Editor: Armenians obstructed foreign photographers documenting Azerbaijani heritage Photo

Foreign photographers attempting to document Azerbaijani cultural heritage in Armenia faced obstruction from local communities, according to Musa Marjanli, editor-in-chief of İrs (Heritage) magazine.

Speaking at the scientific-practical event "Stones Speak in Silence: Preserving Azerbaijani Heritage", Marjanli claimed that efforts to photograph remnants of Azerbaijani presence in what is referred to in Azerbaijan as Western Azerbaijan were repeatedly hindered, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

“Over the past six months, international photographers have captured images across Armenia that depict elements of Azerbaijani heritage, including destroyed homes, monuments, gravestones and damaged inscriptions,” Marjanli told reporters. “However, Armenians did not allow them to carry out their work freely.”

He also said that some members of the Yazidi Kurdish community, who reside in certain villages in the region, prevented foreign photographers from accessing particular areas.

“Despite the challenges, we managed to compile a collection of images showcasing the Azerbaijani legacy in Western Azerbaijan. These photographs have been included in a major publication titled A Time to Gather Stones, which will be launched today,” Marjanli added.

The term Western Azerbaijan is used in Azerbaijani discourse to refer to parts of present-day Armenia that were historically inhabited by Azerbaijanis, particularly before the conflict and population displacements of the 20th century.

The event highlighted ongoing concerns in Azerbaijan over the preservation and recognition of cultural and historical sites linked to its former communities in Armenia. Armenian authorities have not commented on the allegations.

By Aghakazim Guliyev