The Albanian-Udi Christian religious community of Azerbaijan has issued a statement, APA reports.
The statement says that members of the Albanian-Udi Christian religious community, the successor to the independent Albanian (Caucasian) Apostolic Church, strongly condemn the revanchist reactions expressed by Armenian society and political circles to the visit of representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan to Karabakh and East Zangezur, particularly to the Ganjasar and Khudavang monasteries, which the community identifies as part of Albanian historical and cultural heritage.
"We believe that the Armenian side, including Armenian lobbying circles that have still not abandoned war propaganda, as well as Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who claims to be committed to the peace agenda, and other high-ranking officials, are not only denying and falsifying historical truths by presenting historical Azerbaijani monuments such as Ganjasar and Khudavang as Armenian heritage, but are also threatening the fragile peace process taking shape in the region. The targeted campaign being conducted in Armenia against the visit of diplomatic corps representatives demonstrates that political and religious circles in that country are not sincere in their desire for peace and remain intolerant of Azerbaijan's legitimate rights," the statement reads.
The community states that Caucasian Albania is an integral part of Azerbaijani statehood and that Armenia's policy of denying the historical and cultural heritage of Caucasian Albania is unacceptable.
"Such provocative activities by Armenia are a manifestation of false national exceptionalism and fabricated history, and constitute an element of racism. Such an intolerant and hostile attitude toward Caucasian Albania, particularly its religious and cultural heritage, clearly demonstrates that Armenia is afraid of the truth. As the first apostolic church in the Caucasus, the Albanian Church has a long history and has left an indelible mark on the religious and cultural life of not only Azerbaijan but the entire Caucasus. All attacks against a heritage that created a great culture and had its own alphabet will fail. Facts cannot be denied," the statement says.
The statement noted that it is a known historical fact that Albanian King Urnayr adopted Christianity as the state religion in 313: "The history of the Khudavang Monastery, one of the magnificent examples of Azerbaijani architecture, dates back to the 6th–7th centuries. How can history be changed or falsified? It is an undeniable fact that the Ganjasar Monastery was built between 1216 and 1238 on the orders of Albanian Prince Hasan Jalal Dawla and received the blessing of Albanian Patriarch Nerses in 1240. The significance of the Ganjasar Monastery and its special value to us lie in the fact that it served as the residence of the Albanian Catholicosate. Princes and clergymen from Hasan Jalal's dynasty, including Hasan Jalal Allahverdi Bey, were buried on the monastery grounds. Unfortunately, following various pressures and influences, the activities of the Albanian Apostolic Church were terminated in 1836 by a decision of the Tsarist Synod, and the Armenian Gregorian Church attempted to lay claim to part of its tangible and intangible heritage. As a result, historical Albanian churches in Azerbaijan, particularly in Karabakh, were Gregorianized, while archival materials and documents, along with our historical monuments, were either destroyed or falsified. Over the past century, attempts to Armenianize and appropriate the historical and cultural heritage of Caucasian Albania, an integral part of Azerbaijani statehood, through all manner of fraudulent schemes have become Armenia's state policy. As a result, not a single Albanian church in the territory of present-day Armenia or in Azerbaijan's formerly occupied territories has retained its original historical appearance."
The statement says that appropriating the historical and cultural heritage of Caucasian Albania to create a fabricated history is an act against both the past and the future and undermines the foundations of good-neighborly relations and peaceful coexistence: "The continuation of this policy today, with the support of Armenia's leadership, is unacceptable. History must be studied, written and presented as it is. We, the first Christians of this land, categorically reject attempts by Armenians to appropriate our historical, religious and cultural heritage. Historical reality proves that the historical, political, cultural and religious heritage of Caucasian Albania belongs to the Azerbaijani state and the Azerbaijani people, where different ethnic groups, religions and faiths have lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance for centuries. As a Christian community that preserves its language, religion, customs and traditions today, we will continue to protect the sacred heritage passed down by our ancestors and pursue our struggle against Armenian falsification. Today, just as we Udis worship in churches in Gabala and Oghuz, we also freely conduct religious rites and ceremonies in ancient Albanian churches in the liberated territories, including Ganjasar, Aghoghlan, Khudavang, Amaras and other sacred sites."
The statement also noted that, following the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence, a favorable opportunity emerged to address the injustice faced by the Albanian Apostolic Church, study its history objectively and bring it to the attention of the international community: "The Azerbaijani government is carrying out extensive work to restore and repair all historical and religious monuments in the country, regardless of their affiliation, and treats this heritage with particular sensitivity. Among them, magnificent monuments belonging to Albanian heritage, including the Church of Apostle Elisha in the village of Kish in Shaki district, considered the 'mother of churches' in the Caucasus, as well as the Chotari and Holy Mother Mary churches in the settlement of Nij in Gabala district, where Udis live in a compact community, have been restored and placed under state protection. The restoration of Albanian monuments is of great importance not only for Azerbaijan but also for the entire Christian world in terms of addressing historical injustice and preserving the atmosphere of tolerance in our country."
The community once again expressed its deep gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, for all these efforts.
"We reiterate that with the liberation of our lands from occupation, historical justice has been restored, our country's territorial integrity and sovereignty have been ensured, and new realities have emerged in the region. The Armenian side must finally accept this reality and, once and for all, abandon all actions that obstruct the peace process, which is extremely necessary for the peace and security of our region and peoples, as well as revanchist propaganda and the distortion of historical truths. We have visited Karabakh on numerous occasions to perform religious rites and commemorate the souls of our ancestors who rest there, and we plan to visit again in the near future. May the Almighty help us!" the statement emphasized.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
