Armenia Turns Azerbaijani “Tepebasi” Mosque in Yerevan into Wine Shop: WAC Urges UNESCO to Take Urgent Steps

Yerevan: The Western Azerbaijan Community has called on UNESCO to take urgent steps regarding the Tepebashi Mosque in Yerevan and to put pressure on Armenia, APA reports citing the Community. According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the Community highlighted that images of the historical Azerbaijani mosque located in the Tepebashi neighborhood of Yerevan have been circulated on social media, showing that the mosque has been repurposed as a venue for consuming alcoholic beverages. The Community emphasized that this transformation represents a provocation affecting the religious and cultural dignity of the Azerbaijani people. They noted that the deliberate destruction of Azerbaijani cultural monuments by Armenia, along with efforts to erase the cultural traces of Azerbaijani people in the region, contravene international law, including the 1954 Hague Convention and relevant UNESCO decisions. These actions are seen as significant obstacles to achieving peace and reconciliation in the region. The Western Azerba ijan Community expressed strong opposition to the destruction of the Tepebashi Mosque, recognized as a cultural heritage site, and the inappropriate use of its remains. They urged UNESCO and other international organizations to take immediate action, including pressuring Armenia to restore and protect the mosque and other Azerbaijani monuments that have been destroyed. The Community demanded that the Armenian government fulfill its obligations to restore and protect all cultural monuments belonging to the Azerbaijani people that have been destroyed or falsified.