INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE DEDICATED TO CAUCASIAN ALBANIA FINISHES IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan
Sep 7, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. An unprecedented international
conference, "The Caucasian Albanian statehood and its ethnocultural
heritage," was held in Yerevan from 3 to 5 September. Represeted were
results of the recent researches on this country, which was located
north to the river Kura over two thousand years ago and which,
together with the provice of Artsakh of the historical Armenia,
was included in one marz (region) for a certain period of time.

The report sent by German researchers Jost Gippert and Wolfgang
Schultze, which was dedicated to the texts of the first manuscripts
found ten years ago in the "Caucasian Albanian" language, was of
great interest. Those texts, which present extracts from the Bible,
irrefutably prove that the so-called "Caucasian Albanian", the
alphabet of which was also created by Mesrop Mashtots, the creator
of the Armenian alphabet, in reality belongs to the Caucasian family
of languages. German researchers have suggested calling them "old
Udi language" (the bearers of the Udi language currently live in the
north of Azerbaijan).

Sergey Muravyov, a representative of France, expressed regret that
the Udi language, like numerous other Caucasian languages, is on
the verge of elimination. He expressed his opinion that first of all
Azerbaijan is responsible for its preservation.

According to Haji Abdurrahimov, a professor of the Makhachkala
University, the peoples of the Caucasian family of languages living
on the current territory of Azerbaijan (Lezghins, Udins, Tsakhurs,
Avars, and others) have been subjected to a compulsory alienation
and genocide, in essence, for many centuries.

The participants of the conference made numerous reports dedicated to
issues concerning the history, literature, ethnography, architecture,
religion, and other spheres of the peoples having lived on the
territory of the Caucasian Albania in different periods. A total of
24 reports were presented by researchers from Yerevan, Moscow, Tbilisi
Makhachkala, Stepanakert, as well from Germany, France and Italy.

"The necessity to hold such a conference was obvious long ago. The
Caucasian Albania was one of the unique statehoods of our region,
about which we have little information and on account of this fact not
only misrepresented opinions, but very often mere falsifications are
formed," Alexan Hakobian, the Head of the Department of the Christian
East of the Institute of the Oriental Studies of the Academy of
Sciences of Armenia and the initiator of the conference, said.

The Mitk (Thought) analytical center also took part in the organization
of this conference.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress