Enemy Targets Archaeological Camp in Tigranakert

The archaeological camp in Tigranakert has suffered significant damage as a result of a targeted strike from Azerbaijan. Two out of four cabins have been destroyed, and the doors and windows of the remaining cabins were blown out, causing damage to the property.

Hamlet Petrosyan, the head of the Tigranakert archaeological group, spoke with Armenpress about the incident. A few days ago, someone witnessed this brutality from the enemy and informed Petrosyan. Subsequently, a group of volunteers, aiming to assess the condition of the monuments in Artsakh, visited the site to document and evaluate the damage. They observed that a shell had landed in the yard.

“There are four cabins at the archaeological site; two were completely destroyed, while the doors and windows of the other two were thrown out due to the blast impact, and the walls have been pockmarked by shrapnel. The property has been completely wrecked,” Petrosyan stated.

The cabins were quite valuable, well-equipped with air conditioning, permanent water supply, and other amenities. According to Petrosyan, their team only operates in the area during the summer. He believes the strike was intentional, possibly thinking that there would be people present.

“Next to us is an 18th-century fortress, which is a museum building. It is more visible than our cabins. I think they assumed that there might be people in the cabins. They knew this was Tigranakert. There is no Azerbaijani site that has not commented on our excavations, our meetings, and our presence for years,” Petrosyan added, emphasizing that they are indeed aware and acting with intent.

In his opinion, Azerbaijan has been successfully carrying out cultural genocide in relatively peaceful conditions. Now, they may not pay much attention to cultural symbols, as their objective is to exterminate the Armenians and clear the area of any Armenian presence.

“They lack the cultural level to prioritize the fight against culture. But when they find an opportunity, they destroy it,” he said, also noting that the Ghazanchetsots Church in Shusha was deliberately targeted as well. Archaeological excavations in Tigranakert have been ongoing since 2006.