Historic Christian sites in Azerbaijan’s liberated lands undergo major restoration—head of community

The Azerbaijani government is actively restoring and safeguarding historical monuments associated with the Albanian-Udi community and other Christian religious groups, with extensive measures focused on territories recently liberated from occupation. Notable examples of these restoration efforts include the Ganjasar Monastery Complex in Aghdara and the Aghoghlan Monastery in Lachin.

Head of the Albanian-Udi Christian Community in Azerbaijan Robert Mobili, noted that the restoration initiatives are being implemented along two primary lines. Some churches are being returned to religious communities for active worship, while others are being restored and preserved as cultural heritage sites and tourist attractions, Caliber.Az repoirts per local media.

“Churches are used for worship if a corresponding religious community resides in the area. Since there is currently no Christian community in Karabakh, there is no need for these churches to be used for services. However, in the future, after communities are reestablished, the churches can be used for worship. The state is conducting targeted work in this direction. For example, churches in the villages of Talish and Sugovushan will be restored and handed over to our community for worship. Other monuments will be conserved and presented as tourist sites, such as the Kish Temple in Shaki and the Gum Basilica in Gakh,” Mobili explained.

He stressed that the overarching goal of these efforts is to restore ancient religious monuments, thereby preserving the historical legacy, preventing its falsification, and safeguarding it for future generations.

By Vafa Guliyeva