Modern Challenges to the Preservation of the Armenian Architectural Heritage of Artsakh /Nagorno-Karabakh/

 The preservation of the Armenian architectural heritage of Artsakh in the 21st century faces significant challenges, primarily stemming from armed conflicts and ethnocultural and religious intolerance. The wars initiated by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and Armenia, beyond territorial conquest, aim t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lyuba Kirakosyan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: National University Of Architecture And Construction Of Armenia 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of Architectural and Engineering Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jaer.nuaca.am/index.php/jaer/article/view/215
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849391663895543808
author Lyuba Kirakosyan
author_facet Lyuba Kirakosyan
author_sort Lyuba Kirakosyan
collection DOAJ
description  The preservation of the Armenian architectural heritage of Artsakh in the 21st century faces significant challenges, primarily stemming from armed conflicts and ethnocultural and religious intolerance. The wars initiated by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and Armenia, beyond territorial conquest, aim to erase Armenian identity, history, and cultural landscape systematically. Architectural monuments, as tangible evidence of historical Armenian presence in these territories, stand as a cultural obstacle to this agenda. The deliberate destruction of Armenian cultural values and historical and cultural heritage exemplifies Azerbaijan’s long-standing policy of cultural genocide. For over a century, even during peacetime, Armenian Christian heritage in regions such as Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh has suffered irreversible losses. This destruction continues today at an even larger scale, particularly following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. The article presents the vandal actions of Azerbaijan, which began at the time of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1991-1994) and continue to this day, which are carried out against Armenian Christian monuments (Holy All Savior Ghazanchetsots Church and St. Hovhannes Mkrtich Church (St. John the Baptist), or Kanach Zham (Green Church), in Shushi, Gandzasar, Dadivank, Amaras, the monastery complexes of Yegnasar, churches of Tsitsernavank, Vankasar, Tsaghkavank, and many, many others). These actions unfold through various forms, including physical destruction, appropriation, disfigurement, desecration, and changing the primary function of tangible heritage. The principles of authenticity, integrity, and the importance of safeguarding the Armenian historical legacy in the international system for the preservation of the Christian heritage of Artsakh are revealed. Initiatives aimed at preserving the medieval heritage of the region were noted.
format Article
id doaj-art-e62b348a40bb48e3b6339763d8305c9a
institution Kabale University
issn 2738-2656
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher National University Of Architecture And Construction Of Armenia
record_format Article
series Journal of Architectural and Engineering Research
spelling doaj-art-e62b348a40bb48e3b6339763d8305c9a2025-08-20T03:41:00ZengNational University Of Architecture And Construction Of ArmeniaJournal of Architectural and Engineering Research2738-26562025-08-0110.54338/27382656-2025.si.1-02Modern Challenges to the Preservation of the Armenian Architectural Heritage of Artsakh /Nagorno-Karabakh/ Lyuba Kirakosyan0National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia  The preservation of the Armenian architectural heritage of Artsakh in the 21st century faces significant challenges, primarily stemming from armed conflicts and ethnocultural and religious intolerance. The wars initiated by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and Armenia, beyond territorial conquest, aim to erase Armenian identity, history, and cultural landscape systematically. Architectural monuments, as tangible evidence of historical Armenian presence in these territories, stand as a cultural obstacle to this agenda. The deliberate destruction of Armenian cultural values and historical and cultural heritage exemplifies Azerbaijan’s long-standing policy of cultural genocide. For over a century, even during peacetime, Armenian Christian heritage in regions such as Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh has suffered irreversible losses. This destruction continues today at an even larger scale, particularly following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. The article presents the vandal actions of Azerbaijan, which began at the time of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1991-1994) and continue to this day, which are carried out against Armenian Christian monuments (Holy All Savior Ghazanchetsots Church and St. Hovhannes Mkrtich Church (St. John the Baptist), or Kanach Zham (Green Church), in Shushi, Gandzasar, Dadivank, Amaras, the monastery complexes of Yegnasar, churches of Tsitsernavank, Vankasar, Tsaghkavank, and many, many others). These actions unfold through various forms, including physical destruction, appropriation, disfigurement, desecration, and changing the primary function of tangible heritage. The principles of authenticity, integrity, and the importance of safeguarding the Armenian historical legacy in the international system for the preservation of the Christian heritage of Artsakh are revealed. Initiatives aimed at preserving the medieval heritage of the region were noted. https://jaer.nuaca.am/index.php/jaer/article/view/215Armenian architectural heritagepreservationthe cultural policy of Azerbaijandistortionalbanization
spellingShingle Lyuba Kirakosyan
Modern Challenges to the Preservation of the Armenian Architectural Heritage of Artsakh /Nagorno-Karabakh/
Journal of Architectural and Engineering Research
Armenian architectural heritage
preservation
the cultural policy of Azerbaijan
distortion
albanization
title Modern Challenges to the Preservation of the Armenian Architectural Heritage of Artsakh /Nagorno-Karabakh/
title_full Modern Challenges to the Preservation of the Armenian Architectural Heritage of Artsakh /Nagorno-Karabakh/
title_fullStr Modern Challenges to the Preservation of the Armenian Architectural Heritage of Artsakh /Nagorno-Karabakh/
title_full_unstemmed Modern Challenges to the Preservation of the Armenian Architectural Heritage of Artsakh /Nagorno-Karabakh/
title_short Modern Challenges to the Preservation of the Armenian Architectural Heritage of Artsakh /Nagorno-Karabakh/
title_sort modern challenges to the preservation of the armenian architectural heritage of artsakh nagorno karabakh
topic Armenian architectural heritage
preservation
the cultural policy of Azerbaijan
distortion
albanization
url https://jaer.nuaca.am/index.php/jaer/article/view/215
work_keys_str_mv AT lyubakirakosyan modernchallengestothepreservationofthearmenianarchitecturalheritageofartsakhnagornokarabakh