Euronews has released a video report on religious ceremonies held by Albanian-Udi Christians in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, APA reports.
The video features footage from a religious ceremony held by the Albanian-Udi community at the Ganjasar Monastery, located near the village of Vangli in the Aghdara district.
The video notes that Azerbaijan’s Udi Christians continue to preserve a centuries-old tradition of pilgrimage and prayer at Karabakh’s historic Christian sites.
It is reported that the majority of the Udi community lives in the village of Nij in the Gabala district.
The report notes that the main church of the Ganjasar Monastery was built between 1216 and 1238 during the rule of Hasan-Jalal Dawla.
The video also features comments by Rafiq Danakari, Deputy Chairman of the Albanian-Udi Christian Community.
“Today, thanks to the achievement of our independence, we are in the monastery built by our holy fathers. We are proud of our history,” Rafiq Danakari said.
Euronews notes that for Udi pilgrims, returning to Ganjasar also means restoring a deep historical connection. The report emphasizes that holding the religious ceremony in the Udi language is also of particular importance.
The video says that the Albanian-Udi community also makes pilgrimages to other historic Christian sites in Karabakh.
These include the Khudavang Monastery in the Kalbajar district, the Aghoghlan Monastery in the Lachin district and the Amaras Monastery in the Khojavand district.
The report notes that Azerbaijan is a secular country whose population is predominantly Muslim, while Christians, Jews and other religious communities also form part of the country’s religious and cultural landscape.
Euronews also states that Christianity has an ancient history in the territory of modern-day Azerbaijan. The video presents the Kish Church near Shaki and the Udi community’s continuation of Christian religious traditions in the village of Nij in the Gabala district as examples of this historical heritage.
The Euronews video also emphasizes that the preservation of historic Christian sites in Karabakh and the issue of their historical identity remain part of broader discussions about the region’s past.
The Euronews video can be viewed here.
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