Baku: The historical heritage of Caucasian Albania, particularly its monuments associated with Christian culture, has for many years been one of the issues at the center of scholarly attention. The question of which historical and cultural tradition the Christian churches, monasteries, and other examples of religious architecture located in Karabakh, Eastern Zangezur, and other regions of Azerbaijan belong to is being studied on the basis of various scholarly approaches.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Ramil Aghayev, Doctor of Historical Sciences and head of the 'History of Atropatene-Albania (Caucasus)' Department at the Abbasgulu Agha Bakikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology of ANAS, stated that information about the Christian heritage of Caucasian Albania is reflected in written sources dating from various periods. Information about Caucasian Albania and Christian monuments located within its territory can be found primarily in the Albanian historian Movses Kaghankatvatsi's 'History of Albania,' in the works of Mkhitar Gosh, as well as in Syriac, Armenian, and Arabic-language sources. These sources, including Armenian sources themselves, indicate that a number of monuments were located in the territory of Albania, also referred to as 'Aghvan' and 'Aluank.'

Ramil Aghayev notes that Caucasian Albania was an ancient state on the historical lands of Azerbaijan, maintaining its existence from the end of the 4th century BC until AD 705. Pre-Arab authors described the territory situated between the Caucasus Mountains in the north, the Araz River in the south, the Caspian Sea in the east, and Iberia in the west in various ways. In ancient sources, it was called 'Albania'; in Pahlavi sources, 'Ardan' and 'Aran'; in Syriac sources, 'Aran'; in Georgian sources, 'Rani'; and in Armenian sources, 'Aghvan' and 'Aluank.' At certain times, Albania encompassed a large part of the territory of present-day Armenia. Ancient authors, Armenian sources, and Arab sources indicate that it was located in the territory of what is now the north, pointing to its direct connection with Azerbaijan's political, cultural, and ethnic history.

Ramil Aghayev stated that attempts to present examples of Albanian material and spiritual culture to the international community as 'Armenian heritage' are closely linked to the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan. The territories claimed by Armenians are mainly the western frontiers of Albania. They seek to appropriate the material and cultural heritage belonging to the region, creating a need to discuss Azerbaijan's western borders. In its principal document setting out these claims, Armenia refers to monuments in the Karabakh and Nakhchivan regions. Armenians mislead the wider public by selectively presenting scattered facts from historical sources. Armenian inscriptions on some monuments in the Nakhchivan and Karabakh regions are cited; however, the Armenian language never served as a common means of communication in the South Caucasus or anywhere else. Armenian people have always been governed by the Church, and their works are often seen as fabricated history by individuals associated with the Church.

Inscriptions on the monuments are often related to religious matters, and it is not appropriate to determine the ethnic and cultural affiliation of these monuments based on such inscriptions. During the process of Islamization, the Muslim population of Albania adopted the Arabic alphabet, affecting the Christian minority. The Christian population strengthened its ties with the Armenian Church, leading to the use of a Christian writing system. The ethnic and cultural identity of some Christian Albanian monuments cannot be determined solely by the inscriptions on them. Medieval sources distinguish Albanians from Armenians and regard them as a separate people. The Syriac author Zacharias Rhetor writes about the distinct language of Aran (Albanian), which was different from other languages mentioned.

Scholarly approaches to Christian monuments in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur have been studied by both Azerbaijani and foreign historians. Researchers have put forward important views in this field, referring to facts to substantiate the attribution of the monuments to the Albanian-Azerbaijani cultural heritage. The geographical areas in which these monuments are located are presented in historical sources as territories of Caucasian Albania. The areas correspond to the historical geography of Albania, and this is important in determining their affiliation. Identifying who commissioned the construction of the monuments is another area of research, with no Armenian rulers or religious figures mentioned among those who commissioned them.

The architectural and planning style of Albanian architecture differs significantly from Armenian monuments, which largely replicated Byzantine architecture. Albanian church plans featuring four- and six-column, three-aisled basilicas are rarely encountered in Armenian architectural monuments. Armenian specialists have attempted to portray an 'inseparable Armenian-Albanian' connection and Armenianize everything.

Ganjasar Monastery is one of the most important monuments associated with the Christian heritage of Caucasian Albania. Built in the 13th century by Hasan Jalal, ruler of Khachen, it was one of the religious and political centers of the Khachen principality. The monument is within Azerbaijan's territory and is protected as historical and cultural heritage. Following the collapse of the Albanian state, Islam and the political influence of Muslim states grew stronger in the region. Christian communities sought to preserve their religious and political institutions, with the Khachen principality experiencing a period of ascendancy in the 12th-13th centuries.

Churches, monasteries, and other structures presented as examples of the Christian heritage of Caucasian Albania are an important part of Azerbaijan's rich historical and cultural heritage. Presenting these monuments as Albanian cultural heritage restores historical truths and demonstrates Azerbaijan's rich material and cultural heritage. It shows that all ethnic groups, including the Christian community and Muslim population, contributed to this heritage. This demonstrates Azerbaijan's tradition of tolerance, as the small Christian community was allowed to preserve its beliefs and cultural values. These monuments, along with examples of Muslim material culture, showcase Azerbaijan's rich historical and cultural heritage and attest to mutual cultural ties between its predominantly Muslim population and small Christian communities.