What can be done to the temple? Fire a shell, destroy the dome, demolish it. But the complete physical destruction of the monument is fraught with international scandals. That is why the Azerbaijani side uses other ways to erase traces of Armenian culture from the controlled territories.
Albanization, for instance. What does Albania have to do with it? The modern country on the Balkan Peninsula is irrelevant. Caucasian Albania is a state that existed in the territory of present-day Azerbaijan in the first millennium AD. The present inhabitants of Azerbaijan are partly descendants of the inhabitants of this ancient state.
Albanization, for instance. What does Albania have to do with it? The modern country on the Balkan Peninsula is irrelevant. Caucasian Albania is a state that existed in the territory of present-day Azerbaijan in the first millennium AD. The present inhabitants of Azerbaijan are partly descendants of the inhabitants of this ancient state.
Caucasian Albania was a union of 26 tribes. Their languages were related to present-day Dagestani. The small people of the Udines are a direct descendant of the Albanians.
Christianity came to their country through Armenia as early as the 4th century. At the same time, during the division of Armenia between Rome and Persia, Caucasian Albania received the territories, which also included present-day Artsakh.
After being conquered by Arabs in 705, Caucasian Albania ceased to exist. However, the Albanian Christian Church existed till the XIX century when it was liquidated by the Russian Empire. However, as non-Azerbaijani scholars believe, the Armenian language and traditions dominated this church from the first centuries of its existence.
Since Soviet times, Azerbaijani historians have begun to exaggerate the role and influence of Caucasian Albania in the history of the region. The rhetoric evolved, and today it is adopted at the official level: all the Christian monuments in the territory of Azerbaijan, which Armenians consider their own, are in fact Albanian.
President Ilham Aliyev states firmly:
"Armenian historians and falsifiers have Armenianized the Albanian churches, added their lies there and assigned them".
Azerbaijani scientists and architects insist that all Armenian inscriptions and details were put on Albanian churches later and suggest that they be removed. Armenia fears that only bare walls will be left of the monuments.
Caucasian Albania map
Another way of non-physical destruction of Armenian culture is also unexpected: let's call it "conversion to Orthodoxy". Elnur Allahverdiyev, a deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan, claims that the Kanach Jam Church was Orthodox, as it once had a round dome. According to experts, this theory is far from reality.
Maxim Atoyants, honored architect of Russia, comments:
"The shape of the dome itself doesn't mean anything. It is not a criterion, there is simply a habit that Armenian churches have a conical or pyramidal dome, and that of Greek, and then Serbian, Bulgarian and Russian churches, in those cases where they have a dome - it is usually spherical or close to that shape."
Another way to erase the Armenian identity of monuments is to turn a Christian temple into a mosque, as was done with the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul.
Surb Hambardzum Church in Berdzor (Lachin)
Such suggestions began to appear regarding the Surb Hambardzum Church in Berdzor, also now controlled by Azerbaijani forces. On March 5, 2021, the Public Association "Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments in the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan" put forward the idea of using the church as a mosque, "making minor cosmetic changes to the exterior of the church". Renderings with 3D models of the alleged mosque appeared on the network. The project was given publicity, but was never implemented.
The list of destroyed and finally destroyed monuments goes on into the hundreds. Here we will tell you about a few of the most typical cases.
The list of destroyed and finally destroyed monuments goes on into the hundreds. Here we will tell you about a few of the most typical cases.