Today is the 10th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s demolition of the Armenian Cemetery of Djulfa
YEREVAN (Tert.am)—Ten years ago today, the Azerbaijani authorities destroyed the Armenian Cemetery of Djulfa and began the demolition of several Armenian monuments in Nakhichevan.
In the unprecedented act of vandalism, thousands of Armenian khachkars (cross-stones) were leveled down with the help of heavy equipment. The desecration of the monuments began back in 2003 and carried on until 2006.
Samvel Karapetyan, a monument expert studying samples of Armenian architecture in and outside of Armenia, described Azerbaijan’s vandalism as an act encouraged by Turkey, the country traditionally considered its more powerful brother.
“The ancient site of international significance does not exist for ten years, so we are not able to do anything to return [it]. But we can, of course, raise the world’s awareness of the crime committed. To rule out such brutalities, that country must be condemned and punished. Otherwise, such incidents will always repeat themselves. And they do; while we are talking now, the Azerbaijanis are destroying [more monuments]. That’s also because their ‘elder brother’, Turkey, wasn’t punished for that.â€
