Azerbaijani Religous Leader’s Letter to the Armenian Patriarch Concerning the Ongoing Destruction of the Cemetery (in 2003)

Allahshukur Pashazadeh, Azerbaijani Muslim Leader

[Translated from Russian to English. Published by Research on Armenian Architecture]

February 27, 2003

Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos Of All Armenians

Dear Catholicos,

We have received the letter in which You express Your concern over some information published in mass media and relating to the destruction of an allegedly Armenian cemetery, located in Azerbaijan’s Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan.

After a detailed inquiry into the matter, however, we found out that actually, there are no grounds for concern. All that is nothing but another example of disinformation aimed at inciting further tensity and deterioration in the relations of the two states.
It is common knowledge that throughout over a thousand years, the entire territory of Northern Azerbaijan formed part of the kingdom of Caucasian Albania. Our ancestors, i.e. the Caucasian Albanians, adopted Christianity as early as the 4th century, and that is well-manifested in their material and spiritual culture.

All the regions of Azerbaijan, including Nakhichevan, have preserved a great number of historical and architectural monuments dating back to that period.

The Azerbaijani people are ardent guardians of their cultural heritage, and all the historical and cultural monuments, without any exception, are under the protection of the Azerbaijani state, which takes all the steps necessary for their preservation.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, we would like to let You know that historical and cultural monuments are demolished and defiled in the Azerbaijanian territories occupied by Armenian armed forces.

According to the facts we have at our disposal, more than 500 architectural monuments, about a 100 archaeological monuments, as well as a great number of mosques, tombs, mausoleums, etc. have been wholly or partly destroyed in the occupied areas. Shusha’s Museum of History, Kelbajar’s Museum of Regional Studies, boasting unique historical exhibits, and Zangelan District’s Museum of Stone Monuments have been plundered and reduced to ruins.

The authorities of our [Azerbaijani] republic have recently declared about their willingness to enter into collaboration with UNESCO for the study of the condition of the historical and cultural monuments, situated in Azerbaijan and Armenia. In addition, we express our readiness to do everything within our power to contribute to the settlement of many problems. Hopefully, despite all attempts to divert our attention from what is our priority, we, the spiritual leaders of the two nations, will be consistent and patient in continuing our collaboration to achieve stable peace and good-neighbourly relations.

May the Lord help us in all our God-pleasing undertakings!

With best regards,
Sheik-Ul-Islam
Allahshukur Pashazade
Chairman of Caucasian Muslims Board

Diplomatic Missions to Dismiss Armenians’ Claims on Destruction 

February 16, 2006

AssA-Irada
Baku, Azerbaijan

 

Tahir Taghizadeh, Spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry

Azerbaijani diplomatic representations will condemn Armenians’ groundless claims on the destruction of graves at a cemetery in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The embassies and diplomatic missions in international organizations will issue press releases to condemn the ongoing campaign of the Armenian Diaspora, which maintains that tombstone inscriptions and crosses in the city of Julfa have been allegedly destroyed, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Taghizade told the press.

Taghizade said the embassies will confirm that Azerbaijan, considering its diverse cultural and religious heritage, is keen on “strengthening the political nature of the society” and announced the ancient Albanian graveyards in Julfa as archaeological monuments.

“The protection of all historic and archaeological sites is a priority for us. The diplomatic missions will emphasize that the Armenian side, referring to a vague video-recording which showed a number of persons of unknown origin destroying unidentified stone structures of average size, accused the Azerbaijani leadership, trying to divert attention from the vicious crimes perpetrated by Armenian troops in the occupied Azeri territories.”

The Ministry official continued that the embassies will underscore in their statement that the Azeri historic and cultural monuments are being destroyed in these areas.

“The economic structure in these regions is being purposefully destroyed. As a result of this policy, the overall damage inflicted to Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage has reached $7 billion.”

This includes the destruction of mosques in the Armenian territory, as well as over 500 cemeteries, 969 libraries, 850 musical schools, numerous museums, theaters, concert halls, etc.

Taghizade termed Armenians’ claims concerning the Julfa cemetery as another attempt to distort the truth.  “We are confident that these attacks by the Armenian Diaspora are doomed to fail and that Armenia realizes that this policy of confrontation and ungrounded accusations, aimed at putting the blame on the other side, have no future,” he added.

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the People’s Republic of China 

Press-release, 22 February 2006

Yashar Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to China

Recently Armenian side is accusing Azerbaijan of so called destruction of tombstones of armenian cemetery in Julfa region of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

It is important to note that considering its diverse cultural and religious heritage, Azerbaijan is determined to strengthen the political characteristics of its society and announced ancient Albanian cemeteries in Julfa region as the archaeological monuments. The Republic of Azerbaijan considers protection of all its historical and architectural monuments a priority.

It is a fact that there were never any armenian cemeteries or religious and non-religious monuments in Julfa and the whole Nakchivan Autonomous Republic.

Most of the armenian inhabitants of Nakchivan Autonomous Republic, considering the geographical closeness, preferred to be buried in the cemeteries which were located in the territories of neighbouring Armenia, places of compact residence of armenians.

Aforementioned accusation made by Armenia against Azerbaijan is groundless and pursue its aim to draw away the international community’s attention from shocking crimes which have been committed by armenian military forces on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Economic structure in these regions is being purposefully destroyed. As a result of such a policy total d amage caused to objects of cultural heritage cost 7 billion USD, including 180 destroyed mosques in Armenia, more than 500 cemeteries, museums, 969 libraries, 850 musical schools and etc.

