"THIS EXHIBITION IS TOO CONTROVERSIAL"
KarabakhOpen
30-10-2007 12:40:26
An exhibition of photos of Muslim Monuments in Artsakh opened
on October 28 in Stepanakert. The display is supported by the
International Alert, it is held by Business Center and Art for Peace
and Development NGO. The author of the photographs is Areg Balayan.
During the presentation the head of the Business Center Valery
Balayan said there are monuments of Muslim culture in the country
where we live, and their study may later be helpful to making tourist
itineraries in Karabakh.
According to Manushak Titanyan, architect, head of the Art for Peace
and Development NGO, says when last year they started the studies,
they found out that the Muslim monuments in NKR, especially outside
the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region belong to different
cultures. "It is not clear which culture the architect and builders
belonged to, the initiators and owners of those buildings. There are
lots of Armenian elements, Persian culture is felt in the mosques
in Shushi. We also found out that all the mosques in Karabakh were
built after the 18th century.
Mostly kurgans typical of nomads have been preserved. Different peoples
and tribes passed across this territory, and there is no reason to
hide it. It is necessary to study and make conclusions," she says.
"Frankly speaking, this exhibition is too controversial. Most monuments
look like Armenian. Especially the bridge in Kubatlu, the inn of Hajji
Gullter, and others. I think a serious historical study is necessary
to find out the identity of these monuments," says the director of
Artsakh Agency for Development of Tourism Sergey Shahverdyan.
There are 6 mosques in Karabakh, including 3 in Shushi, one in
Aghdam, Horadiz and Fizuli each. About 30 monuments were studied and
photographed, mostly kurgans and burial vaults.