The Director of the Institute of Archaeology of Azerbaijan, Farhad Guliyev, recently gave an extensive interview in which he addressed the archaeological works and studies being carried out by the Azerbaijani side in the occupied territory of Artsakh. Notably, in the past, the Azerbaijani academic community has not presented comprehensive interviews or analyses regarding archaeological activities in Karabakh; the publications and interviews that have appeared have been fragmentary.

The Director of the Institute of Archaeology of Azerbaijan claimed that the Armenian side pursued a policy of systematic cultural genocide in Karabakh, targeting both Islamic and Christian monuments. According to Guliyev, the Armenian side deliberately destroyed monuments of the Islamic period, while "Armenianizing" the Christian ones.

These false Azerbaijani assertions are not new and have been repeated continuously in recent years. Particularly noteworthy is Guliyev's claim that the Azerbaijani side must determine which of the Armenian inscriptions on Karabakh's Christian churches are forged, which are historical, and which are late or "additions from the occupation period."

It was mentioned that the primary task of the Azerbaijani academic community has now become the study of the Christian heritage.

The Director of the Institute of Archaeology of Azerbaijan also stated that the primary aim of the research in Karabakh is to document the damage allegedly inflicted during the period of Armenian occupation to bring the Armenian side to legal responsibility. He presented these investigations as part of forensic archaeology, which he carried out in collaboration with international partners.

Further statements concern activities attributed to the Armenian side. (https://arxeologiya.az/qarabag-v%C9%99-s%C9%99rqi-z%C9%99ng%C9%99zurda-beyn%C9%99lxalq-t%C9%99dqiqatlar-aparilir-f%C9%99rhad-quliyev-musahibe/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMatnhjbGNrAxq2aWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeLvQKWazcHdLFG4G3cpWEV8vX3ZCfK9LKXUdOS54Qkyu7tjcCo8Mjb62dR8U_aem_cYg6zOQrp5dk4DlKXk08kA&lang=az)

Our Response

The statements by Farhad Guliyev, Director of the Institute of Archaeology of Azerbaijan, are not only patently false but also pose a direct threat to Armenian cultural heritage—especially to Armenian-language inscriptions on churches and other monuments. With such formulations, the Azerbaijani side seeks to label Armenian cultural heritage as "forged" or as "additions from the occupation period," thereby laying the groundwork for its erasure. This is not a scholarly discussion but a program aimed at altering the identity of cultural heritage and denying the Armenian presence. These statements are directed toward cleansing Armenian cultural identity from its heritage and reassigning it an Azerbaijani or "non-Armenian" identity.

By contrast, the norms of international law and numerous conventions, including the Hague and Geneva Conventions, prohibit the alteration of cultural heritage's identity and the removal or destruction of inscriptions. Thus, Guliyev's statements are not only politicized and devoid of scholarly merit; they are also clear examples of gross violations of international law.