Blue Mosque, Yerevan

Last updated
Blue Mosque
Yerevan Blue mosque 2023 aerial.jpg
An aerial view of the mosque
Religion
Affiliation Islam
Rite Twelver Shia
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Mosque
Location
Location12 Mashtots Avenue, Yerevan, Armenia [1] [2]
Geographic coordinates 40°10′41″N44°30′20″E / 40.1781°N 44.5056°E / 40.1781; 44.5056
Architecture
Style Iranian
Completed1765–1766
Specifications
Dome(s)1
Minaret(s)1
Minaret height24 metres (79 ft) [3] [4]

The Blue Mosque is an 18th-century Shia mosque in Yerevan, Armenia. It was commissioned by Hoseyn Ali Khan, the khan of the Iranian Erivan Khanate. It is one of the oldest extant structures in central Yerevan and the most significant structure from the city's Iranian period. It was the largest of the eight mosques of Yerevan in the 19th century and is the only active mosque in Armenia today.

Contents

The mosque was secularized in the 1920s and housed the History Museum of Yerevan for more than five decades. Following Armenia's independence, the mosque was renovated with support from the Iranian government and again started operating as a mosque, serving the Muslims residing in Armenia.

Names

Western visitors in the Russian period, such as H. F. B. Lynch and Luigi Villari, referred to the mosque as Gök Jami (Gok Djami), [5] [6] [7] [3] [8] which translates from Turkish as 'sky blue mosque'. [9] It is known as Kapuyt mzkit’ 'Blue Mosque' in Armenian, although Gyoy mzkit’ is sometimes used as well. [1] It is known in Persian as Masjid-i Juma 'Friday mosque' or Jami-i Shahr 'city congregational mosque'. [8] [3]

History

The Blue Mosque in Yerevan, view from the courtyard towards the prayer hall (photo F. Sarre, 1897) Eriwan Gok Jami (Foto Sarre MIK Pl 9088).jpg
The Blue Mosque in Yerevan, view from the courtyard towards the prayer hall (photo F. Sarre, 1897)
The Blue Mosque by Panos Terlemezian, 1917 Goy mzkit`e (1917).jpg
The Blue Mosque by Panos Terlemezian, 1917

Early history

The mosque was built in 1765–1766 (AH 1179) [lower-alpha 1] by Hoseyn Ali Khan, the ruler of the Erivan Khanate under the Afsharid dynasty [3] [1] as the city's main Friday mosque. [9] The mosque was the largest of the eight mosques operating in Yerevan when the Russians captured it in 1827. [9] [5] [9] The mosque underwent substantial redecoration with tiles around 1887-88 (AH 1305), under Russian administration. [8] The mosque underwent another reconstruction in 1907–1910. [10]

H. F. B. Lynch, who visited Erivan in 1890s, wrote: "There is nothing very remarkable in the architecture of the mosque; but the floral paintings which adorn the ceiling of a companion and smaller edifice on the north side of the court are of very high merit." [11] Luigi Villari, an Italian diplomat and historian, gave a detailed description of the mosque in his 1906 book titled Fire and Sword in the Caucasus. He wrote that the "great mosque called the Gok Djami [...] is a good deal more than a mosque; it is a long quadrangle containing several places of worship and a number of cells, schools, and offices of the Moslem religious administration. It is not very ancient [...] but it is handsome." [6] The Encyclopædia Britannica (1911) described the mosque as the "finest building in the city." [12] The minaret of the mosque, standing at 24 metres (79 ft) was the tallest structure in 19th century Yerevan. [13]

Soviet period

The mosque was secularized after Soviet rule was established in Armenia. The mosque's entrances and exits were modified significantly. The main gate, on the southern side, to the right of the minaret was blocked. The western gate was "incorporated into a residence complex and became hardly recognizable as an entrance." The entrance on the northern side became the only entrance. It is accessible and visible from Mashtots Avenue. [13] Beginning with Alexander Tamanian's 1924 master plan for Yerevan, the mosque has been situated more than two meters below the street level, which requires visitors to descend a flight of steps. [14]

The mosque ceased to operate as a religious institution in the mid-1920s. Its courtyard became a "creative space for Armenian artists, writers, poets, and intelligentsia, facilitating the production of a new cultural and aesthetic order for socialist Armenia. The courtyard was protected by large elm and plane trees, and in this way provided the hot and dusty city with a shaded refuge." [13] The courtyard housed a teahouse, which became a hub for intellectual gatherings. Yeghishe Charents, Martiros Saryan, Aksel Bakunts were among its regular visitors. Foreign guests included Armenian-American writer William Saroyan, Russian poet Osip Mandelstam, Russian novelist Andrei Bely and others. Local artists used the "courtyard for exhibitions and as a laboratory for new socialist spirituality." [15] Seyed Hossein Tabatabai, Adviser of the Cultural Center of the Iranian Embassy in Armenia, noted that the mosque was "preserved by the efforts of a number of Armenian intellectuals," especially Charents. [16]

In the 1930s, first the Anti-Religious Museum and subsequently the Museum of Antifascism were housed at the mosque. From 1936 until the collapse of the Soviet Union, the mosque housed the Museum of Natural Sciences, which included a planetarium inside the main prayer hall and the Yerevan History Museum. [14] [17]

The main entrance of the mosque from Mashtots Avenue. Blue Mosque in Yerevan.jpg
The main entrance of the mosque from Mashtots Avenue.

Independence period

In the late 1980s, during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the mosque did not sustain any damages because it was considered to be Persian, not Azerbaijani, and housed the city's history museum. [14]

In February 1991, a preliminary agreement was reached between the city's authorities and an Iranian delegation to restore the mosque. [18] The mosque underwent major renovation between 1994 and 1998. [1] The city's authorities officially transferred the right to use the mosque to Iran on October 13, 1995. [19] The government of Iran allocated some 1 billion Iranian rials (over $1 million) for restoration works. [20] [21] The mosque was re-opened as a religious institution in 1996. [14] Brady Kiesling described the restoration as "structurally necessary but aesthetically ambiguous." [9]

Another reconstruction was done between 2009 and 2011. [10]

The courtyard and the dome. Erevan - La Mosquee bleue 01.JPG
The courtyard and the dome.

Today

The Blue Mosque is the only active mosque in Armenia, [22] [23] which has a small Muslim population (between 812 [24] and 1,000 or 0.03% of the total population). [25]

Since restoration, it has become a religious and cultural center for the Iranians residing in Armenia and Iranian tourists visiting Armenia. [22] In 2003 the journalist Thomas de Waal noted that the only regular worshippers at the mosque were "the dozen or so diplomats from the Iranian Embassy." [26] Less than a decade later, in 2009, ArmeniaNow wrote that of the up to 2,000 Iranians residing in Yerevan as many as 500 periodically attend the mosque on Thursdays. [27] The Iranian cultural center inside the mosque complex attracts young Armenians seeking to learn Persian. [28] The Persian library of over 8,000 items, named after the poet Hafez, was opened inside the complex in October 2014. [29] On December 10, 2015, the government of Armenia leased the mosque complex to the embassy of Iran to Armenia for 99 years to use it as a cultural center. [30] [31]

Closer view of the dome Yerevan Blue mosque 2023 dome.jpg
Closer view of the dome
The dome and the minaret Yerevan Blue mosque 2023 dome and minaret.jpg
The dome and the minaret
The minaret 2014 Erywan, Blekitny Meczet (10).jpg
The minaret

Architecture

The mosque is listed by the Armenian government as a monument of national significance. [1] It is "one of the oldest buildings in central Yerevan" [3] and the "only extant building of the Iranian period in Yerevan." [8] The historian of Islamic art Markus Ritter described it as the "main model for the early Qajar mosque architecture of the Iranian period." [13] The mosque complex covers an area of 7,000 square metres (75,000 sq ft). [4] The mosque itself is 97 by 66 metres (318 ft × 217 ft), [10] while the courtyard is 70 by 47 metres (230 ft × 154 ft). [8] The mosque contains the traditional Shia attributes, including a minaret, three mihrabs (prayer halls), holy inscriptions, etc. [32] The mosque includes 24 arched cells that face the pool in the middle of the courtyard, which is surrounded by a rose garden. [3] The minaret, standing at 24 metres (79 ft) tall, [4] [3] has a 7-degree slope, but is considered to be architecturally safe. [10]

Efforts to list as a World Heritage Site

A 2007 Armenian stamp depicting the mosque. ArmenianStamps-393.jpg
A 2007 Armenian stamp depicting the mosque.

