Azerbaijan insists it will preserve Christian heritage as part of its history

Azerbaijan insists it will preserve Christian heritage

Poinews.com – Azerbaijan insists it will preserve Christian heritage as part of its national history, according to a senior presidential official who spoke about reconciliation and cultural protection in the South Caucasus.

Hikmet Hajiyev, an assistant to Azerbaijan’s president and head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department in the Presidential Administration, made the comments during a panel discussion at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai on Wednesday.

His remarks came as Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to confront the political and cultural legacy of their long conflict, including disputes involving religious monuments and historical sites in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur.

Peace remains a difficult process

Hajiyev said a formal peace process cannot by itself settle the effects of decades of confrontation. He argued that Armenian political leaders should help prepare their society for a future centred on reconciliation.

“Probably Armenian government and Armenian leadership should work to prepare their people for the peace as well.”

He described the post-war period as demanding and warned that what he called “revanchist forces” in Armenia and the Armenian diaspora could undermine efforts to secure a lasting settlement.

“Now we won the war, but we are also winning in peace which is an uphill struggle.”

For the region, the comments underline that diplomacy is only one part of peace-building. Public attitudes, historical grievances and disagreements over cultural sites continue to shape relations between the two neighbours.

Christian sites as part of national heritage

Azerbaijan insists it will preserve Christian heritage on territory under its sovereignty, regardless of which community a particular site is associated with. Hajiyev said the country considers such places part of its own cultural inheritance.

“Preserving the Christian heritage on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, regardless of their belonging, and that is a full stop because it’s our cultural heritage.”

He said Azerbaijan’s history includes religious and cultural coexistence, with Islam, Christianity and Judaism represented through mosques, churches and synagogues. Although Azerbaijan belongs to the wider Islamic civilisation, he presented this diversity as a defining feature of the country.

Hajiyev also referred to the area’s earlier religious history. He said Azerbaijan is associated with Zoroastrianism, that Christianity arrived in the fourth century when it became the official religion of the Caucasian Kingdom of Albania, and that the region was also among the early territories to adopt Islam.

Caucasian Albania was an ancient kingdom covering areas of present-day Azerbaijan and parts of southern Dagestan. Despite its name, it has no historical connection to the Balkan state of Albania beyond the shared designation.

Disputes over monuments remain unresolved

Heritage questions carry particular significance after conflict because churches, mosques, cemeteries and monasteries often have deep communal and family meaning. Their protection can become a practical measure of whether reconciliation is taking root.

Hajiyev said Azerbaijani mosques and Islamic cultural sites were extensively damaged during the period when Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur were under Armenian occupation. He cited what he described as the deliberate misuse of mosques.

“Throughout the years of occupation in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, our mosques, our Islamic cultural heritage were a subject of complete destruction by Armenia — even the pigs were put inside of the mosques.”

He said Azerbaijan does not regard the issue as a basis for revenge, while maintaining that the country cannot forget the alleged damage to its own heritage.

“We are not taking it as a sign of revenge, but it’s our history and our heritage and we cannot forget that.”

Armenian church authorities have accused Azerbaijan of demolishing churches in Karabakh, allegations that Baku rejects. The conflicting accounts show why cultural heritage remains a sensitive issue alongside wider efforts to establish durable peace.

Frequently asked questions

What did Azerbaijan say about Christian heritage?

Azerbaijan insists it will preserve Christian heritage located on its sovereign territory and regards it as part of the country’s cultural heritage.

Why is heritage protection important in the peace process?

Religious and cultural sites are closely linked to historical memory and community identity. Protecting them is viewed as an important test of trust and reconciliation after conflict.

Which areas are central to the dispute?

Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur remain central to competing claims about the condition, ownership and protection of religious and cultural landmarks.