Azerbaijan removes domes of iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in ShushiMay 4, 2021 - 11:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan has removed the domes of the iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in the Nagorno-Karabakh city of Shushi, which came under the control of Baku during the war in fall 2020, pictures posted online reveal. In the course of the military hostilities, Azerbaijani forces launched two targeted attacks on the church, causing considerable damage to one of the most important cultural heritage sites in Karabakh. However, that's apparently not enough. Photos published on social media platforms first revealed that Azerbaijan has removed the angels and other integrals parts of the complex in Shushi, while recent images show scaffolding around the building and prove that the domes are gone too. Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan said on Monday that the Azerbaijanis are destroying the site under the guise of "restoration". He added, however, that Azerbaijan cannot restore the cultural heritage of a nation, against which it has been spreading systemic hatred at the state level for years.
"If Azerbaijan really cares about the preservation of cultural values, "repairs" it, then why has իտ not allowed an independent UNESCO expert group to visit the region," Stepanyan noted. "We raise the issue of vandalism against Armenian culture by Azerbaijan on a daily basis informing the relevant international organizations about what is happening. However, the issue does not go beyond criticism or calls, while clear steps are needed. Concerns about the preservation of cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh are made all the more urgent by the Azerbaijani government’s history of systemically destroying indigenous Armenian heritage—acts of both warfare and historical revisionism. The Azerbaijani government has secretly destroyed a striking number of cultural and religious artifacts in the late 20th century. Within Nakhichevan alone, a historically Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani forces destroyed at least 89 medieval churches, 5,840 khachkars (Armenian cross stones) and 22,000 historical tombstones between 1997 and 2006. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | European Parliament to discuss repression in Azerbaijan The European Parliament will discuss repression of civil society in Azerbaijan on April 24 PACE wants concessions from Azerbaijan to accept Baku back A PACE co-rapporteur said that Azerbaijani authorities must make certain concessions so that the country can return to PACE. Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. |