The Systematic Erasure of Armenian Christian Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh, located in what is now southwestern Azerbaijan, hosts a treasure trove of Armenian Christian heritage—churches, monasteries, khachkars, and other cultural artifacts that tell of the faith and culture of the Armenian people. These cherished pieces of Armenian history, however, are being systematically erased from the region.

The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) has recently published a comprehensive report entitled “The Systematic Erasure of Armenian Christian Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.” This report seeks to bring attention to the malicious destruction and revisionism of Armenian Christian heritage, evaluate the international response to date, and provide recommendations to combat the cultural erasure occurring in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The region of Nagorno-Karabakh boasts of approximately 500 cultural sites holding roughly 6,000 relics of Armenian heritage. For decades, the Armenians and Azerbaijanis have struggled over this culturally rich region, each claiming rightful control. Unfortunately, intermittent conflicts have resulted in both bloodshed and the destruction of precious cultural heritage.

After the Second Karabakh War (September 2020-November 2020), Azerbaijan gained control over the majority of Nagorno-Karabakh. Between November 2020 and September 2023, dozens of Armenian Christian heritage sites in Nagorno-Karabakh were destroyed or damaged. When not torn down, many of these sites were closed to the public, even to pilgrims. Now, with Azerbaijan’s complete control of Nagorno-Karabakh following a military offensive in September 2023, the destruction of Armenia’s cultural heritage has only grown more rampant. 

Systematic destruction and cultural revisionism

Despite numerous requests from Armenia and various international institutions, Azerbaijan has repeatedly refused to allow foreign observers to monitor Nagorno-Karabakh’s cultural sites. Thus, Armenia’s heritage can only be monitored via satellite surveillance, and access to sources regarding the ongoing cultural destruction is limited. The ECLJ’s report provides a thorough list and a detailed examination of the religious heritage sites that have been destroyed, damaged, or threatened by Azerbaijan between September 2023 and June 2024. The report also details the cultural revisionism carried out by Azerbaijan. To accomplish complete cultural erasure, Azerbaijan has gone beyond merely destroying Armenian heritage—Azerbaijan is also denying it ever existed.

Azerbaijan’s destruction of Armenian culture warrants international attention not only because a people group’s invaluable heritage is in danger of being erased, but also because Azerbaijan’s actions contravene international agreements such as the 1954 Hague Convention and the World Heritage Convention. Although numerous international institutions have condemned Azerbaijan’s actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, the international response has not been strong enough. Azerbaijan has not heeded the international community’s calls to respect Armenia’s cultural heritage.

The ECLJ's work to preserve Armenian Christian heritage

The ECLJ is committed to employing all available means to urge international institutions to protect Armenian Christian heritage. It has contacted PACE deputies, petitioning them to speak out against Azerbaijan’s horrific destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh, and it has also reached out to the author of the newly adopted PACE Resolution 2558, “Countering the Erasure of Cultural Identity in War and Peace,” to thank her for her work on cultural erasure in Ukraine and her acknowledgement of the destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh in her report.

The ECLJ’s zealous advocacy contributed to an important discussion of cultural erasure in the South Caucasus during the debate of Resolution 2558, with three of the delegates the ECLJ contacted raising the issue of the ongoing cultural erasure in Nagorno-Karabakh. The ECLJ will continue to bring this issue to the attention of international institutions until the protection of Armenian Christian heritage is ensured. 

Regardless of whether it is due to institutional corruption or mere apathy, international organizations and Azerbaijan’s near neighbors have all failed to adopt a strong stance in opposition to the destruction and revisionism of Armenian culture. This must not continue. As noted by historians and cultural experts alike, if total cultural erasure occurs, it will be a consequence of international complacency. However, there is still time to stop Azerbaijan’s cultural genocide. To prevent the destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh before it is too late, international organizations must go beyond their moral condemnations and take firm, assertive action against the systematic erasure of Armenian Christian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.