Khudavang Monastery Complex is one of the largest and valuable examples of Albanian Christian architecture in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan that bear the evidence of tolerant environment in the country.
The complex of Khudavang or Dadavang complex is located in the Vang village of Kalbajar district, on the Tartarchay river’s left bank.
After the occupation of Kalbajar district by the Armenian armed forces in 1993, Khudavang Monastery Complex was presented to the world as an Armenian monument.
However, many construction inscriptions, survived in the Khudavang Complex, with the names such as Arzu, Tursun, Seyti, Hasan, Avag, Shams, Altun, Aghbukh, Garagoz, etc. should be considered of exact providing the builders’ Turkic identity.
Armenians, who were resettled in Azerbaijan 200 years ago, have resorted to all kinds of falsification of religious, historical and cultural monuments, which belonged to Azerbaijani people, and have made continuous efforts towards this throughout history.
Speaking about Alban churches in his address to the nation on the occasion of liberation of Kalbajar district from occupation, President Ilham Aliyev said: “Kalbajar is the land of ancient Azerbaijan. Kalbajar is one of our largest districts in terms of territory. The historical sites of Kalbajar are our great asset. Both mosques and churches are our historical treasures. The people of Azerbaijan know this well, and the whole world should know that churches in Kalbajar belong to the ancient state of Caucasian Albania.”
Highlighting the history of Caucasian Albanian period, the head of state mentioned: “Caucasian Albania was a great state. Gabala was its capital. Historical sites and churches belonging to Caucasian Albania are our historical and cultural heritage. We are protecting these churches. I have visited these churches many times – in the city of Shaki, in Gabala district, the Udi church. As you know, during the war, on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the repairs of the ancient Udi Caucasian Albanian Church in Nij settlement was completed and this church was opened. We are protecting these churches as our cultural heritage. Therefore, no-one should be worried. These churches will continue to be protected by the state.”
During the recent visit to Khudavang Monastery Complex in Kalbajar district, by the members of the Azerbaijani Albanian-Udi Christian religious community, Professor Gulchohra Mammadova, who studied the architectural features of complex said that the complex includes more than a dozen religious and secular buildings of various sizes and designs.
“An exciting feature of the basilica – one of the oldest buildings of this complex, is the additional building located next to the main altar. These buildings embody unique traditions of temple construction in architecture of Caucasian Albania,” she added.
Speaking about the rich cultural heritage of the Khudavang Monastery during an international conference on “Azerbaijan’s Albanian Christian heritage – Khudavang monastery” in Baku, Chairman of the Albanian-Udi Christian Religious Community of Azerbaijan Robert Mobili described this temple as a pearl of Kalbajar, adding that it occupies a special place for Udi in the history of Azerbaijan. He said that today these temples under the auspices of Azerbaijan will be restored, and soon these Albanian temples will be open to the world for both pilgrimage and tourism.
The preservation of Khudavang Monastery Complex by the Azerbaijani people for more than thousand years is one of the clear examples of the fact that Azerbaijan is a multicultural country, where representatives of different religions and nations lived in an atmosphere of fraternity.
As a result of the liberation of the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, Khudavang Monastery complex has returned to its rightful owners and we the Azerbaijani people believe that this temple will be visited not only as the monastery of Azerbaijan, but as one of the most important temples in the world.
Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency