As part of his policy regarding territorial claims on the Republic of Armenia, Ilham Aliyev instructed Azerbaijani scholars to study and present "Western Azerbaijan" to the world. He asserted that “Western Azerbaijan is a historical Azerbaijani region, and the names of cities and villages have Azerbaijani origins,” reads the article issued by the "Geghard" Scientific Analytical Foundation.

"Combining the useful with the pleasant," Azerbaijani scholars have enthusiastically undertaken Aliyev's directive and set about utilizing the allocated financial resources. In this process, justification, historical sources, and objectivity are of little importance.

The scheme works as follows: for the 'research', one needs to select any historical-cultural object located in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, label it as Caucasian Albanian or Turkic, claim that Armenians have appropriated it, and the article is ready, with the money appropriated as well.

One such example is an article about Amberd fortress (located in Aragatsotn region of Armenia) by Faik Ismayilov, an employee of the A. Bakikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology of Azerbaijan's National Academy of Sciences, which was published by Azerbaijan's state news agency Azertag.

The article is built on false and illogical claims. It begins with an introduction describing how Turkic peoples once worshipped celestial deities and therefore built their camps in high places. And since Amberd is also built in a high place, it must therefore be an example of Caucasian Albanian architecture (contemporary Azerbaijani historiography attempts to merge Turkic and Albanian components into Azerbaijan's past)."

As for the Vahramashen church built by Armenian noble Vahram Pahlavuni in the 11th century in the territory of Amberd, according to the Azerbaijani researcher, it resembles the Church of Gandzasar. Following Ismayilov's logic, since the Armenian Gandzasar is also Caucasian Albanian and similar to Vahramashen church, the latter must also be Albanian. The presence of Armenian inscriptions on the church walls also has its 'explanation': 'Armenians added these in the early 20th century with the purpose of appropriating the fortress,' claims the Azerbaijani author.

And the third 'argument': the bathhouse built in the 11th century during the tenure of Pahlavunis is 'one of the unique typical examples of bath architecture of Azerbaijan, a state created in the 20th century. In reality, Amberd fortress with its adjacent buildings is neither Azerbaijani, nor Turkic (although it was under Seljuk rule for some time), nor Albanian.

It is not exactly known when Amberd was founded. Some scholars date it to the time of construction of Cyclopean fortresses, others to the Urartian and early medieval periods. Based on the excavations and historical-archeological studies Amberd dates back to the X-XIII centuries.  According to historical sources, the construction of Amberd began in the VII century by the Kamsarakan princes. In the X century, it belonged to the Princes Kamsarakan and was one of the important military and defensive strongholds of the Bagratid Kingdom which was known as an inaccessible fortress due to its natural location and impregnability. It was responsible for one of the important roles in the defensive ring of the city of Ani.

Later Amberd passed to the Zakarids and then to the Vachutyants and became the administrative center of the princely house.

“Amberd Amrots” Historical and Cultural Reserve includes the following architectural structures: the citadel or the princely castle and the entrance to the castle, the walls of the castle, the gates of Arkashen and Amberdadzor, the Vahramashen Church (1026), the chapel, the oil mill, the drinking water network, and the cisterns, the bathhouse (X-XI cc.), the secret passages and other structures in the territory of the fortress,''reads the article.

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1203763