Here are the facts about the destruction of mosques, places of worship and different ancient monuments on the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia and also the information about the Azerbaijani cemeteries located in Armenia and which also had been destroyed by Armenians:

Kelbajar : cemeteries located in the region, mosques in the Otagli and Bashlibel villages and p ilgrimage place in the Soyudlu village were completely destroyed;

Lachyn : region’s cemetery, great number of cemeteries built in the Middle Ages located in Abdalar, Khallanli, Zabukh, Malibey, Kosalar, Soltanlar, Zeyva, Bozlu, Ahmadli, Garagol, Gulabird, Jijimli and Malkhalaf villages, mosques in Garishiglig, Garagol and other villages, tombs and temples built in the Middle Ages, great number of Alban ancient temples and monuments built in the Middle Ages were destroyed;

Gubadli : region’s cemetery, cemetery built in the 14 th century, mosques in Mollali, Mirlar and Marmar villages, tombs built in the 14, 17 and 18 th centuries were destroyed;

Zangilan : region’s cemetery, tomb built during the 1304-1305 period in Mammadbayli village, mosques in Malatkeshin, Girig Mushlan and Hajialilar villages were completely destroyed;

Fizuli : tombstones of the cemetery located in the centre of the region were demolished;

Agdam : cemeteries in the region, Qutlu Musa oglu tomb which was built in 1314, palace and tomb of Panah Khan, Khanoglu tomb, great number of tombs and temples built in the Middle Ages located in Papravand, Kangarli and Magavuz villages were completely destroyed;

Shusha : city cemetery was completely destroyed; tombstones were demolished and taken to Armenia by cars with Yerevan number plates. Tombstone on the grave of Ibrahim Khan and marbles of the mosque located near Shusha bathhouse were removed. Govharaga and Ashagi Govharaga mosques were destroyed.

Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic : cemetery and dwelling houses located in Karki village of Sadarak region were completely destroyed. The name of the village was changed to “Tiqranakert”.

All Muslim mosques located in the Republic of Armenia were purposefully destroyed. Among great number of mosques such as Shah Ismayil and Khudabanda mosques built in the 16 th century, Shah Abbas mosque built in the 17 th century, Goy Meschid (Blue Mosque) built in the 18 th century, Ulu Jam, Tapabashi, Asad Aga, Chatirli, Korpu bulagi, Gala, Haji Novruzali bay, Sardar, Haji Nasrullah, only Goy Meschid (Blue Mosque) remained in proper conditions: after its restoration the mosque was put into operation as a museum and named “Van” temple.

 

Armenia Tries to Hide its Crimes through Posing Albanian Cemetery in Azerbaijan as Armenian Graves - MP

October 26, 2007

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan

Rafael Huseynov, Azerbaijani Parliamentarian

Azerbaijan, Baku / Тcorr S. Ilhamgizi / Armenia says the Albanian cemetery located in Julfa region of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) actually is an Armenian cemetery and it has been destroyed, but in reality the country tries to hide its own crimes, a member of the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and a member of the PACE Committee on Culture, Education and Science Rafael Huseynov said to Trend on 26 October. Earlier Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said to journalists that in case Azerbaijan did not obstacle, UNESCO representatives would pay a visit to Nakhchivan in order to study the situation with the culture monuments. According to Huseynov, Armenians destroyed over 100,000 cultural monuments, hundreds of cemeteries and 1,000-2,000-years-old archaeological monuments in the occupied Azerbaijani territory. They were a composite of the world’s cultural heritage.

Hundreds of Azerbaijanis used to reside in the territory of today’s Armenia and in different periods were deported from there. Plenty of Azerbaijani cemeteries, mosques, pilgrimage places, and cultural monuments were located in the territory of Armenia and they were destroyed, Huseynov said. Azerbaijani PACE delegation developed two documents and submitted them to CE. One of them reflects the facts of destruction of Azerbaijani cultural monuments, cemeteries located in Armenia, another document presents the facts on the destructions in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia. The parliamentarian added that for long years, the Armenians have raised the question that as though the ancient Alban cemetery in Gulustan village (former Jug[ha]) of Azerbaijan’s Nakchivan Autonomous Republic belongs to them.

“The matter is that there have never been Armenian villages there. It is an ancient Alban cemetery. At the end of 80s of the last century, the Armenians stole one of the stones from the Alban cemetery in Jug[ha] village and brought it to Echmiadzin church in Armenia. Taking the photo of Alban stone under names of the Armenian grave, the Armenians published it in their encyclopedia several years ago,” Huseynov said. He added that in order to visit Nakchivan, the representatives of the UNESCO should firstly make an appeal to the Government of Azerbaijan for receiving permission. In this case, Azerbaijan will absolutely put forward its requirements.

“The care about the graves is a great initiative and Azerbaijan welcomes it. However, it needs to carry out it at a parliamentary level and begin the work from the Country whose monuments have mostly incurred destroys. So, firstly it needs to study the condition of the Azerbaijani monuments in Armenia and in Azerbaijan’s occupied territory of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the MP said.

According to him, UNESCO can not hold one-sided searches in the regions incurring conflicts.