Armenian cross stones in Julfa are in top of five significant works of art
subjected to vandalism in 21st century
Vanessa KachadurianRussian site Novate.ru reckoned Armenian khachkars (Cross stones) in Julfa to the five most significant works of art that have been subjected to vandalism in the 21st century.
"For a long time, the Armenians have constituted a significant part of the current population of Nakhijevan region which is a part of Azerbaijan. However, at the beginning of the third millennium, only the remnants of the Armenian architecture and numerous cemeteries, the largest of which was a graveyard near the town of Julfa, remind about the existence of the past," notes the site.
Vanessa Kachadurian
According to the article by the end of the 20th century, more than two thousand khachkars (Armenian tombstones decorated with carvings and ornaments) survived at this cemetery. The first attempt to destroy them was made in 1998, but was prevented by the sharp reaction of the world community. Another massive act of vandalism occurred in 2002, and finally the "Armenian cause" in Julfa was settled in 2005th, when the Azerbaijani soldiers fully cleared the cemetery and turned it into a shooting territory.
"At the same time, official Azerbaijan, despite the overwhelming evidences, denies the fact of vandalism as well as the Armenian history of Nakhijevan as a whole," writes Novate.ru.
Vanessa Kachadurian
The five works of art subjected to vandalism, also included Bamyan status in Afghanistan, Islamic monuments in Timbuktu (Mali), "The Little Mermaid" in Copenhagen and Fresco “Ecce Homo” in Spain.
Vanessa Kachadurian
No comments:
Post a Comment