Hamlet Petrosyan: Azeris are nervous over the excavations in Tigranakert

YEREVAN, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS: Azeris are nervous over the excavations in Tigranakert. Their character of discriminating, owning, not being frank with history and culture continues, head of the Artsakh’s archeological excavation group of the Archeology and Ethnography Institute of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences Hamlet Petrosyan said speaking to Armenpress. According to him, this is the biggest flaw of the Azeris. Petrosyan assured that what is being done in Tigranakert is being done frankly, truly without any sign of hatred.

“I have always been stating that I do not accept the approaches according to which the works in Tigranakert have been done to punish the Azeris,” he said. Referring to the false responses of the Azerbaijanis, Mr Petrosyan said that initially when the excavations started several newspapers were writing that Armenians are liars and “as always it is an Armenian legend”, afterwards articles were published that it is not Tigranakert: after watching the photos of the town they could not have rejected it any more but they started writing that it is not Armenian Tigranakert. “It is obvious that the more our proofs succeed, the more they have to admit the existence of Armenian Tigranakert,” Mr Petrosyan said, pointing out that they have serious proofs that the mentioned town is the Armenian Tigranakert.

Five archeologists, two architects, tens of students of the Yerevan and Artsakh state universities and more than 40 workers are participating in the excavations of Tigranakert. The excavations are taking place in the territory of the Citadel. The monument has 40-70 visitors daily.