In Peaceful Conditions, Artifacts from Tigranakert Will Be Returned to Stepanakert: Hamlet Petrosyan

Hamlet Petrosyan, head of the Tigranakert archaeological excavation team and professor of cultural studies at Yerevan State University, has responded to Baku’s latest slander, stating that the archaeological finds from the Tigranakert excavations are the property of the people of Artsakh, and their preservation issues fall under the jurisdiction of the authorities in Stepanakert, not Baku. In peaceful conditions, these artifacts will be returned to Stepanakert and displayed in a museum created for this purpose.

In a post on his Facebook page, Petrosyan emphasized: “In the Azerbaijani media sphere, images are being posted from my Facebook page, depicting, among other things, the packaging of materials from the Tigranakert archaeological museum. The materials from the Tigranakert excavations are presented by Azerbaijanis as the 'results of illegal excavations,' and their removal from a war zone is described as 'theft of Azerbaijani cultural heritage.' I want to remind the semi-literate propagandists of the aggressive state that the archaeological research in Tigranakert was conducted at the official invitation and permission of the authorities of Artsakh, funded by the state budget of Artsakh. The Tigranakert archaeological museum was also created and operated on the decision and funding of the legal authorities of Artsakh. The archaeological research in Tigranakert was carried out on a fully legal basis, with high professionalism, and the results of the research have been regularly presented to the international scientific community.

To speak of some secret process is simply laughable. I also want to note that Azerbaijani archaeologists who worked in that area in the 60s to 80s of the last century did not even see the archaeological remains of the ancient city. I urge them not to be so jealous of something they were incapable of discovering. During the 44-day war, Tigranakert became an area of enemy bombardment, as we have repeatedly alerted. As a result, the archaeological site of Tigranakert was completely destroyed. The authorities of Artsakh, myself, and our research team could not allow the Tigranakert archaeological museum to meet a similar fate.

The archaeological artifacts from the Tigranakert excavations are the property of the people of Artsakh. Their preservation issues fall under the jurisdiction of the authorities in Stepanakert, not Baku. In peaceful conditions, these artifacts will be returned to Stepanakert and displayed in a museum created for this purpose. The politically unrecognized status of Artsakh does not deprive its indigenous people of the right to culture, including the right to research and promote their cultural heritage. Therefore, the archaeological research in Tigranakert was conducted on an absolutely legal basis. The Azerbaijani practice of depriving the people of Artsakh of their cultural heritage is a continuation of the genocide of Armenian cultural heritage.

This is a genocide of which we have witnessed for decades, reaching its pinnacle with the destruction of thousands of khachkars in Djulfa in 2005-2006, a genocide that has gained greater momentum during the recent aggression of Azerbaijan and Turkey and continues every day. It cannot be justified by false political statements and fabricated accusations.

My colleagues and I will continue to research, promote, and expose the vandalism of Azerbaijan against the cultural heritage of Artsakh. Aggression, military dominance, and threats directed at international bodies are not competent and cannot deprive the people of Artsakh of their right to preserve their identity through their cultural heritage.