- An exhibition titled “Cultural Heritage of Western Azerbaijan” has opened in Warsaw, Poland.
- According to monumentwatch.org, the exhibition aims to appropriate Armenian cultural heritage and assert claims on Armenia’s territory.
- The exhibition is organized with high-level participation from Azerbaijani state bodies and institutions.
- It presents historical and cultural sites in Armenia, including Yerevan landmarks, as Azerbaijani heritage using allegedly false and distorted information.
- Monumentwatch.org argues the exhibition violates principles of authenticity and the cultural rights of the Armenian people.
Azerbaijan Exhibition in Warsaw Accused of Appropriating Armenian Heritage and Territory Claims – 2025
An exhibition titled “Cultural Heritage of Western Azerbaijan” has been organized in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, at Tvardovsky Square. According to a report by the monumentwatch.org website, this exhibition is aimed at appropriating Armenian cultural heritage and asserting claims over the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.
High-Level Azerbaijani State Involvement
The monumentwatch.org report indicates that the exhibition was organized with the participation of Azerbaijani state bodies and scientific-cultural institutions. These include the Community of Western Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA), the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, the Institute of History and Ethnography of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the National Carpet Museum, the National History Museum, the State Museum of Fine Arts, the National Cuisine Association, and the Center for Caucasus History. The participation of such a wide array of state and state-affiliated institutions, as highlighted by monumentwatch.org, points to a high level of state sponsorship for the event. The opening was officially announced by Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Poland, Nargiz Gurbanova, and attended by members of the Azerbaijani parliament and other officials, including Gaya Mamedova, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Community of Western Azerbaijan.
Exhibition Content Allegedly Distorts History and Heritage
According to monumentwatch.org, the content of the exhibition includes information detached from historical facts, described as false and distorted. This information is reportedly used to “substantiate” the artificial term “Western Azerbaijan,” which the source states was invented by Azerbaijan in the late 20th century and is circulated with the aim of appropriating political and cultural heritage. The exhibition in Warsaw allegedly presents some 3500 historical and cultural monuments, 500 cemeteries, and 391 mosques located on the territory of the Republic of Armenia as inseparable parts of the historical heritage of this so-called “Western Azerbaijan.”
Claims on Yerevan and Its Landmarks
Specifically, monumentwatch.org reports that the exhibition includes posters depicting Yerevan as a city of Azerbaijani cultural heritage. In these displays, Yerevan is allegedly referred to by various names such as “Ravan,” “Iravan,” and “Irivan,” and presented as an “integral part of the rich cultural history” of the Azerbaijani people. The source claims that under the term “Western Azerbaijan,” Azerbaijan attempts to rewrite the history of Yerevan, employing mechanisms such as samples of decorative art, distortion of historical documents, and the formation of a newly created Azerbaijani identity. Photos from Yerevan’s Persian Khans’ Palace, Yerevan Fortress, and other historical monuments are reportedly presented in the exhibition as cultural heritage of “‘Western Azerbaijan’.”
Other Examples of Alleged Appropriation
Beyond historical sites, the exhibition allegedly includes other examples of appropriation. According to monumentwatch.org, the Armenian traditional dish Ghavurma is presented as a component of Azerbaijani cuisine. Additionally, a photograph of the Black Building of Yerevan State University is reportedly displayed and presented as an Azerbaijani cultural value. Monumentwatch.org notes that this building has a history spanning over a century and is included in the state list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of the Republic of Armenia, implicitly challenging its presentation as Azerbaijani heritage.
Source: monumentwatch.org
Accusations of Denying Armenian Historical Rights and Eradicating Traces
The report from monumentwatch.org strongly criticizes this policy implemented by Azerbaijan. The source claims it is aimed at denying the historical rights of the Armenian people to their indigenous land and at distorting and appropriating historical facts and cultural heritage. Monumentwatch.org argues that this policy of territorial, historical, and cultural claims over the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and the historical homeland and cultural heritage of the Armenian people continues in parallel with policies of depopulation, genocide, and forced displacement of Armenians from their historical homeland. The source also mentions that Azerbaijan is now advancing various programs for Azerbaijanis to live in Armenia. Monumentwatch.org considers these actions an unacceptable set of activities whose purpose is the eradication of Armenian traces.
Violation of International Principles and Cultural Rights Alleged
Furthermore, monumentwatch.org argues that this policy of appropriating Armenian cultural heritage, implemented by Azerbaijan, grossly violates the principles of authenticity adopted by UNESCO. According to these principles, as defined by the Nara Document on Authenticity adopted in Japan in 1994, cultural heritage must be preserved in accordance with its scientific truth and knowledge. The appropriation of Armenian historical and cultural heritage, the source states, also violates the cultural rights of the Armenian people, which are enshrined in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 15 of the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted in 1966. Monumentwatch.org concludes that such actions infringe upon the rights of future generations to have a truthful connection to their history and cultural heritage.