Culture Ministry highlights Armenian vandalism

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Culture Ministry has launched a new project to highlight the realities of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The project "Karabakh is the cradle of our culture" aims at spreading facts about Armenian vandalism against Azerbaijan on social networks. The publications are available on the Ministry's social networks in different languages.

The Culture Ministry calls on the entire public, especially young people and volunteer organizations to support the project.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor, which caused a lengthy war in the early 1990s.

More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly one million were displaced as a result of the war.

The Armenian occupiers have completely destroyed hundreds of historical and cultural monuments belonging to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture has recently named the number of cultural heritage sites located in the occupied territories as a result of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan.

Along with residential buildings, there are many industrial, educational and agricultural facilities on these territories, including 927 libraries with a book fund of 4.6 million books, 808 Palaces of Culture, clubs and houses of culture, 85 music and art schools .

In addition, there are 22 museums and museum branches, which have collected over 100,000 exhibits, 4 theaters, 2 concert institutions, 8 culture and recreation parks, more than 700 historical and cultural monuments registered by the state before the Karabakh conflict, including Khudaferin Bridges with 11 and 15 spans in Jabrayil, Ganjasar and Khudavend temples in Kalbajar, Khachin Turbetli in Aghdam, Azykh cave in Fizuli region, which is one of the oldest settlements in the world as well as Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve.