Western Azerbaijan Community urges global pressure on Armenia over ruined Azerbaijani mosque in Yerevan

The Western Azerbaijan Community has called on international organizations to pressure Armenia into restoring and protecting Azerbaijani monuments.

Footage circulating on social media shows a blogger capturing the ruins of a historic Azerbaijani mosque in the Tepebashi quarter of Yerevan, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Community's statement.

“These images make it clear that the mosque has now been turned into a place for alcohol consumption. This is an open provocation, violating the religious and cultural dignity of the Azerbaijani people," the statement reads.

The statement further accused Armenia of deliberately erasing Azerbaijani cultural traces: "The deliberate destruction of Azerbaijani cultural monuments by the Armenian side and the erasure of Azerbaijani cultural traces in present-day Armenia constitute a blatant violation of international law, including the 1954 Hague Convention and relevant UNESCO resolutions. Such actions by Armenia pose a serious obstacle to achieving peace and reconciliation in the region."

"We strongly protest against the destruction of the Tepebashi Mosque, a cultural heritage site, and the offensive use of its ruins. We call on UNESCO and other international organizations to take urgent measures, including pressuring Armenia to restore and protect the mosque and other destroyed Azerbaijani monuments," the Community said.

The Community demanded the Armenian government fulfil its obligations: "We demand that the Armenian government immediately fulfil its obligations to restore and safeguard all destroyed or falsified cultural monuments belonging to the Azerbaijani people."

For the record, the Tepebashi quarter in Yerevan was historically home to a significant Azerbaijani population before their displacement in the early 20th century. Many of the area's architectural and religious landmarks, including mosques, have since been demolished or repurposed.

By Khagan Isayev