Georgia, Azerbaijan argument power over ancient monastery’s territory

To hold about the churches into the Georgian territory, Tbilisi keeps recommended offering Azerbaijan a confirmed in public unspecified area from Georgian residential property near the Azerbaijani border

An unresolved edging ranging from Georgia and Azerbaijan enjoys set around concern one of many Southern area Caucasus’s greatest social and you can spiritual sites, brand new medieval David-Gareja monastery complex, located in Georgia and you may Azerbaijan.

Devote semi-wilderness particular 70 kilometers southeast regarding Tbilisi over the Georgian border which have Azerbaijan and you can inside Azerbaijan best, the new state-of-the-art, which has an abundant type of cavern frescoes, could have been an internet site to have argument and contemplation, from the time structure first started on the sixth century.

Even more monasteries, specific nearly inaccessible and you may mostly damaged, are also towards the Georgian region. Azerbaijan has the monastery from Bertubani, featuring frescoes of one’s legendary 12th-13th century Georgian Queen Tamara and her son, Giorgi IV.

But whom is manage the fresh new David-Gareja monastery? In the event the Soviet Partnership outlined new borders amongst the upcoming Soviet republics off Azerbaijan and Georgia, this new monastery complex is actually split up in two. Brand new border between the two now separate nations has actually remained undamaged given that 1991. A portion of the edging goes through the top the latest 813-meter-large Udabno ridge (recognized for the Azerbaijan because the Keshishdag), and that ports cave monasteries with the the best and have to your north (Georgian-controlled) and southern (Azerbaijani-controlled) hills.

The fresh new monastery cutting-edge, with completed attacks by Tamerlane and Shah Abbas alike, holds proper importance for both Azerbaijan and you will Georgia. On Udabno ridge, both Azerbaijani and you may Georgian territory can be easily tracked. “In the military perspective, that it position has actually benefits for both countries,” said Uzeir Jafarov, an independent Azerbaijani armed forces pro from inside the Baku and a resigned colonel. “Officially, regarding military dispute, the medial side and this enjoys control of these types of heights will get a great big advantage.”

Edging conversations, lingering because 1991, recently reentered the news headlines whenever Zviad Dzidziguri, an excellent Georgian person in parliament into the resistance Conservative People, and you may chairman of one’s Democratic Top faction, said one Azerbaijan had moved their asian dating sites border that have Georgia to ensure one of many complex’s monasteries, Chichkhituri, try now within Azerbaijani territory, getting at stake the remainder monasteries less than Georgian control.

The latest Georgian overseas ministry possess refused the statement. In a job interview with EurasiaNet, a leading-height Azerbaijani County Border Handle Services formal, which questioned to keep private, also reported that Azerbaijan had never gone their edging. But really, however, this new argument continues.

An educated-recognized an element of the advanced, the Udabno cavern monastery, that have frescoes dating whenever regarding 8th to the 13th ages, therefore the monastery head office from the Lavra, are found within Georgia

“All of the we must create is to get a common vocabulary with the Azerbaijani associates,” Georgian Deputy Overseas Minister Giorgi Manigaladze, just who oversees the state Percentage towards the Border Delimitation and you may Demarcation, informed reporters in the Tbilisi on the Oct 31.

“There is absolutely no place getting territorial exchange [having Georgia]. There aren’t any transactions over this problem,” Deputy Overseas Minister Khalaf Khalafov, co-chairman of your own intergovernmental fee to your edging delimitation which have Georgia, said from the a click briefing during the Baku for the November dos. Azerbaijani authorities say that in the past 3 years Georgia provides twice given chapters of Georgian territory in return for detection away from the current border section of one’s David-Gareja monastery, however, you to Baku has actually refused the brand new offers both minutes.

“So it area [Azerbaijan’s area of the monastery] provides proper importance to possess Azerbaijan. So we don’t have any aim of offering they to help you people,” Garib Mammadov, president of your Azerbaijani County Land and you may Cartography Panel, told you when you look at the an interview with the Azerbaijani day-after-day newsprint Reflect. “It is a proper overlook. The entire Southern area Caucasus is tracked from this overlook extremely well. Why should we provide out?”