WHO ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF CAUCASIAN ALBANIAN? A TWO-DAY CONFERENCE IN YEREVAN
Alisa Gevorgyan
"Radiolur"
http://www.armradio.am/en/2012/10/17/who-are-the-descendants-of-caucasian-albanian/
17:38 17.10.2012
An international scientific conference titled "Albania-Aghvank- Arran:
Ethno-political history and issues of Christian culture" kicked off in
Yerevan today, which aims to clarify who are the ethnic descendants
of the Caucasian Albania, or Aghvank as Armenians call it. Not only
Armenian and Russian, but also representatives of Caucasian nations
once included in the above-mentioned Albanian state will present
reports during the two-day conference.
The Armenian and foreign scholars will try to restore the history of
Caucasian Albania, which was located to the north of Kura River. Today
descendants of Turkish nomads are trying to lay territorial claims
on Armenia on behalf of Caucasian Albanians.
"The real inheritors of the Albanian culture are some peoples of the
North Caucasus, particularly Dagestanis, but never Azerbaijanis,"
said Yuri Suvaryan, Academician of the Armenian National Academy of
Sciences. "Azerbaijanis, who had once settled in Daghestan and the
adjacent territories, today call themselves with the names of their
ancestors - the immigrant Turkic tribes. They represent a nation,
which has yet finally determined its identity, which was given the
name "Azerbaijani" only in the 20th century. The claims of Azerbaijan,
which has declared itself the inheritor of Albanian culture, are at
least cynical, and this does not stand any scientific justification.
Perhaps, there's no need to refer to the hundreds of churches and
monuments on the liberated territories of Artsakh, which are proofs
of the uninterrupted Armenian spiritual-cultural life in those regions.
The numerous sensational discoveries of the past years simply disperse
all Azerbaijani claims.
One of the recent sensations was the discovery of Artsakh's Tigranakert
built by Tigran the Great, which is an evidence of the 2,000-year-long
existence of Armenian statehood on the territory of Artsakh.
Russian scholar Vladimir Zakharov said "the claims of Azerbaijanis
of being the descendants of Albanian culture are at least hilarious,
while this is a state policy conducted on the highest level, which
aims to prove that Armenians are comers here, while Azerbaijani are
among the most ancient nations of theCaucasus.
"I find no words other than impudence to describe this policy. The
attempts of Azerbaijanis to declare themselves Albanians have no
scientific ground. Therefore, what Azerbaijan is doing, is a mere
speculation," Zakharov added.
Alisa Gevorgyan
"Radiolur"
http://www.armradio.am/en/2012/10/17/who-are-the-descendants-of-caucasian-albanian/
17:38 17.10.2012
An international scientific conference titled "Albania-Aghvank- Arran:
Ethno-political history and issues of Christian culture" kicked off in
Yerevan today, which aims to clarify who are the ethnic descendants
of the Caucasian Albania, or Aghvank as Armenians call it. Not only
Armenian and Russian, but also representatives of Caucasian nations
once included in the above-mentioned Albanian state will present
reports during the two-day conference.
The Armenian and foreign scholars will try to restore the history of
Caucasian Albania, which was located to the north of Kura River. Today
descendants of Turkish nomads are trying to lay territorial claims
on Armenia on behalf of Caucasian Albanians.
"The real inheritors of the Albanian culture are some peoples of the
North Caucasus, particularly Dagestanis, but never Azerbaijanis,"
said Yuri Suvaryan, Academician of the Armenian National Academy of
Sciences. "Azerbaijanis, who had once settled in Daghestan and the
adjacent territories, today call themselves with the names of their
ancestors - the immigrant Turkic tribes. They represent a nation,
which has yet finally determined its identity, which was given the
name "Azerbaijani" only in the 20th century. The claims of Azerbaijan,
which has declared itself the inheritor of Albanian culture, are at
least cynical, and this does not stand any scientific justification.
Perhaps, there's no need to refer to the hundreds of churches and
monuments on the liberated territories of Artsakh, which are proofs
of the uninterrupted Armenian spiritual-cultural life in those regions.
The numerous sensational discoveries of the past years simply disperse
all Azerbaijani claims.
One of the recent sensations was the discovery of Artsakh's Tigranakert
built by Tigran the Great, which is an evidence of the 2,000-year-long
existence of Armenian statehood on the territory of Artsakh.
Russian scholar Vladimir Zakharov said "the claims of Azerbaijanis
of being the descendants of Albanian culture are at least hilarious,
while this is a state policy conducted on the highest level, which
aims to prove that Armenians are comers here, while Azerbaijani are
among the most ancient nations of theCaucasus.
"I find no words other than impudence to describe this policy. The
attempts of Azerbaijanis to declare themselves Albanians have no
scientific ground. Therefore, what Azerbaijan is doing, is a mere
speculation," Zakharov added.