Traces of Armenian cultural vandalism discovered in Karabakh PHOTO

Members of the Albanian-Udi Christian community in Azerbaijan discovered a tombstone that was destroyed and hidden before the Temple of John in the Hadrut settlement.

Report informs that during the visit organized by the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, members of the community revealed that there were no tombstones on the destroyed ancient graves.

Deputy Chairman of the Albanian-Udi Christian community, Rafig Danakari, said the members of the community found and returned tombstones hidden by Armenians.

“Together with members of the community, we returned the tombstones to their original places. Then we performed religious rites and recited prayers. On tombstones and graves there are inscriptions and images of Albanian crosses, which, presumably, belong to Albanians and Udins," Danakari was quoted as saying by Report.

The Udis living in Azerbaijan are direct descendants of the ancient Azerbaijani state of Caucasian Albania, which has no link to modern-day Albania in the Balkans. There are dozens of Albanian-Udi temples in the liberated Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, including in the Khojavand district’s Hadrut settlement. Hadrut remained under Armenia’s occupation for 28 until it was liberated by the Azerbaijani army in 2020. Armenians have desecrated and vandalized the Christian heritage, including the Albanian-Udi temples, in the once occupied territories.