The Church of the Holy Mother of God in Nagorno-Karabakh has been vandalized, according to ArmenPress, the Armenian state news agency, raising renewed concerns about the fate of cultural heritage sites in the disputed territory now under Azerbaijani control.
The report alleges damage to the historic church, though independent verification remains difficult given restricted access to the region following Azerbaijan's September 2023 military operation that resulted in the displacement of virtually the entire ethnic Armenian population of approximately 120,000 people.
The incident highlights broader anxieties about the preservation of Armenian Christian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that holds profound religious and cultural significance for Armenians but which Azerbaijan considers integral to its territory. The area contains hundreds of medieval Armenian churches and monasteries, some dating to the early Christian period.
Baku has consistently stated its commitment to protecting cultural monuments in accordance with international law, including UNESCO conventions. Azerbaijani authorities have invited international observers to document heritage sites, though access has been limited and concerns persist among heritage preservation organizations.
In the Caucasus, as across mountainous borderlands, ancient identities and modern geopolitics create intricate patterns of conflict and cooperation. Churches and monasteries are not merely religious structures—they serve as markers of historical presence and competing claims to territory, making heritage preservation inseparable from political disputes.
The fate of Nagorno-Karabakh's churches has become a flashpoint in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. Armenian officials argue that systematic destruction of cultural sites amounts to erasure of Armenian historical presence. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, accuses Armenia of destroying Azerbaijani mosques and cultural sites during the decades when Armenian forces controlled the territory.
International mechanisms for heritage protection in conflict zones have proven inadequate. While UNESCO has designated some sites as endangered, enforcement remains dependent on state cooperation. Azerbaijan is not currently permitting UNESCO access to all sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, citing security concerns and ongoing demining operations.
The Church of the Holy Mother of God is among dozens of Armenian religious sites now under Azerbaijani jurisdiction. Satellite imagery analysis by independent observers has documented changes to some heritage sites since 2020, though interpretations of this evidence differ sharply between Armenian and Azerbaijani sources.
The broader question extends beyond individual buildings. The ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population in 2023—whether characterized as forced displacement or voluntary departure—has severed the living connection between communities and their heritage. Churches without congregations become museums at best, ruins at worst.
For Armenia, the preservation of churches in Nagorno-Karabakh represents a moral and historical imperative. The region's monasteries, including the iconic Dadivank and Gandzasar, are considered jewels of Armenian medieval architecture and repositories of cultural memory.
Azerbaijan has stated its intention to restore damaged sites and promote multi-cultural heritage, pointing to restoration work on some monuments. However, trust between the two nations remains minimal, and heritage disputes are embedded within larger conflicts over territorial sovereignty and historical narratives.
International heritage organizations have called for transparent access, comprehensive documentation, and protection protocols. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and other bodies have emphasized that cultural heritage belongs to humanity, not exclusively to one nation, and must be preserved regardless of political control.
The vandalism report, while unverified independently, underscores the fragility of heritage protection in post-conflict environments. Without credible international monitoring and mutual commitments to preservation, Nagorno-Karabakh's ancient churches risk becoming casualties of a conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives and displaced entire communities.
