First came the destruction. Now, a battle is unfolding over whether anyone will remember centuries of Armenian Christian history.
Azerbaijan is facing renewed scrutiny over the fate of Armenian Christian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known to Armenians as Artsakh, after Azerbaijani officials presented two historic monasteries—Gandzasar and Dadivank—as monuments of ancient Albanian Christianity to an international delegation, reportedly after altering them from their previous state.
Writing for The Christian Post, Christian leader Paul Murray argued that the issue goes far beyond competing interpretations of ancient history. He warned that the Armenian identity of sacred sites could effectively be erased even while some of the structures remain standing.
The concern carries a chilling historical precedent.
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Caucasus Heritage Watch, a research initiative led by scholars at Cornell and Purdue universities, found through satellite imagery that 108 Armenian monasteries, churches and cemeteries in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan region were destroyed between 1997 and 2011. That represented 98% of the Armenian heritage sites researchers located and assessed.
Now attention has shifted toward Nagorno-Karabakh.
Murray pointed to Armenian inscriptions and khachkars—distinctive Armenian cross-stones—at Gandzasar and Dadivank as physical evidence of their Armenian Christian history. He also highlighted reports of destroyed churches, cemeteries and villages since Azerbaijan regained control of the territory in 2023.
Caucasus Heritage Watch has separately warned that Armenian cultural and religious sites left behind following the 2023 exodus face an “extreme risk of erasure.”
This is about more than ancient architecture. These are places where generations worshiped Christ, prayed and buried their dead.
Buildings can be demolished. Names can be changed. History can be challenged.
However, centuries of Christian witness carved into stone are much harder to silence.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
