Theologian Vardan Khachatryan, speaking about the cultural and religious heritage of Artsakh at the Henaran press club, said that they are in danger, especially since Azerbaijan transferred Dadivank to the Udis, meanwhile Amaras and Gandzasar have an uncertain future. According to him, even monuments in Soviet Azerbaijan were deliberately harmed.
According to the theologian, there is a unique Turkish-Islam treatment of Christian monuments in general, and lots of construction has taken place at the expense of Christian churches since long ago, and even now, the treatment of Christian heritage has not changed.
He used the Arakelots church in Shushi as an example. “We cannot expect any other treatment from them, and the biggest example of that is the Arakelots church in Shushi. It was an extraordinary work of architecture made of white basalt. It cost an unprecedented amount of money for its time. However, upon entering, Azerbaijani soldiers destroyed it with grenades. What else can we expect from Azerbaijan?”
Vardan Khachatryan also spoke about the khachkars in Jugha, which he saw with his own eyes. “You all know what happened in Nakhichevan in 2005. An extraordinary Armenian cemetery existed there. Those pearls were deliberately destroyed, and the world reacted with silence and indifference.”
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He also considers the treasures of Artsakh to be one-of-a-kind. “Gandzasar is an extraordinary symbol that has international importance. God forbid that anything happens to it. Its loss would be irreparable. Or Amaras, which is where the Armenian language and education began as Mesrop Mashtots taught there. Now all of that is in danger because we often hear the statements made by Azerbaijani leadership about Sevan and Yerevan. Of course, I do not think that we are in any real danger now, but considering how the Armenian authorities made a grave mistake in believing that there will be a response from the international community or that we have allies who will intervene, or that it will be possible to negotiate with jihadists who see military operations as the last attempt at destroying the Armenian ethos in the region… the loss of part of Artsakh was undoubtedly major. The logic with which we are trying to move forward and adapting to the situation is unacceptable.”
Gohar Hakobyan
