The destruction of Azerbaijani historical and cultural heritage in the territory of the modern Republic of Armenia is causing serious concern within society. In this context, Azerbaijan’s non-governmental organisations, including the “Simurg” Azerbaijan Cultural Association, the Western Azerbaijan Community, the “Miras” Public Association for the Promotion of Cultural Heritage, the “Promotion of Iravan Cultural Heritage” Public Union, the “Zangezur” Societies Public Union, the “Objective” Public Union for the Promotion of National Values, the Association for the Protection of Azerbaijan’s Cultural Heritage and Support for Tourism, the Public Association “Organisation for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments in the Liberated Territories of Azerbaijan”, the Public Association for Assistance in the Study of Cultural Heritage “Miras”, the Forum of National Non-Governmental Organisations of Azerbaijan, the National Council of Youth Organisations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Public Association “Cultural Development Centre”, and the Public Association “Association of National Culinary Arts of Azerbaijan”, among others, have repeatedly sent collective open letters to the UNESCO Director-General, with copies forwarded to the President of the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Special Rapporteur on cultural rights. In their appeals, representatives of Azerbaijani civil society expressed concern regarding the systematic policy aimed at the deliberate destruction of cultural values and the erasure of the historical and cultural roots of Azerbaijani heritage in Armenia. These actions have resulted in the intentional destruction of both tangible and intangible Azerbaijani cultural heritage, erasing the lasting traces of the Azerbaijani people who inhabited these territories for centuries.
Non-governmental organisations have urgently reported that Azerbaijani cultural heritage in Western Zangezur, Gafan, Iravan, Goycha, Nuvadi, Vedi, and other areas has been intentionally destroyed and misappropriated. Among the numerous examples, the Damirbulag Mosque in Iravan was bulldozed in the early 1990s, and the sixteenth-century Sardar Mosque was demolished in several stages. The Gala Mosque, Shah Abbas Mosque, Tapabashi Mosque, Zal Khan Mosque, Sartib Khan Mosque, Haji Novruzali Bey Mosque, Haji Jafar Bey Mosque, Rajab Pasha Mosque, Mohammad Sartib Khan Mosque, Haji Inam Mosque, along with more than 300 other religious and cultural heritage sites in Armenia, have encountered the same fate. Furthermore, over 500 Azerbaijani cemeteries in Armenia, such as Aghadada, Ashaghi Shorja, Gullubulagh, and Saral, have been desecrated and destroyed. The tomb of the renowned Azerbaijani poet Ashig Alasgar, a significant figure representing Azerbaijan’s intangible cultural heritage, was also demolished. This widespread campaign extends beyond physical destruction, as the historical names of Azerbaijani villages have been completely altered, with ancient toponyms supplanted by Armenian ones.
Azerbaijani civil society representatives emphasized in open letters their firm belief that UNESCO’s involvement is urgently needed to halt the systematic policy of one of its member states, which aims to intentionally destroy cultural property and deny the historical and cultural roots of heritage belonging to the Azerbaijani people. They expressed their expectation of a principled and consistent approach from the Organisation to defend the principles and values it upholds. In light of the above, the representatives of Azerbaijani NGOs several times requested that UNESCO send a fact-finding mission to Armenia to monitor and document the state of Azerbaijani cultural heritage there and to demand that Armenia comply with its international obligations to protect Azerbaijani cultural heritage, as stipulated in various international conventions, particularly those of UNESCO.
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