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To each and everyone,

Armenian shrines have been systematically plundered and destroyed, partially or completely. We greatly fear that this might repeat, and the world would lose a significant part of its history, thus the monuments of cultural and historical heritage built by the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and stand for centuries, are not only important for Armenia, but also for all mankind.

More and more objects of cultural and historical heritage are becoming the indirect victims of the military conflicts in modern history. A conflict in Syria is a showcase of the recent past: in 2014 the mosque of the prophet Yunus and the Mosul library (from 8 to 10 thousand books) were destroyed, callously blown up ancient monuments and the Temple of Bel in the ancient city of Palmyra. Earlier, in September 2013, the world shuddered by the destruction of the ancient Christian Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Maalula with the theft or destruction of its world-famous icons.

A similar fate befell Nakhichevan, where medieval khachkars were destroyed, the art of which is included in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The world has irrevocably lost this heritage. Today, the current situation endangers the entire list of  ancient cultural and historical sights. Many shrines in Nagorno-Karabakh date back to the IV-Vth centuries AD. Being a stronghold of Christianity, they have repeatedly experienced raids and destruction, but we managed to preserve it to this day, and now they are on the verge of complete destruction again.

Here is the only small part of a list of more than a thousand architectural monuments that we ask to include in the UNESCO world heritage list:

●      Ancient Ruins of Tigranakert (Shakhbulag), I B.C.;
●      Amaras Monastery, IV;
●      Dadivank (Khutavank), IX-XIII;
●      Handaberd Monastery and Handaberd Fortress, 854 and 1323;
●      Gtchavank, 1241 - 1249;
●      Saint John the Baptist Church in Togh, XIII;
●      Spitak Khach Monastery (White Cross of Vankasar), XIV;
●      Katarovank (Kataro Monastery), XVII;
●      Shushi Fortress, 1751;
●      Shushi Carpet Museum, 1810;
●      Cathedral of Christ the Holy Savior (Ghazanchetsots Cathedral), 1858.

Part of these sights had already been shelled in the course of the recent conflict escalation of 2020. We ask you to join us in our efforts towards humanism and sign this petition to include this list of sites in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Only with the support of international organizations and under control of professionals whose impartiality is beyond any doubt we can render possible the protection of Armenian sites and world heritage from destruction.

Help us protect these sites for us, for you, and for future generations of mankind.

With respect and hope in humanity,

#WorldHeritage, #monumentsbeyondwar, #Artsakh, #NagornoKarabakh, #CulturalHeritage