ArmInfo. Videos demonstrating Azerbaijan's racist and hostile attitude towards Armenians are part of a propaganda campaign that consistently creates grounds for aggression against Armenia. Thus, the head of the Tatoyan Foundation and former Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan responded to another falsification disseminated by the Azerbaijani government television company.
In this material, the Harichavank Monastery Complex, located in the Shirak region of Armenia, is presented as part of the culture of "Western Azerbaijan".
"In this video, the Harichavank Monastery is portrayed as a religious and cultural heritage of the Albanian people. An attempt is being made to refute the fact that Armenians are the first Christian nation," Tatoyan noted, adding that this is the second time the monastery has been presented as an Azerbaijani heritage.
The Harichavank Monastery Complex was an important spiritual and cultural center of the Shirak region of Armenia. Its construction dates back to the 7th-13th centuries. The complex includes the churches of St. Grigor and St. Virgin Mary, a half-ruined library-seminary and two chapels. The monastery also served as a scientific center: the famous Armenian poet Avetik Isahakyan studied here in 1887-1889. Historical sources indicate that the monastery was destroyed during the Seljuk invasions in the 11th century and restored in the 12th century by Abbot Grigor.