Iran’s embassy in Armenia has published a video about the Blue Mosque of Yerevan on its official social media account.
The post presented historical facts in a one-sided and distorted manner. It claimed that the Blue Mosque was built in the 18th century, allegedly during the rule of the Afshar dynasty, by Huseynali Khan. The mosque is presented as an example of Iran’s cultural heritage, and its place in the history of the city of Yerevan is explained in the context of Iran’s cultural influence.
What is this move by Tehran and Yerevan aimed at? At what level should official Baku respond to the issue?
Political scientist Zuriya Garayeva, speaking to Globalinfo.az, said that presenting the Blue Mosque in Yerevan as Iran’s cultural heritage is not simply an act of informing the public about a historical monument, but can also be assessed as a step serving certain political and ideological purposes:
“The Blue Mosque was built in the 18th century during the rule of the Khan of Yerevan, Huseynali Khan, and is one of the important examples of the historical and cultural heritage of Yerevan dating back to the period of the Azerbaijani khanates. Presenting the history of this monument solely in the context of Iran’s cultural influence means pushing its connection to Azerbaijani history into the background. A notable point here is the convergence of interests between Tehran and Yerevan in the presentation of historical heritage. For Armenia, this approach is favorable in terms of weakening the traces of Azerbaijani history in Yerevan, while for Iran it is a means of highlighting its own influence over the historical and cultural heritage of the region. Nevertheless, additional evidence is needed to claim that this particular post is a step pre-agreed between the two states.
Zuriya Garayeva
Official Baku should first of all give a principled response to this issue on the diplomatic and scientific-historical level. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should convey its position to the Iranian side through diplomatic channels and demand that the information disseminated by the embassy be corrected and that the historical affiliation of the monument be presented objectively. At the same time, it is important to prepare materials in various languages about the history of the Blue Mosque based on the research of Azerbaijani historians, archival documents and international sources. The essence of the issue is not limited solely to who a single mosque belongs to. It concerns the preservation of Azerbaijani traces in the historical memory of Yerevan and the accurate conveying of this heritage to the international community.
At a time when the peace agenda in Azerbaijani-Armenian relations is being discussed, the politicization of historical facts could also negatively affect the building of mutual trust. For this reason, Baku should demonstrate a consistent diplomatic position based on historical documents, rather than emotional statements.”
Turan Rzayev
Globalinfo.az
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