Baku, April 6, AZERTAC
“Azerbaijan’s tangible and intangible heritage have been extensively damaged as a result of pain and suffering experienced by the Western Azerbaijanis over the past 200 years, as they were subjected to deportations and genocides four times in the 20th century. Armenia destroyed over 300 mosques in order to erase the traces of the Azerbaijani people,” Spokesperson for the Western Azerbaijan Community Ulviyya Zulfikar told AZERTAC.
“Additionally, Armenia misrepresented the Blue Mosque, which belongs to Azerbaijanis, as a monument owned by another nation. Over 500 cemeteries were razed to the ground. Thousands of fortresses, caravanserais, bridges and ancient settlements were destroyed. This damage also affected Azerbaijan’s intangible heritage,” Zulfikar noted.
According to her, in its appeals, the Western Azerbaijan Community constantly informs the international community about these heartbreaking facts, calling to put an end to such an injustice. “Last year, the Western Azerbaijan Community addressed a letter to UNESCO regarding the facts of damage and destruction of the Azerbaijani heritage, urging to send a fact-finding mission to Armenia. In its response, UNESCO noted that the issues related to the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage are within the organization’s mandate. However, there is still no update on fact-finding mission, and the Armenian side, obviously, knowing that the destructions could be exposed, does not want the mission to be dispatched to the country. The Western Azerbaijan Community is continuing its activity with respect to the injustice suffered by our compatriots and heritage, as well the peaceful, safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis,” the Western Azerbaijan Community spokesperson emphasized.