_description: State Reserves of Azerbaijan refers to the state reserves in Azerbaijan, which preserve the fauna, flora and their ecosystems.
  State Reserves bear the status of governmental establishments aimed at environmental protection and scientific researches. They are particularly designed for the protection of typical and rare natural complexes and studying of natural processes and phenomena. The utilization of the lands of State natural reserves, as well as animals and plants, found within their boundaries for industrial purposes is prohibited by the law. Activities in this sector are regulated by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Republic.
  In total more than 2,5% of Azerbaijan is under protection by the government as state reserve.
context_section_description: Gobustan State Reserve was established in 1966 when the region was declared as a national historical landmark of Azerbaijan in an attempt to preserve the ancient carvings, mud volcanoes and gas-stones in the region.
  Gobustan State Reserve is very rich in archeological monuments, the reserve has more than 600,000 rock paintings, which depict primitive men, animals, battle-pieces, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances in their hands, camel caravans, pictures of sun and stars, on the average dating back to 5,000-20,000 years.
caption: Gobustan is amongst the most unusual places on Earth.
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