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On September 26, opening of the Saint Sebastian catacombs, restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, took place in Rome.

First Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi welcomed First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva.

Then, opening of the Saint Sebastian catacombs, restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, took place.

Works carried out here by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation started in 2016. The First Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan was thanked for the works done. It was informed that the restoration works have been performed perfectly. In general, there are some 8 thousand tombs. The catacombs have a rich history. They are of significant importance to the Christian world. Catacombs are natural and artificial underground stations. They consist of very narrow corridors. Formerly, funeral galleries located under the Saint Sebastian Church in Rome were called catacombs. These catacombs were discovered in 1578. Some of the statues here date back to the 3^rd century.

Earlier, following the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s initiative, Saint Marcellino and Pietro catacombs were restored. The restoration of the catacombs that bear great spiritual value for the world culture, especially for Christians, by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation of a Muslim country, Azerbaijan, is a contribution made by our country to dialogue between religions and cultures. The restoration by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by Mehriban Aliyeva, of historical, religious and spiritual monuments of the world importance is of significant importance also in terms of promoting our country, and worthily representing in the world in general.