Cemetery :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Cemetery

/ Nakhichevan / Yernjak / Jugha

Location

Julfa Cemetery used to extend over three hills on the left bank of the river Arax.

Hakhnazarian, A. Julfa. The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan's Azerbaijani Authorities, Beirut, 2006, p. 7.

Historical Introduction
1648 y․

Boasting a special place in the treasury of world heritage, this extensive depository of spiritual and artistic monuments aroused the admiration of both Armenian and foreign travellers and art historians for many centuries. French traveller Alexandre de Rhodes, who visited the cemetery in 1648, saw 10,000 standing khachkars and ram-shaped tombstones there. By 1904, however, their number had been reduced to 5,000.

Hakhnazarian, A. Julfa. The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan's Azerbaijani Authorities, Beirut, 2006, p. 7.

The khachkars of Julfa Cemetery fall into three groups. The first group dates from the period between the 9th and 13th centuries; the second group from the 14th to 15th centuries, and the third covers the time span between the early 16th century and the year 1605.

Hakhnazarian, A. Julfa. The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan's Azerbaijani Authorities, Beirut, 2006, p. 7.

All the khachkars were carved of pink and yellowish stone. Having equal width from top to bottom, they were between two and two and a half metres high. Their central parts were more deeply-engraved, the crosses and double-layer reliefs creating a peculiar contrast of light and shade. The khachkars were adorned with fine rosettes, as well as reliefs of plants, geometrical figures and scenes of daily life. Their upper parts often bore the representations of Christ, the Evangelists and the Holy Virgin. Most of the khachkars and grave-stones of the cemetery had embossed or engraved Armenian epitaphs.

Hakhnazarian, A. Julfa. The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan's Azerbaijani Authorities, Beirut, 2006, p. 7.

In the Soviet years, Julfa Cemetery was absolutely neglected by Azerbaijan’s Monuments Preservation Department; moreover, under state auspices, its khachkars were continually broken to pieces and used as building material. In November 1998, Nakhijevan’s Azerbaijani authorities started destroying the cemetery with bulldozers. UNESCO’s intercession was able to stop that unprecedented vandalism only temporarily.

Hakhnazarian, A. Julfa. The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan's Azerbaijani Authorities, Beirut, 2006, p. 9.

2002 y․

The annihilation of the cemetery resumed on 9 November 2002. The photographs some eye-witnesses took from the Iranian bank of the river Arax revealed that none of the cemetery’s khachkars remained standing.

Hakhnazarian, A. Julfa. The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan's Azerbaijani Authorities, Beirut, 2006, p. 9.

Between 10 and 14 December 2005, the Azeri vandals, who had not been held accountable for their previous crimes, finally succeeded in purging the three hills of Julfa Cemetery of all the remnants of khachkars. Using heavy hammers and pickaxes, about 200 soldiers of the Azerbaijani army reduced the displaced khachkars to a heap of crushed pieces which were loaded onto lorries and emptied into the river Arax.

Hakhnazarian, A. Julfa. The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan's Azerbaijani Authorities, Beirut, 2006, p. 9, 14.

2006 y․

In early March 2006, Nakhijevan’s authorities stationed a shooting-ground on the site of Julfa Cemetery. Lying over thousands of human remains, that firing-ground is an eloquent manifestation of Azerbaijan’s moral values. Situated very close to the Iranian border, it can never serve soldiers in need of shooting practice. In fact, it was hurriedly established to conceal Azerbaijan’s criminal actions: the Azerbaijani authorities turned the site of the former cemetery into a “military zone” so that they could ban foreign missions and observers from entering it.

Hakhnazarian, A. Julfa. The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan's Azerbaijani Authorities, Beirut, 2006, p.14.

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Aram Vruyr
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1915 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Aram Vruyr
Source Black-and-white negative
Date 1915 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Rafayel abgaryan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1986 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Rafayel Abgaryan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1986 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Zaven Sargsyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1987 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Rafayel Abgaryan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1986 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Zaven Sargsyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1987 y․

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Zaven Sargsyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1987 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Zaven Sargsyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1987 y․

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Zaven Sargsyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1987 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Arpiar Petrosyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1998 y․

The cemetery during its destruction with bulldozers (1998).

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Armen Hakhnazaryan
Source Colour Negative
Date 1976 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Gegham Gevonyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2002 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Artur Gevorgyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2005 y․

The fallen cross-stones as being crumbled into tiny pieces by the Azeri troops.

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Artur Gevorgyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2005 y․

The fallen cross-stones as being crumbled into tiny pieces by the Azeri troops.

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Artur Gevorgyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2005 y․

The fallen cross-stones as being crumbled into tiny pieces by the Azeri troops.

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Artur Gevorgyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2005 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Gegham Gevonian
Source Colour Negative
Date 1998 y․

The cemetery in a partly ruined state (1998)

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Hrair Baze (the Hawk) Khacherian
Source Colour Negative
Date 2002 y․

The cemetery with all its cross-stones overthrown (2002).

Type Photo
View From space
Author http://earth.google.com
Source Colour Negative
Date 2003 y․

The cemetery with all its cross-stones overthrown: view from space.

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Artur Gevorgian
Source Colour Negative
Date 2005 y․

The Azeri troops breaking the fallen cross-stones (14 to 15 December 2005)

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Artur Gevorgian
Source Colour Negative
Date 2005 y․

The Azeri troops breaking the fallen cross-stones (14 to 15 December 2005)

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Raphael Abgarian
Source Colour Negative
Date 1986 — 1987 yy․

Type Photo
View Partial view
Author Zaven Sargissian
Source Colour Negative
Date 1986 — 1987 yy․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Artur Gevorgian
Source Colour Negative
Date 2005 y․

The moment when the cross-stones and tombstones, already crumbled into rubble, were moved away from the cemetery site and thrown into the Arax-facing side of the railway line (14 to 15 December 2005)

Type Photo
View Exterior
Source Colour Negative
Date 2006 y․

The three hills of the former cemetery after its total annihilation and the establishment of a military base with a shooting-range in its site (March 2006)

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Zaven Sargissian
Source Colour Negative
Date 1987 y․

Between the 1970s and 1980s, hundreds of cross-stones of the spacious medieval cemetery were broken to pieces with metallic wedges and moved to other places to be used as building material.