Azerbaijan condemns Armenia's systematic breach of international heritage conventions

During Armenia’s 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories, it grossly violated numerous international conventions related to the preservation of cultural heritage, stated Ramin Mammadov, Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Entities of Azerbaijan.

Mammadov made these remarks at a conference on the preservation of religious monuments held as part of the 10th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilisations in Portugal, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Mammadov highlighted that Armenia falsified ancient Albanian monuments, which are an essential part of Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage, under the guise of repair and restoration efforts. He further noted the widespread destruction of religious and cultural sites, with 65 out of 67 mosques and 200 cemeteries in the occupied territories destroyed.

He underscored that Azerbaijan has always been a model of peaceful coexistence, where people from various ethnic and religious backgrounds live together harmoniously. More than 2,000 mosques, 16 churches, 7 synagogues, and numerous other places of worship are integral to Azerbaijan’s diverse cultural fabric. Mammadov reiterated that the preservation of historical, cultural, and religious sites is a priority in Azerbaijan, a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional nation.

In his concluding remarks, Mammadov reaffirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to contributing to the resolution of global challenges based on universal values.

As of today, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture has identified over 400 monuments destroyed in the liberated territories. These sites were part of a broader cultural heritage that once included up to 3,000 monuments. Cultural and religious properties belonging to Azerbaijan were looted, desecrated, and altered, with many illegally exported to Armenia. The destruction extended to 22 museums and museum branches, which housed over 100,000 artefacts.

The shocking footage of the widespread destruction in the liberated territories, particularly in Aghdam — home to the world-famous Bread Museum — and Fuzuli, which were completely razed, went viral after the territories’ liberation.

According to statistics compiled by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture, around 2,625 monuments were recorded in the occupied areas by the early 1990s. Of these, 706 were state-protected. However, hundreds of cultural institutions were destroyed and looted, including 927 libraries holding 4.6 million books, 808 cultural centres, 85 music and art schools, 22 museums with over 100,000 exhibits, and 4 theatres, among many other cultural assets.

By Tamilla Hasanova