In October 2007 Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian stated during his speech at the 34th session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris that the Blue Mosque and other sites are on the waiting list for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. [33] In January 2013 Armenian Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan stated that Armenia will take all possible steps for inclusion of the mosque in the list. [34] [35] She reaffirmed this position in a meeting with Iranian Culture Minister Mohammad Hosseini in April 2013. Hosseini stated that he hoped Armenian efforts would succeed. [36] Armenia's Foreign Affairs Minister Eduard Nalbandyan, in his speech at the 38th session of UNESCO General Conference in November 2015: [37]

...neighboring Iran has made great efforts to preserve and protect the Armenian cultural heritage. The Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, the oldest of which dates back to the 7th century, were inscribed on the World Heritage List by the Iranian Government. On our part, Armenia reconstructed the Iranian 18th century Blue Mosque in Yerevan, and is going to inscribe it on the World Heritage List.

On October 15, 2015, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan and First Vice President of Iran Eshaq Jahangiri attended an event dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the mosque. [38] [39] Abrahamyan stated in his speech that both Armenia and Iran "are now making efforts to have it put on the UNESCO World Heritage list." [40]

Controversy

An aerial view Mzkit` <<Kapowyt>> (Gyoy mzkit`), ArmAg.jpg
An aerial view

Multiple Western and Armenian sources describe the mosque as Iranian/Persian. [lower-alpha 2] [41] [23] [42] [43] [8] The anthropologist and ethnographer Tsypylma Darieva notes that "in local media and in official discourses, the Blue Mosque has been strongly associated with the new expatriate political body symbolizing the recent Armenian–Iranian friendship. This dominant reading of the place defines the Blue Mosque exclusively as the 'Persian Mosque'." [14] Darieva notes that it served as a Friday mosque for the Muslim population in Yerevan until the mid-1920s. [13]

In Azerbaijan, the mosque is usually referred to as a monument of Azerbaijani heritage of Yerevan. [44] [45] One government official called it "the largest religious center of Azerbaijanis living in Yerevan." [46] A 2007 book titled War against Azerbaijan: Targeting Cultural Heritage, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, objected to the restoration of the mosque in the 1990s and to its "presentation as a Persian mosque." [47] The independent Armenian scholar Rouben Galichian argues in his 2009 book Invention of History: [48]

It must be said that all mosques built [in Yerevan] between the 1635 and 1820s were erected by the Iranians and bearing in mind that the local Muslim population, as well as the Persians were both Shias, their mosques were identical. Hence, it is very difficult to understand how the Blue Mosque could be an “Azeri” mosque, since such a classification did not exist.

At a 2022 forum, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan stated: "We have great respect for Islamic civilization and religion, and one of the clearest proofs of this is the Blue Mosque in the center of Yerevan, which, by the way, was restored during the period of Armenia’s independence." [49] At the 2023 Munich Security Conference, Pashinyan, in response to Ilham Aliyev's accusation that Armenia destroyed mosques in Nagorno-Karabakh, stated that Armenia has a "Muslim minority in our country, and we have a functioning mosque." [50] [51]

Visit of Azerbaijani MPs

In February 2022 two Azerbaijani pro-government [52] MPs, Tahir Mirkişili and Soltan Məmmədov, attending a Euronest Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Yerevan, visited the mosque. [53] Mirkişili wrote that "Although there are inscriptions related to another state on its walls, its architecture, walls, and spirit as a whole are affiliated with Azerbaijan. We believe that its true owners will soon be able to offer their prayers in the mosque." [54] [55] The Iranian embassy in Armenia responded by calling the mosque a "symbol of Iranian art" and noting that "centuries-old Persian epigraphy has been preserved" on its walls. [56] [52] Mahmoud Movahedifar, an Iranian clergyman serving at the mosque, stated that it has distinctive features of Iran's traditional Islamic architecture and that all inscriptions are in Persian. Movahedifar added, "Even if there was a single tile here with an Azerbaijani inscription we would recognize that fact." [52] [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Armenia</span>

The history of Armenia covers the topics related to the history of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the Armenian people, the Armenian language, and the regions of Eurasia historically and geographically considered Armenian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic</span> Exclave of Azerbaijan

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a landlocked exclave of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The region covers 5,502.75 km2 (2,124.62 sq mi) with a population of 459,600. It is bordered by Armenia to the east and north, Iran to the southwest, and Turkey to the west. It is the sole autonomous republic of Azerbaijan, governed by its own elected legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Armenia</span> Religion in Armenia

