IN SEARCH OF A NONEXISTENT CITY

Since the resettlement of Armenians to the Caucasus at the beginning of the 19th century, the events occurring in this region have stood out for their complexity. Though the unfounded nature of Armenia's claims to Nagornyy Karabakh has been brought to the attention of the world community with historical documents and evidence, Armenian separatism is still there and ancient Azerbaijani lands still remain under the occupation of Armenians.

Armenians are trying to artificially change the demographic structure of the occupied territories, pursuing a policy of illegal settlement for this purpose. According to information from various sources, including from Armenia, as well as information confirmed by OSCE reports, 25,000-27,000 Armenians were settled in Nagornyy Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan from the mid-1990s to 2012. This policy of resettlement is supported and funded by the government of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora from abroad. If we consider that internally displaced persons from Syria and other places, who number 5,000-10,000, have settled there in recent years, 35,000 people are living illegally in the occupied territories today. Resettlement to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia is contrary to the 4th Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 and its additional protocols joined by Armenia in 1993.

Things reached a point where the Armenians started to call the pearl of Karabakh Agdam and the surrounding region "the birthplace of the Armenians". In Agdam, which they have renamed as Agna, Armenians have started to look for "the remnants of the Armenians". When you read the arguments of the dean of the history faculty of Iravan State University, Edik Minasyan, related to Agdam, the question arises: "Are all the historians of these people the same falsifiers or are there impartial scientists among them?" And, again you unwittingly ask another question: "Why were these vandals given the opportunity to stay and put down roots in these lands? To let them begin to encroach on everything that belongs to you? To let them proclaim these places their "historical homeland"? And now they claim the centre of Karabakh - Agdam, which was undoubtedly considered the homeland of the Turks for millennia.

"Scientists" from Armenia present the historical city of Govurqala located on the territory of present-day Agdam to the world as Tigranakert. In 2006, Armenians, together with a group of scientists from other countries, started excavations at the Sahbulaq Qifili palace complex, which is located in Agdam and is the summer residence of Karabakh khans, in order to find the ruins of the ancient city of Tigranakert. Allegedly, many khachkars (stone crosses) were found during excavations in the ruins of the palace. After that, scientists from different countries immediately left the expedition to dissociate themselves from the results. The reason is the blatant lie of the Armenians. After all, we all know that during the existence of the city of Tigranakert, Christianity did not exist.

Leaving no stone unturned in modern Agdam, Armenians are now promoting the issue of "Caucasus Tigranakert". In 2007, they started archaeological excavations in a historical place situated in the territory of Agdam to find the alleged remains of an ancient city called Tigranakert. The excavations revealed that the observed historical findings relate to the period of early Christianity, being part of a religious complex, and masonry in the man-made cave and around it is similar to Christian masonry. In April 2007, they began to carry out more extensive excavations here, which were subsequently interrupted seemingly due to financial difficulties. But now the "Caucasian Tigranakert" provocation is back on the agenda. Now this historical area on the territory of Agdam is included in the administrative jurisdiction of neighbouring Asgaran. And this is despite the fact that the Armenians are well aware that world scientists deny the existence of a city named Tigranakert in the territory of Azerbaijan. Their purpose is known - having occupied the territory of Nagornyy Karabakh, Armenia is trying to justify its aggression by all means.

That is why the Armenians either completely obliterate the millennial historical monuments in the region or try to pass them off as their own monuments. Although Armenia has signed a protocol of the international convention on the prohibition of excavations on a territory, where there is an armed conflict, it still continues to look for "traces of Armenians" in the Azix cave, which is important for world history.

After losing to Azerbaijan in political and economic terms, the Armenian government does not cease to strive for dividends through the falsification of history. Even the head of the Armenian archaeological expedition in the area, Hamlet Petrosyan, who was the first to announce the excavations and the "discovery of Artsakh Tigranakert", admitted that all this is necessary in order not to return the occupied territories and to allow the Armenians to say that "this is also our historical homeland and we liberated it".

Starving Armenia allocated 30m drams for this purpose. Then they found patrons in Egypt and made a presentation at the Museum of Alexandria with their help. To give their actions an international slant, they set up a joint Armenian-Egyptian expedition. Then, to further expand the geography of their fraud, the Armenians held a press conference in Los Angeles. This provocation continues to this day. The Armenians are looking for an "Armenian trace" in all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

In fact, the information about excavations carried out by Armenians in the territory of Agdam, which is regarded as the heart of Nagornyy Karabakh, in order to find "ancient Armenian settlements" and "discover the remains of the ancient Armenian city of Tigranakert" was supposed to become a "sensation" in the style typical of Armenians. Now the Armenians all over the world are engaged in spreading this falsification.

