Baku, December 17, AZERTAC

Azerbaijan's civil society representatives have addressed an Open Letter to Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

The letter reads:

“Dear Director General,

We are writing to express our deep concern and to call for action against the systematic policy implemented by Armenia, which deliberately destroys cultural property and erase the historical and cultural roots of Azerbaijani heritage in Armenia. These measures have resulted in the intentional destruction of Azerbaijani tangible and intangible cultural heritage, targeting the enduring traces of the Azerbaijani people who lived in these territories for centuries.

Azerbaijani cultural heritage in Western Zangazur, Gafan, Iravan, Goycha, Nuvadi, Vedi and in other places has been deliberately destroyed and misappropriated as part of the policy pursued by Armenia. Among the many examples, the Damirbulag Mosque in Iravan was bulldozed in the early 1990s during the conflict, and the sixteenth-century Sardar Mosque was destroyed in several stages. The Gala Mosque, Shah Abbas Mosque, Tapabashi Mosque, Zal Khan Mosque, Sartib Khan Mosque, Haji Novruzali Bey Mosque, Haji Jafar Bey Mosque, Rajab Pasha Mosque, Mohammad Sartib Khan Mosque, Haji Inam Mosque, and more than 300 other religious and cultural heritage sites in Armenia have suffered the same fate.

Additionally, more than 500 Azerbaijani cemeteries in Armenia, such as Aghadada, Ashaghi Shorja, Gullubulagh, and Saral, have been desecrated and destroyed. The tomb of the great Azerbaijani poet Ashig Alasgar, a prominent figure representing Azerbaijan's intangible cultural heritage, was also destroyed.

This widespread campaign extends beyond physical destruction, as the historical names of Azerbaijani villages have been completely changed, with ancient toponyms replaced by Armenian ones. Furthermore, Armenia’s actions against Azerbaijani heritage include the misappropriation and alteration of cultural heritage sites. The only surviving mosque in Armenia, the Blue Mosque in Iravan, is falsely represented as a 'Persian mosque'. In reality, the mosque was built by Azerbaijanis and, for centuries, was attended by them.

As more than 100 Azerbaijani scientists and public figures warned in an appeal to UNESCO in 2022 that the Tapabashi quarter in Iravan — the only remaining part of the historical old town is now under threat of total annihilation. Armenia continues to demolish the last remaining traces of Azerbaijani culture through the so-called "reconstruction" project in the historically Azerbaijani Tapabashi quarter.

Dear Director General,

For years, Azerbaijani NGOs, diaspora have appealed to UNESCO to react and to condemn the deliberate state policy of annihilation of the cultural heritage of Azerbaijani people in Armenia. Azerbaijani civil society strongly believes that UNESCO involvement is urgently needed to stop the systematic policy of one of its Member States aimed at intentionally destroying cultural property and denying the historical and cultural roots of cultural heritage belonging to the Azerbaijani people. We expect a principled and consistent approach from the Organization in defending the principles and values it stands for.

In light of the above, we – the representatives of Azerbaijani NGOs once again request UNESCO to send a fact-finding mission to Armenia to monitor and to document the state of Azerbaijani cultural heritage there and to demand Armenia to comply with its international obligations to protect Azerbaijani cultural heritage stemming from various international conventions, in particular UNESCO ones.

Signed by:

Fuad Mammadov - "Simurg" Azerbaijan Cultural Association

Aziz Alakbarli – Western Azerbaijan Community

Fariz Khalilli – "Miras" Public Association for the Promotion of Cultural Heritage

Narmina Aghayeva - "Promotion of Iravan Cultural Heritage" Public Union

Haji Abdulla - "Zangezur" Societies Public Union

Umud Rahimoghlu - International Eurasia Press Fund

Novella Jafarova - D. Aliyeva Azerbaijan Women's Rights Society

Saadat Bananyarli - "Azerbaijan National Unit of the International Human Rights Society" Public Union

Saltanat Gojamanli - "Protection of Human Rights and Legality" Public Union

Mubariz Asgarov - "Objective" Public Union for the Promotion of National Values

Zaur Ibrahimli - "Prioritet" Social Economic Research Center Public Union

Shahla Naghiyeva - “Sonmez Mashal” Cultural Relations Public Union

Sheyda Allahverdiyeva – "ICOMOS Azerbaijan" Public Union

Gamar Baghirova - Jafar Jabbarli Public Association for the Development of Culture, Science and Education

Ulviyya Babirova - "Culture Volunteers" Public Union

Turkay Gasimzada - Association for the Protection of Azerbaijan’s Cultural Heritage and Support for Tourism

Esmira Fuad - Eternal Turan Book Fund

Azer Allahveranov – "Eurasia Migration Initiatives Platform" Public Union

Sevda Tahirli - Mirza Alakbar Sabir Foundation

Shahin Gadirov - "Zirva" Culture and Art Public Union

Farida Mirishova- "Iz" Culture Development and Support Public Union

Samad Vakilov - "Muvakkil Law Center" Public Union.”