Islam began to make inroads into the Armenian Plateau during the seventh century. Arab, and later Kurdish, tribes began to settle in Armenia following the first Arab invasions and played a considerable role in the political and social history of Armenia. With the Seljuk invasions of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the Turkic element eventually superseded that of the Arab and Kurdish. With the establishment of the Iranian Safavid dynasty, Afsharid dynasty, Zand Dynasty and Qajar dynasty, Armenia became an integral part of the Shia world, while still maintaining a relatively independent Christian identity. The pressures brought upon the imposition of foreign rule by a succession of Muslim states forced many lead Armenians in Anatolia and what is today Armenia to convert to Islam and assimilate into the Muslim community. Many Armenians were also forced to convert to Islam, on the penalty of death, during the years of the Armenian Genocide.

Julfa, formerly Jugha, is a city and the capital of the Julfa District of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erivan Khanate</span> Iranian khanate (1747–1828)

The Erivan Khanate, also known as Chokhur-e Sa'd, was a khanate that was established in Afsharid Iran in the 18th century. It covered an area of roughly 19,500 km2, and corresponded to most of present-day central Armenia, the Iğdır Province and the Kars Province's Kağızman district in present-day Turkey and the Sharur and Sadarak districts of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of present-day Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erivan Governorate</span> Governorate of the Russian Empire

The Erivan Governorate was a province (guberniya) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its centеr in Erivan. Its area was 27,830 sq. kilometеrs, roughly corresponding to what is now most of central Armenia, the Iğdır Province of Turkey, and the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan. At the end of the 19th century, it bordered the Tiflis Governorate to the north, the Elizavetpol Governorate to the east, the Kars Oblast to the west, and Persia and the Ottoman Empire to the south. Mount Ararat and the fertile Ararat Valley were included in the center of the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia</span> Country in West Asia and Eastern Europe

Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. Yerevan is the capital, largest city and financial center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia–Iran relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bilateral relations exist between Armenia and Iran. Despite religious and ideological differences, relations between the two states remain extensively cordial and both are strategic partners in the region. Armenia and Iran are both neighbouring countries in Western Asia and share a common land border that is 44 kilometres (27 mi) in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia–Russia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bilateral relations between modern-day Armenia and the Russian Federation were established on 3 April 1992, though Russia has been an important actor in Armenia since the early 19th century. The two countries' historic relationship has its roots in the Russo-Persian War of 1826 to 1828 between the Russian Empire and Qajar Persia after which Eastern Armenia was ceded to Russia. Moreover, Russia was viewed as a protector of the Christian subjects in the Ottoman Empire, including the Armenians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijanis in Armenia</span> Ethnic group

Azerbaijanis in Armenia numbered 29 people according to the 2001 census of Armenia. Although they have previously been the biggest minority in the country according to 1831–1989 censuses, they are virtually non-existent since 1988–1991 when most fled or were forced out of the country as a result of the tensions of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War to neighboring Azerbaijan. The UNHCR estimates that the current population of Azerbaijanis in Armenia to be somewhere between 30 and a few hundred people, with most of them living in rural areas as members of mixed couples, as well as elderly or sick. Most of them are reported to have changed their names to maintain a low profile to avoid discrimination.

The history of modern Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, traces its roots back to Erebuni Fortress an ancient Urartian fortified monument from which also the modern city of Yerevan derives its name. The earliest reference to Yerevan in the medieval records dates from 607 A.D. Located one in the bottommost parts of the Armenian Highlands, the city lies on the banks of the rivers Getar and Hrazdan, the easternmost end of the Ararat Plain. Several ancient and medieval Armenian capitals are situated in the vicinity of Yerevan. From the early 15th century onwards, the city was the administrative center of the Safavid Empire; in the mid-18th century it was proclaimed the capital of the Erivan Khanate, in 1918 - the capital of the First Republic of Armenia and in - 1920 - the capital of Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Since 1991, Yerevan has been the capital of the Third Republic of Armenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erivan Fortress</span>

Yerevan Fortress was a 16th-century fortress in Yerevan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbas Mirza Mosque, Yerevan</span> Destroyed mosque in Armenia

