VIDEO: Azerbaijanis Have Turned the Royal Springs Park of Tigranakert into a Barbecue Spot, Reports Artsakh Monument Watch

Following the 44-day war, Tigranakert in Artsakh came under Azerbaijani control. A video posted on October 31, 2021, by Azerbaijani journalist Seadet Memmedova on her YouTube channel proudly showcases that the Royal Springs Park of Tigranakert has been transformed into a barbecue area. This was reported by Artsakh Monument Watch.

Near the pool excavated by the archaeological team of Tigranakert, Azerbaijanis have constructed a concrete platform and placed barbecue grills, one of which is situated right at the edge of the excavated pool. During the Soviet years, Azerbaijanis had turned the fortress built near the springs in the mid-18th century into a restaurant. Therefore, the practice of converting cultural heritage into a kebab shop is not a new one.

It is noteworthy that until the 44-day war, the archaeological museum of Tigranakert was housed in the fortress, while the area around the Royal Springs Park was improved and served as a venue for cultural events.

In response to the transformation of the Royal Springs Park into a barbecue site, Azerbaijan is violating the historical integrity of cultural heritage, depriving it of its essential functions, which should be passed on to future generations intact. This violates a number of internationally recognized principles for heritage preservation, derived from UNESCO’s “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage,” the Nara Document on Authenticity (adopted in Japan in 1994), as well as various other documents by ICOMOS and international organizations.

Moreover, according to Article 4 of the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and Article 9, paragraph g of the Second Protocol (1999), any alterations to cultural property and changing its use to conceal or destroy cultural, historical, or scientific evidence is prohibited.

By undermining the true heritage tradition, Azerbaijan also violates the provisions of the 2001 “Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions” and the 2005 “Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions,” to which it is a signatory.

The act of changing the function of cultural heritage also infringes upon the provisions of UNESCO’s 2003 “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage,” which obligates states to respect the intangible values of heritage, regardless of their origin and function.