Azerbaijan, which destroys monuments, urges UNESCO to `save` Kond - Statement

ArmInfo. In line with its aggressive and expansionist anti-Armenian agenda, Azerbaijan continues to spread false information and propaganda. For years,  dedicating considerable effort and resources, Baku has sought to  portray the over 2800-year-old city of Yerevan as "Azerbaijani.

"This is stated in a statement by the Geghard Scientific and Analytical  Foundation, published due to the fact that recently Azerbaijan, this  time on behalf of public organizations, again appealed to UNESCO  Director-General Audrey Azoulay 'to preserve' Kond.

"Another target of Azerbaijan is Yerevan's ancient Kond district.  Named Kond because of its elevated position, it was later renamed  "Tapabash" (head of the hill) during Persian rule. A prominent  ancient monument in this district is the Church of St. Hovhannes the  Baptist, founded in the 7th century.  This church was destroyed in  the earthquake of 1679 and subsequently restored in 1710.  Azerbaijanis refer to the Kond district by the modified name  "Tapabashi." Such propaganda efforts in Azerbaijan are not  unprecedented.

On July 7, 2022, Azerbaijani "cultural and public figures" appealed  to Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of the United Nations  Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), urging  her to prevent the "destruction of Azerbaijani historical and  cultural heritage" in Yerevan.

On May 7, 2024, Azerbaijan, this time on behalf of non-governmental  organizations, appealed to the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey  Azoulay, calling for the preservation of Kond. Among the signatories  were organizations such as the so-called "Community of Western  Azerbaijan," "Cultural Heritage Propaganda of Yerevan," "Zangezur  Union," and other NGOs, whose names clearly reflect their agenda and  objectives.

Apart from the fact that Kond is not Azerbaijani, this statement is  ironic given Azerbaijan's ongoing policy of deliberately targeting  and destroying Armenian historical and cultural heritage in  Nakhijevan, Artsakh, and other areas which is documented.

Moreover, in the statement, Azerbaijan also "declares readiness for  dialogue and interaction with UNESCO in order to prevent the  destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage" in Armenia, and calls  for "sending a fact-finding mission to Yerevan." Such a call is  ironic, given UNESCO's readiness to create an independent technical  mission in 2020 to assess the status of cultural values in Artsakh.  However, Azerbaijan has blocked the mission's entry into Artsakh,  challenging international structures and their activities, and  highlighting its attempts to cover up the facts confirming the  destruction of Armenian heritage in Artsakh.

Thus, the "Azerbaijanization" campaign of Yerevan's Kond district is  a clear manifestation of Azerbaijan's broader political agenda, aimed  at distorting history and asserting its territorial ambitions over  Armenia. With the international community failing to take appropriate  steps, the destruction of Armenian historical and cultural values has  reached alarming proportions. Currently, at least 1456 Armenian  historical and cultural monuments are under Azerbaijan's control in  occupied Artsakh, " the statement reads. 

Notably, the Kond reconstruction project was once developed by the  Yerevan Project Institute and the mayor's office of the French city  of Lyon.   Back in 2021, the RA Urban Development Committee announced  an international open architectural and urban planning tender for the  construction of the Kond district in Yerevan.   This competition was  the third attempt to attract investors to implement the project. As  part of the project, it was proposed to form a professional working  group with the participation of architects, builders, economists,  sociologists, lawyers, representatives of public organizations and  the media, as well as artists, sculptors, ethnographers, and  historians.   Along the perimeter of the rectangular garden, it was  planned to restore the preserved 2-3-story ancient buildings, use  Armenian cuisine for restaurants, cafes, tea houses, attractions,  games, art clubs, etc.  In the park, artists would be able to exhibit  their paintings, which would correspond to the French Montmartre.   Last November, Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan announced that the  project for the reconstruction of the capital's Kond district, which  has great historical and cultural value, has entered the stage of  practical implementation.