Over past several decades, Azerbaijan has strained every effort to wipe the diverse and centuries-old monuments of the Armenian culture from the face of the earth and to hide their traces hoping to appropriate the Armenian lands appeared under Soviet Azerbaijani jurisdiction.
The number of the monuments that are being destructed year after year and the geographical territory where they are situated have enlarged much more. The historical monuments were destructed not only on the territories, from where the Armenian population was already pushed away, but also on the territories still populated by Armenians, for example, the districts of the NKR, Northern Artsakh and left-coast of the Kura River. The historical monuments of Northern Artsakh (in particular, the districts of Getabek and Dashkesan) and districts surrounding the present NKR and recently liberated by the self-defense army of Nagorny Karabakh suffered too much.
It is noteworthy that the process of destroying the Armenian monuments at a state level coincided with the attempts to appropriate some of them announcing them "Albanian" ones.
Since the ends of 1988 the process of destroying the historical monuments has amounted to unprecedented extents. Before the war, Azerbaijani's used to destroy the Armenian churches by blasting them, but now using the possibilities created due to the war they began to destroy them through cannon and tank volleys, and even the sturdily-built buildings could not oppose the explosions of the shells of large calibre.
The totally standing and undamaged monastery of Yeghnasar nearby the village of Getashen was turned into ruins in a flash during the invasion of the village.
The fragments of Armenian cross-stones, gravestones and lapidary inscriptions (about 133 fragments) moved from the totally damaged, historical and large cemetery of the 13th-18th centuries were used as a building material and were laid in the walls of the school, built on the south-eastern brink of the village of Tzar in 1950s-1960s.
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Sourb Astvatzatzin (Holy Mother of God) Monastery of Meysari, 1680.
View in 1900s, Blown up in 1972, View in 1984.
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Khunisavank Getabak, Getabak Region, 1680.
View in 1980 and in 1982.
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Read this article from the International
Council on Monuments and Sites:
ICOMOS Report on the Destruction of the Armenian Cemetery at Djulfa
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The provinces of Shahaponk, Yernjak and Goghtan of historical Armenia are involved in the present Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan. The city of Julfa was situated in Yernjak, on the left coast of the Arax River that is the frontier of Iran and Nakhichevan now.
Julfa was a famous settlement in the 7th
century that having developed in the
10th-13th centuries became a city. It
became a famous trade center in 15th-17th
centuries.
In 1605 Shah Abbas the King
forcibly deported the Armenian people from
Julfa to Persia pursuing the aim to develop craft and trade
in his country, devastated the city and left
only the cemetery standing.
Julfa's 18 churches, the ruins of the beautiful bridge, traveling
houses, administrative and dwelling buildings, the cross-stones of the
cemetery still standing partly are the silent but obvious evidences of
its glorious past. The cemetery is a historical architectural museum and
a unique worldwide cultural monument thanks to it's large sizes and the
high art of the cross-stones.
The cemetery of Julfa is situated on
the western side of the devastated city, on hills separated from each
other with small ravines.
The tombstones of Julfa are divided into three groups according to
the processing level: 9th-14th centuries,
14th-16th centuries, from the
16th century to 1605. The cross-stones
of Julfa with their perfect processing and diversity, ornamentation and
picture engravings are unique patterns of the cross-stone art.
We consider necessary to recall that after the deportation of the
Armenian people of Julfa 10,000 registered
cross-stones existed in it's cemetery
in 1648, about
5000 in 1903-1904, about
3000 cross-stones
and several thousands of tombstones in 1928-1929,
2707 cross-stones in 1971-1973.
In 1998 the eyewitnesses from the
Persian border told how Azerbaijanis were
destroying and displacing the tombstones with bulldozer
leveling the place, putting the stones on the platform of the train and
transferring them away.
These barbaric actions lasted about three weeks during which the
30 per cent of the beautifully
engraved cross-stones of the cemetery were
annihilated. The transfer of the tombstones by railway proves
that all that happened under the instruction of the powers of
Nakhichevan.
The active appeals directed to the UNESCO
and other appropriate organizations stopped this cultural
pogrom, the victims of which were 800 hundreds cross-stones. But the
barbarity continues and the correct information we receive confirm that
more than 250 monasteries such as
the Karmir monastery of Astapat and
St. Amenaprkich church of Julfa have
deliberately been destroyed in
Nakhichevan.
The annihilation of ancient Armenian
architectural monuments on the territory of the Nakhichevan enclave of
Azerbaijan proves that Azerbaijani authorities violate the international
convention on preservation of historical monuments and infringe the
international law norms.
