BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 20. Armenia tried to fully erase the traces of Azerbaijanis in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Culture Saadat Yusifova said at a conference on the occasion of the 'World Book and Copyright Day' within the framework of the Year of Heydar Aliyev, Trend reports.
According to the deputy minister, today's event is dedicated to a very important topic - the state of Azerbaijan’s historical and cultural heritage in the context of Zangazur and Armenian falsifications.
She noted that the transfer of the western part of Zangazur, the original Azerbaijani land, to Armenia in past led to the geographical fragmentation of the Turkic world.
“We are still experiencing the grave consequences of this historical tragedy that befell our people in the first decades of the XX century. The process of occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia over the past 30 years takes its roots precisely from the tragedies that occurred in that period and the historical mistakes made," Yusifova noted.
Speaking about Armenia’s attempts to falsify history, she stressed that in order to prevent the destruction and falsification of Azerbaijani historical and cultural heritage in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur during their occupation by Armenia, Azerbaijan worked hard to ensure that the voice of the country was heard on all international platforms.
Thanks to the great efforts and personal authority of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, the historical and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan today is more recognized and highly valued throughout the world, Yusifova added.
She also noted that Azerbaijan has repeatedly raised at international organizations the issue of sending a fact-finding mission to destroy and falsify cultural heritage in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur during the 30-year occupation. Armenians, known for their falsifications, failed to use the appearance of caravanserais, mosques, baths and tombs in cities built in the style of classical Islamic architecture of the Middle East as their own, so they saw a way out - in destroying them or making them unrecognizable.
"Vandalism against the historical and cultural heritage belonging to the Azerbaijani people was not prevented at the international level, since no reaction was followed. During the occupation, more than 300 historical architectural monuments in the cradle of Azerbaijani culture, Shusha, were completely destroyed. But, as President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev underlined, no matter how hard the Armenians have tried over the past 28 years, they have not been able to affect the Azerbaijani spirit," the deputy minister said.
Yusifova also said that Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture conducted monitoring in Shusha, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Khojavend, Gubadli, Aghdam, Tartar, Lachin and Kalbajar districts. Furthermore, many monuments were destroyed, looted, and vandalized.
"But we can say with confidence that as a victorious nation, we will restore Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, and they will be even more beautiful," she added.
Yusifova added that the people who will return to their native lands after large-scale renovation and construction work on the lands liberated from Armenian occupation will return the true spirit of Karabakh, and it will again become a highly cultural center of the region.