And where was Tigranakert actually situated? And did it exist at all? We will not distort the reports of historical sources like the Armenians. According to these sources, the city of Tigranakert was one of the capitals of the mythical "Great Armenia". It was located in Eastern Anatolia, in what is now Van Province. However, there was no independent Armenian state at the time. There was a semblance of a state that was a vassal first of the Romans and then of the Byzantine Empire. The Armenians claim that Tigranakert is allegedly is the present-day city of Diyarbakir. Lies and falsifications again. In fact, until recently, many Armenian scientists claimed that Tigranakert was located in the Middle East, in Mesopotamia. In addition, if the "lands of Tigran Mets" covered eastern and southeastern Anatolia, why are Armenians looking for Tigranakert in Agdam? Due to the disease known worldwide. It is precisely the statements of the Armenians about the "discovery of remains of Tigranakert" in the territory of Agdam and the announcement of claims to these lands that are further proof of their falsity. The groundlessness of such claims is also pointed out by some Armenian historians. Azerbaijani historian Karam Mammadov pointed out that although the name of present-day Agdam has suffered maximum "Haykization" [Armenification] in Armenian primary sources, the historical work of Moses Kalankatuatsi "The History of Aghvan" refers to it as "A?uen". In fact, in the modern Azerbaijani language the words "ban" and "dam" have the same meaning (roof - Q. C.). The place names "A? ban" and "A? dam" are none other than simple synonyms. However, the Armenian historian Minasyan claims that Agdam is an Armenian settlement and its real name is Akn. In his article, he tries to prove that Azerbaijanis (he calls us Turkic-Tatar nomads. - Q. C.) are incomers in these lands. "The main population of the city (Agdam) was Armenians. Only from the end of the 19th to the early 20th century, did Turkic-Tatar tribes begin to settle here. Then the Armenians were driven out of there. Now Akna is an abode of the Armenians again." According to him, it turns out that Agdam was once an Armenian city and in 1993, the Armenians took it back.

An agreement has been signed between the Office of Tourism and Protection of the Historical Environment at the "NKR" government and the company Management Mix from Lebanon. According to the agreement, the company, along with excavations in the mythical city of Tigranakert, will also deal with its restoration. According to information received by Hafta.az, the president of Management Mix, Raffy Semerdjian, said this at a briefing held in Xankandi. He said: "Our company will present draft plans to the NKR leadership by the end of the year. Two groups will be working in this area. They will engage in the restoration of the ancient city of Tigranakert. The main purpose is to attract not only local, but also foreign tourists. We think that with the influx of tourists, additional investment will be made in the development of Tigranakert."

The basilica found here belongs to the 4th century. We do not mind. But what does it have to do with the Armenians? There is not a single fact indicating that Armenians resided in the territory at the time.

In the 1980s, an Azerbaijani expedition was working here and a stone that was found is a monument of Turkic culture. And those who call it a "Turkified" Armenian church continue their traditional falsifications, presenting it as a fortress near Tigranakert.

In recent years, the Armenians have been carrying out a serious and extremely dangerous job aimed at Armenifying and destroying material and spiritual values belonging to Azerbaijani Turks and objects and artifacts in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Involving partners from the US, Britain and France in such criminal activities, including in the aforesaid excavations, they seek to internationalize them, trying to give them a legal colour. To attract foreign tourists, the Armenians have refurbished the Sahbulaq palace complex in the territory of Agdam District. Solemnly announcing the creation of the "Tigranakert historical museum" in this complex, they posted information about it on the Internet. At the same time, material evidence found in more than 15 destroyed and looted famous barrows (earthen graves) of Xocali culture in Agdam was taken to Armenia. Changing the local place names, the Armenians began to call the palace complex Sahbulaq Surenavan and the surrounding areas - Tigranakert. Note that Fort Sahbulaq was built as the administrative centre of the Karabakh Khanate before Fort Bayat. This is a defensive fortress, although it was used for some time as the residence of the Karabakh khan and later became one of the summer residences. Historical sources indicate that "the construction of a palace complex known as Sahbulaq 10 km away from the city of Agdam was the personal initiative of Panahali Khan of Karabakh". However, later Panahali Khan, believing that this fortress will not stand up to the enemy, built Fort Bayat and later Susa, making the latter the capital of the khanate.