KHACHQARS AND CHURCHES OF QARVATCHAR
beginning in previous issue
Azg/arm
14 Jan 05
Yeghish Markosian knows all ins and outs of Qarvatchar and the place
of every ruined church and of centuries-old khachqars (cross-stone).
“This was an Armenian land, not a Turkish. Turks do not have churches
and khachqars. Let me take you to tens of villages and show you each
church and khachqar. Some 150 years ago it was the land of Armenians
and will stay as such”, uncle Yeghish tells in hoarse voice.
A khachqar at the town’s historic museum dating back to 916 AD withan
inscription in middle Armenian used to be presented to the visitors of
the museum before 1993, when Karabakh forces took control over
Qarvatchar, as an “Albanian khachqar”.
There are dozens of churches and monasteries in Qarvatchar (lying in
ruins or semi-ruined) one of which, Dadivanq, is a pearl of medieval
Armenian architecture. This church of 13 century is being
reconstructed today.
Qarvatchar in the structure of Red Kurdistan
The nomadic Kurds and the Caucasian Tatars settled down in the region
of Qarvatchar in 19th century. It was the time when they adjusted the
name of Qarvatchar to their language, calling it Qyarvajar then
Qelbajar or Qyalbajar.
Anania Shirakatsi, Armenian scholar of 7th century, in his “Geography
Guide” mentions of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) as the 10th province of
Great Hayq that had 12 regions and the 2d region was Vaykuniq with
Tsar as center. Movses Kakhankatvatsi also mentions Vaykuniq. Later on
this stony region was renamed into Tsar, Upper Khachen and eventually
Qarvatchar or Qaravatchar (stone seller).
In 1920, when the two-years-old state of Azerbaijan became Soviet,
Qarvatchar was forcibly conjoined with Azerbaijan. The Red Kurdistan
was formed in 1923 and the region of Qarvatchar with thousands of
Kurds and Azeris united with the newly formed administrative unit. The
Red Kurdistan dissolved in 1930, and Qarvatchar (Qyalbajar) with 1936
square kilometers became one of 60 Azeri regions. The Kurds of
Qyalbajar numbering few thousands assimilated with the Azeris.
Azeri historiography considers the khachqars and churches of
Qarvatchar and Nagorno Karabakh to be Albanian.
By Tatoul Hakobian in Qarvatchar