Azerbaijan to investigate location of archaeological finds removed by Armenians from Karabakh
By Vafa İsmayilova
Azerbaijan is going to investigate the question related to the location of archaeological finds previously removed by the Armenians from Azerbaijan's occupied territories, Day.az reported on March 17.
In an interview with Day.az, Deputy Director of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of Azerbaijan's National Academy of Sciences Professor Najaf Museyibli said that the Armenians who previously conducted illegal excavations on occupied territories posted a number of information on some internet resources.
"For example, there is an ancient city not far from Shahbulag [Tower] on the territory of Azerbaijan's Aghdam region. Armenians, resorting to falsification, claim that this is allegedly the 'ancient Armenian city of Tigranakert'. The Armenian scientists, who conducted illegal excavations there, admit that all the found samples of material culture were taken out. There is no exact information about where these finds are stored - in Khankandi or Yerevan. Of course, the question of the location of these archaeological finds will be investigated," Museyibli added.
As a result of Armenian vandalism, hundreds of cultural institutions, including 927 libraries with 4.6 million books, 808 palaces of culture, clubs and other cultural institutions, 85 music and art schools were destroyed on the occupied Azerbaijani territories.
Nearly 22 museums and museum branches, four art galleries, four theatres, two concert halls, eight parks of culture and recreation, were subjected to the Armenian vandalism.
Over 700 historical and cultural monuments registered by the state before the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were looted, including the 11 and 15-span Khudaferin bridges in Jabrayil, Ganjasar and Khudavend sanctuaries in Kalbajar, the mausoleum in Aghdam's Khachin Turbetli village, Azykh cave in Fuzuli as well as Shusha state historical and architectural reserve.
A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10 brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.
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