BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. Both Muslim and Christian religious monuments had been vandalized, while some Christian monuments underwent falsification in Karabakh and East Zangezur during the occupation, Head of the State Service for the Protection, Development, and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sabina Hajiyeva, said at a conference titled "Protection of Historical-Religious Monuments: Challenges and Prospects," Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
Hajiyeva highlighted that various acts of vandalism had been recorded against monuments located in the liberated territories.
"We have conditionally categorized the monuments based on their condition upon liberation and their current state: those completely wiped off the face of the earth, severely damaged, partially destroyed, and those in satisfactory or good condition. There are monuments whose current state makes it difficult to even determine whether they were originally Christian or Muslim religious sites, or even residential houses," she explained.
The head of the state service noted that, alongside Muslim religious monuments, cemeteries in the liberated territories were also destroyed and desecrated. Instances of falsification and illegal intervention have been observed in large and historically significant monuments of Christian heritage.
According to her, some small churches had received no intervention at all for 30 years and had fallen into a state of ruin. In contrast, various interventions were carried out on larger, historically significant Christian monuments.
Hajiyeva also mentioned the Ganjasar Monastery in this context. She said that instances of graves being removed from the cemetery surrounding the complex and relocated elsewhere, as well as unauthorized restoration work on the monument itself, had been identified.
She emphasized that employees of the state service were among the first specialists to travel to Karabakh after the territories were liberated from occupation. She noted that, despite the threat of landmines, these employees—working alongside the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA)—conducted repeated monitoring missions in the area to assess the condition of the monuments.
Hajiyeva noted that the state-approved list from 2001 included 705 monuments located in the territories liberated from occupation. Subsequent monitoring and research have led to the identification of additional examples of historical and cultural heritage.
"The Cabinet of Ministers has already added 144 monuments to the list, and the process is ongoing for more than 100 others," she said. The head of the state service also touched upon the architectural features of the mosque located within the Garghabazar complex. According to her, although the structure might resemble a Christian monument at first glance, it lacks the apse and other characteristic features of Christian temples; furthermore, the name Haji Giyasaddin is inscribed on it. Research on the monument is ongoing.
Hajiyeva emphasized that such examples demonstrate how local architectural methods and techniques were passed down from generation to generation in the region. Research into both Christian and Muslim religious monuments is currently continuing.
A conference on “Preservation of Historical and Religious Monuments: Challenges and Prospects,” organized jointly by the Ministry of Culture and the State Committee on Work with Religious Institutions, has begun in Baku.
The conference is attended by Minister of Culture Adil Karimli, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Religious Institutions Ramin Mammadov, members of the Azerbaijani parliament, rectors of higher education institutions, representatives of government agencies, and experts in the field.
The main topics of discussion at the conference will include the preservation, protection, and restoration of historical and religious monuments in Azerbaijan; the identification of existing challenges in this area; and ongoing efforts to preserve the national, cultural, and religious heritage for future generations.
The conference will feature an exchange of views on cooperation among government agencies, religious communities, and scientific and educational institutions in the preservation of historical and religious monuments, the application of modern approaches to their study and restoration, and the prospects for further work in this area.
