Aliyev Says Azerbaijan Will ‘Never Forget’ Destruction of Mosques Despite Documented Erasure of Armenian Heritage in Artsakh

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has renewed accusations against Armenians over the alleged destruction of mosques during the decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, declaring that Azerbaijan would “never forget” what he described as the devastation inflicted on Azerbaijani cities and cultural sites, despite ongoing international concerns and documented reports regarding the destruction and alteration of Armenian cultural and religious heritage sites that have come under Azerbaijani control in recent years.

“We will never forget what the Armenian occupiers did to our people and our cities. We will never forget the destruction of 65 mosques,” Aliyev said in remarks published by Azerbaijani media.

The Azerbaijani leader further claimed that “Armenians kept pigs and other animals in mosques,” adding that Azerbaijan would never forget those actions.

Aliyev’s comments come during continuing disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the protection of cultural, religious and historical heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, known to Armenians as Artsakh.

International organizations, researchers and Armenian officials have repeatedly raised concerns about the fate of Armenian cultural and religious sites that came under Azerbaijani control following the 2020 war and Azerbaijan’s 2023 military offensive, which resulted in the forced displacement of the region’s entire Armenian population.

Among the most widely documented cases is the demolition of the Artsakh National Assembly building in Stepanakert, as well as the destruction or alteration of numerous Armenian monuments, churches, cemeteries and memorials across the region. Satellite imagery and independent monitoring groups have reported damage to or removal of several Armenian heritage sites, prompting calls from international cultural organizations for greater protection and transparency.

Armenian officials and heritage advocates have accused Azerbaijan of attempting to erase the Armenian historical presence in Artsakh, allegations that Baku has consistently rejected. Azerbaijani authorities maintain that they are restoring historical sites and preserving cultural heritage in territories returned to their control.

The issue remains one of the most sensitive aspects of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, with both sides accusing the other of cultural destruction and historical revisionism.

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