To hang about the places of worship to the Georgian territory, Tbilisi enjoys proposed giving Azerbaijan an as yet in public places unspecified area from Georgian belongings close to the Azerbaijani edging

An unresolved edging between Georgia and Azerbaijan has lay below matter among the many Southern Caucasus’s greatest cultural and you will spiritual attractions, the latest medieval David-Gareja monastery cutting-edge, situated in Georgia and you will Azerbaijan.

Set in semi-desert some 70 kilometers southeast away from Tbilisi along the Georgian border with Azerbaijan and you may in this Azerbaijan best, the brand new complex, which has a refreshing collection of cave frescoes, could have been a webpage having disagreement as well as contemplation, from the time structure began regarding the sixth century.

Extra monasteries, particular nearly unreachable and you can mostly damaged, are on Georgian territory. Azerbaijan comes with the monastery away from Bertubani, which features frescoes of your legendary twelfth-13th millennium Georgian Queen Tamara along with her child, Giorgi IV.

But exactly who is always to control the fresh new David-Gareja monastery? If the Soviet Connection discussed the fresh borders between the after that Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and you may Georgia, the new monastery advanced are split in two. The new border between them now independent countries have stayed unchanged once the 1991. Part of the border experiences the top new 813-meter-higher Udabno ridge (identified when you look at the Azerbaijan just like the Keshishdag), and therefore harbors cave monasteries on the their best and also have to the north (Georgian-controlled) and you may south (Azerbaijani-controlled) mountains.

New monastery cutting-edge, which includes withstood episodes from the Tamerlane and Shah Abbas similar, holds strategic relevance for Azerbaijan and you may Georgia. In the Udabno ridge, one another Azerbaijani and you may Georgian area can easily be tracked. “From the military views, this status possess pros both for nations,” said Uzeir Jafarov, another Azerbaijani armed forces specialist in Baku and you will a retired colonel. “Theoretically, when it comes to army argument, the medial side hence enjoys control over these types of heights will get a big advantage.”

Border conversations, constant since the 1991, has their website just reentered the headlines when Zviad Dzidziguri, a beneficial Georgian person in parliament on opposition Conventional Cluster, and you may president of Popular Top faction, advertised you to definitely Azerbaijan got gone the border that have Georgia so one of several complex’s monasteries, Chichkhituri, are now within this Azerbaijani region, getting at stake the remaining monasteries under Georgian control.

This new Georgian foreign ministry have refuted the brand new declaration. Into the a job interview with EurasiaNet, a top-level Azerbaijani State Edging Handle Service specialized, who questioned to remain anonymous, plus reported that Azerbaijan had never moved their border. Yet, still, the fresh new debate goes on.

The best-known the main complex, the brand new Udabno cavern monastery, that contain frescoes relationship whenever in the 8th towards the 13th years, and the monastery head office from the Lavra, are located contained in this Georgia

“The we should instead perform is to find a common words with the help of our Azerbaijani colleagues,” Georgian Deputy International Minister Giorgi Manigaladze, which manages the official Fee for the Border Delimitation and you may Demarcation, told journalists during the Tbilisi towards Oct 29.

“There is no room to have territorial exchange [that have Georgia]. There aren’t any deals more than this dilemma,” Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov, co-president of one’s intergovernmental payment toward edging delimitation having Georgia, told you within a click briefing from inside the Baku to your November dos. Azerbaijani officials point out that prior to now three-years Georgia features double given areas of Georgian region in return for identification out of the present day edging section of the David-Gareja monastery, however, one to Baku possess denied new now offers both moments.

“That it region [Azerbaijan’s area of the monastery] provides proper importance getting Azerbaijan. And we also have no goal of offering it in order to somebody,” Garib Mammadov, chairman of your own Azerbaijani Condition Property and you will Cartography Panel, told you from inside the an interview to the Azerbaijani every single day papers Reflect. “That is a strategic neglect. The complete Southern area Caucasus could well be monitored from this overlook really really. Why should i provide it with out?”