Over the past week, about 100 historical and cultural monuments have been threatened by fires that broke out in the eastern border area of the Republic of Artsakh. The fire zone includes the Historical and Cultural Reserve “Tigranakert”, Monastery Complex “Amaras”, as well as significant monuments located near the community of Talish and a number of other settlements. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Artsakh warns about this.
“According to information disseminated on social networks, the historical mulberry gardens of the Nor Shen community were damaged as a result of the fire. The fire also spread to the communities of Nakhichevanik and Seydishen, where churches and other buildings of cultural value are under immediate threat.
The Republic of Azerbaijan, which exercises actual control over the occupied territories of the Republic of Artsakh, is obliged, in accordance with international law and conventions on the protection of cultural heritage:
to ensure the preservation of the cultural and natural heritage in the territories under its control,
to take urgent measures to extinguish fires and restore the damage caused.
The photo shows a map of the spread of fires according to the NASA LANCE/FIRMS system.
International structures and specialized organizations, within the framework of their authority, must give a proper assessment of the situation and take effective steps to preserve and restore the cultural heritage of Artsakh,” the ministry noted.