Azerbaijani authorities have demolished a bell tower that formed part of the Armenian Genocide memorial complex in Stepanakert, the former capital of the ethnic Armenian-controlled territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to reports from Armenian media.
The structure, built to commemorate the 1915 Armenian Genocide, stood adjacent to the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in what Armenians call Stepanakert and Azerbaijanis refer to as Khankendi. Its destruction follows Azerbaijan's September 2023 military operation that resulted in the displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians from the territory, effectively ending decades of Armenian control over the disputed region.
Azerbaijani officials have not publicly commented on the demolition. Armenian sources characterize the action as part of a broader pattern of cultural erasure aimed at removing Armenian historical and religious markers from the territory. Baku has consistently denied such allegations, asserting its commitment to preserving cultural heritage in accordance with international obligations.
The demolition occurs within a broader context of cultural destruction across contested territories in the Caucasus and beyond. Similar patterns emerged in Nakhchivan, where thousands of medieval Armenian khachkars (cross-stones) were reportedly destroyed in the early 2000s, and in Syria and Iraq, where ISIS systematically demolished pre-Islamic heritage sites. International law, particularly the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, prohibits such destruction, though enforcement mechanisms remain weak.
The targeting of genocide memorials carries particular symbolic weight. The Armenian Genocide memorial in Stepanakert served not only as a remembrance site for the 1915 events but also as a marker of Armenian historical presence and continuity in Karabakh. Its destruction sends a clear message about Azerbaijan's intentions regarding the territory's future identity.
