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MP: Armenian cultural heritage policy based on falsification, destruction

Hikmat Babaoglu, a member of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis (Parliament)

22 April 2026 16:56 (UTC +04:00)

“Armenians’ cultural heritage policy has historically been built on falsification and destructive activity,” Hikmat Babaoglu, a member of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis (Parliament), told APA

Creators and destroyers of culture

The MP noted that throughout history there have been nations that create culture, and these are well known: "Unfortunately, there are also barbaric forces that destroy culture, and they are also known. Since their resettlement to the Caucasus, Armenians have systematically pursued a policy of destroying the material and cultural heritage created by our people, and they have done so using extremely brutal methods. Those who destroy culture are usually forces that are unable to create culture themselves and therefore harbor jealousy and envy toward nations that do. Over time, this sentiment radicalizes and turns into destructive barbarism.”

Systematic destruction of cultural heritage in Western Azerbaijan

Hikmat Babaoglu noted that Armenians have systematically destroyed the cultural heritage created by our ancestors over thousands of years in Western Azerbaijan, destroyed our cities, including historical monuments such as the Sardarabad fortress, and left our mosques in ruins: “They have even deliberately committed acts of vandalism against the cultural heritage in the ancient city of Yerevan, dating back to the 7th century BC. All of this was aimed at erasing the history and cultural heritage of a nation from its historical geography and convincing the international community that these lands supposedly belong to Armenians. By changing toponyms, falsifying names, and appropriating them through various methods, they have tried to prove that these lands belong to them. In fact, many cultural monuments presented under the name ‘Turkmen’ are actually heritage created by the Gara Goyunlu and other Turkic tribes.”

Vandalism against cultural heritage during the occupation period

The MP emphasized that another clear example of Armenian vandalism was observed in Azerbaijan’s territories during the 30-year occupation period: “Monasteries such as Amaras, Khudavang (Dadivank), and Ganjasar, which belong to Azerbaijan’s Christian heritage, were also subjected to Armenian vandalism. In order to present these monuments as allegedly belonging to Armenians, the historical inscriptions on them were falsified, altered, and distorted. During the occupation period, not only the heritage of Azerbaijanis, but also the historical monuments created by other peoples who lived in the region were destroyed. The main goal behind all these actions was to falsify the history of those territories and to claim that this geography supposedly belongs to Armenians. However, these attempts did not succeed, because world historical science and academic approach are not based on one-sided claims.”

Babaoglu noted that Armenians continue to pursue a policy of manipulation of history even today

Azerbaijan Armenia cultural heritage Western Azerbaijan Karabakh occupation period vandalism Hikmat Babaoglu historical monuments cultural destruction falsification of history South Caucasus