Shushi Armenian cemetery partially destroyed by Azerbaijanis

Shushi Armenian cemetery partially destroyed by Azerbaijanis

PanARMENIAN.Net - A centuries-old Armenian cemetery north of the in the Nagorno-Karabakhcity of Shushi – which came under Baku's control during the war in fall 2020 – has been partially destroyed by Azerbaijan, according to high-confidence assessment from the Caucasus Heritage Watch. A portion of the grounds on the west side of a road leading into the city was leveled in the construction of a building complex.

The expansive cemetery, which spans both sides of the road, contained 96 tombstones dating 1834-1920 and two 12-13th c. cross stones (khachkars), including the tombs of noble Armenian families, CHW said.

"Although the construction occurred in an area shaded by tree cover, imagery from Feb 2021 (middle image) reveals a dense array of tombstones, and documentation provided by Monument Watch, in Yerevan, details specific plots in the location," Caucasus Heritage Watch said in a Twitter thread.

"Neither the number of damaged tombs nor the affected plots can be determined with available data."

During the recent military hostilities, Azerbaijani forces launched two targeted attacks on the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. Azerbaijan earlier "restored" a church by replacing its Armenian inscription with glass art. Furthermore, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev visited the region of Hadrut in territories occupied by Azerbaijan and declared his intention to "renovate" a 12th century Armenian church, which he claimed to "an Albanian church". Aliyev went so far as to accuse Armenians of leaving "fake inscriptions" in the Armenian language. At least half a dozen Armenian heritage sites have been razed to the ground since Azerbaijan's occupation of parts of Artsakh (Karabakh).

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