A working group has been created in Azerbaijan to study Albanian Christian heritage on the territory of Armenia
A working group aimed at studying the Albanian Christian heritage located on the territory of present-day Armenia has been created in the Community of Western Azerbaijan.
In particular, this concerns the historical regions of Zangezur, Daralayaz and the basin of Lake Goycha.
As the Community reports, the group was created to research, using scientific methods, the history, architectural and epigraphic features, as well as the affiliation of churches, chapels, khachkars and monasteries on the basis of archival documents and other primary sources.
"In the Azerbaijani scientific community, the opinion is widespread that the documents of the Albanian Catholicosate of the 16th–19th centuries have been completely destroyed. The losses are undeniable, however, the archival and manuscript collections of a number of countries hold numerous documents and sources concerning both the Albanian catholicoses and the religious and social history of the era, and some of them have already been published. These materials are scattered across various collections. Their systematic search and collection into a single scientific database constitute the main mission of the working group. At present, the Community of Western Azerbaijan already has several hundred documents on this topic," the Community's statement notes.
It is emphasized that the September visit of foreign diplomats to the Gandzasar monastery complex demonstrated that cultural heritage has entered the diplomatic agenda.
"The Community of Western Azerbaijan considers the multilayered religious and cultural heritage on the territory of present-day Armenia, including the medieval monuments of Caucasian Albania, to be part of its own heritage as the heirs of the deported Azerbaijanis. This position can be substantiated in the international scientific community only by facts based on sources and by re-verifiable research. This research will also serve to document the historical and cultural foundations of the safe and dignified return of the deported population," the statement says.