In December 16, 2005, the Azerbaijani authorities put an end to the beautiful ancient Armenian cemetery and have destroyed all of the remaining ones, dumped the broken fragments in the Arax River and have leveled the land.
UNESCO is yet to action.
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Julfa Cemetery, Nakhichevan, 8th Century - 1605.
View in 1998, Still standing Cross-stones.
View in late 1998, Cross-stones being destroyed.
Broken pieces of cross-stones of the Cemetery
Bulldozer leveling the cemetery, to put onto trains for transfer.
View in 2002, Cemetery leveled and destroyed.
December 16 2005, Azeri Soldiers destroying the fallen and remaining Cross-stones
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Pombloz Church, Nakhichevan, XV-XVI centuries.
View in 1998, View in 2002. Blown up.
Some of Destruction by Azerbaijan
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The cathedral of the village of Tzar (13th century) of the district of Karvajar was semi-destroyed by the ends of 1950s but now no trace of it remains.
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The St. Sargis church of the village of Tzar (1274) of the same district was totally standing and undamaged by the ends of 1950s but it is totally destroyed now.
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The Getamijo monastery (1301) of the district of Karvajar was destroyed in 1960s and several houses and school building of the village of Jrag were built with its stones. 22 fragments of an Armenian lapidary inscription are still noticeable in the latter's walls.
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The church (12th - 13th centuries) situated 2 km south-west to the village of Yeghegnut (Ghamshli) of the district of Karvajar was blasted in 1983.
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All the cross-stones of the cemetery of the 12th-13th centuries situated on the brink of the village of Aghghaya of the same district were displaced and broken in1970s-1980s.
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The church erected between the villages of Arakelots (Arokhlu) and Movsisashen (Kyurd-Haji) of the district of Kashatagh (former Lachin) in the 13th century was blasted in 1983.
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The territory of the cemetery (12th-20th centuries) situated on the south-western brink of the village of Harar (Lower Parajan) of the district of Kashatagh was leveled in 1970s-1980s and a cattle-breeding farm was constructed on its place.
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The medieval Ohana Yeghtsi church situated south to the district of Kovsakan (Azer. Zangelan), on the wooded mountain range of Susansar and nearby the fortress of Grham was blasted during the recent years.
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The church of the village of Old Tumas of the district of Jebrail erected in the 12th-13th century was destroyed in the 1970s and its stones were used during the construction of the stairs of a school.
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The church of Vankasar (6th-7th centuries) was transfigured in the mid-1980s under the pretence of repair, and the preserved only cross-stone of the church was moved to the open museum of Aghdam presenting it as an "Albanian" monument.
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Only one of the 12 churches (9th-11th centuries) situated in the village of Ghalakyand of the district of Getabek has been preserved while being in a semi-damaged state.
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The church of the 9th-11th centuries situated 8 km south to the village of Banants of the district of Dashkesan was destroyed in 1986-87 and its stones were thrown into the ravine.
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The church erected in 16th-17th centuries in the village of Tsentzahal of the district of Dashkesan was destroyed totally in 1960s and a school was built on its place.
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The church situated nearby the village of Kirants was totally destroyed in 1970s by motivation of the erection of an electricity transmission pole.
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The church erected in the 16th-17th centuries in the village of Upper Karhat was totally destroyed at the end of 1970s by motivation of exploitation of the mines.
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The "Kanach Zham" church of Shushi had become a mineral water drinking hall and the Ghazanchetsots St. Amanprkich cathedral - a public lavatory until the liberation of this city.
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Two bridges of the 12th-13th centuries, 3 chapels of the 13th-17th centuries, about 70 cross-stones being not measured and photographed became the victim of the construction of the dam of Sarsang and their stones were used in the construction of the barrier or were left on the bottom of the dam.
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The St. Sargis church erected in the 17th century in the city of Gandzak (Gyanja) was covered with brick from the exterior under the name of "repair" in 1980s having lost its Armenian style. This church has been used as a palace of peoples' friendship in the past.
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The cemetery erected in the 18th-19th centuries in Baku was destroyed and its tombstones were used in construction of the stairs stretching from the "Intourist " hotel to the Park of Kirov.
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The Parin Pizh monastery of the city of Shushi of the NKR was destroyed (the chapel was destroyed totally and the church built in 1658 - partly) when Shushi was conquered by Azerbaijan for 11 months only (the city was liberated on 17 May 1992.)
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The St. Astvatzatzin monastery situated in the district of Shemakha was blasted in the 1970s.
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