Abbas Mirza Mosque was a nineteenth-century Shia mosque in Yerevan, Armenia. Abbas Mirza, in the eighteenth century, the castle was built near the mosque in Yerevan. This mosque was built at the beginning of the nineteenth century, during the reign of the last khan (governor) of the Erivan Khanate, Huseyn Khan. It was named Abbas Mirza Jami, after the Qajar crown prince Abbas Mirza, the son of Fat′h-Ali Shah. The façade of mosque was covered in green and blue glass, reflecting Persian architectural styles. After the Capture of Erivan by the Russians, the mosque was used as an arsenal. The mosque was turned into barracks after it was conquered by Russian troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Azerbaijan (irredentist concept)</span> Azerbaijani irredentist concept

Western Azerbaijan is an irredentist political concept that is used in the Republic of Azerbaijan mostly to refer to the territory of the Republic of Armenia. Azerbaijani officials claim that the territory of the modern Armenian republic were lands that once belonged to Azerbaijanis. Its claims are primarily hinged over the contention that the current Armenian territory was under the rule of various Turkic tribes, empires and khanates from the Late Middle Ages until the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828) signed after the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828. The concept has received official endorsement by the government of Azerbaijan, and has been used by its current president, Ilham Aliyev, who, since around 2010, has made regular reference to "Irevan" (Yerevan), "Göyçə" and "Zangazur" (Syunik) as once and future "Azerbaijani lands". The irredentist concept of "Western Azerbaijan" is associated with other irredentist claims promoted by Azerbaijani officials and academics, including the "Goycha-Zangazur Republic" and the "Republic of Irevan."

The anti-Azerbaijani sentiment, or anti-Azerbaijanism has been mainly rooted in several countries, most notably in Armenia and Iran, where anti-Azerbaijani sentiment has sometimes led to violent ethnic incidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adequate Party</span> Political party in Armenia

The Adequate Party is an Armenian far-right political party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia–NATO relations</span> Armenias relations with NATO

Armenia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have maintained a formal relationship since 1992, when Armenia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Armenia officially established bilateral relations with NATO in 1994 when it became a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme. In 2002, Armenia became an Associate Member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September 2022 Armenia–Azerbaijan clashes</span> Major escalation of the 2021–2022 Armenia-Azerbaijan border crisis

On 12 September 2022, a series of clashes erupted between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops along the Armenia–Azerbaijan border, marking a major escalation in the current border crisis between Armenia–Azerbaijan and resulting in nearly 300 deaths and dozens of injuries on both sides by 14 September. A number of human rights organizations and governments – including the United States, European Parliament, Canada, France, Uruguay, Cyprus – stated that Azerbaijan had launched an attack on positions inside the Republic of Armenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Armenian protests</span> Anti-government protests in Armenia

On 19 September 2023, a series of protests began in Armenia following a military offensive launched by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, which resulted in a swift Azerbaijani victory over the ethnic Armenian breakaway republic of Artsakh. The republic had been heavily backed by Armenia until a change in Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's policy towards the region in recent years. The government of Azerbaijan compelled the separatist authorities in Artsakh to surrender, disband the Artsakh Defence Army and begin negotiations regarding their reintegration within Azerbaijan. In response, protests erupted in Armenia accusing Pashinyan of mismanaging the crisis and abandoning Artsakh, demanding that he step down. Pashinyan has characterized the protests as an attempt to unlawfully remove him from power.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Alternatively given as 1767-1768 (AH 1181) by Markus Ritter "as evidenced by the inscriptions of the main mihrab . [8]
  2. ↑ For instance, Armenpress, the state news agency, calls it the "Iranian Blue Mosque of Yerevan" in a 2013 article. [34]
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Government of the Republic of Armenia (2 November 2004). "Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Երևան քաղաքի պատմության և մշակույթի անշարժ հուշարձանների պետակական ցուցակ [List of historical and cultural monuments of Yerevan]". arlis.am (in Armenian). Armneian Legal Information System. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Noble, John; Kohn, Michael; Systermans, Danielle (2008). Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan. Lonely Planet. p.  154. ISBN   9781741044775.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Darieva 2016, p. 296.
  4. 1 2 3 Markossian 2002, p. 44.
  5. 1 2 Lynch 1901, p. 213.
  6. 1 2 Villari 1906, p. 224.
  7. ↑ Baedeker, Karl (1914). Russia With Teheran, Port Arthur, and Peking. Handbook For Travellers. Leipzig, London, New York: Karl Baedeker, Publisher., T. Fisher Unwin, 1 Adelphi Terrace, W.C., Charles Scribner's Sons, 597 Fifth Ave. p. 494.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ritter, Markus (2009). "The Lost Mosque(s) in the Citadel of Qajar Yerevan: Architecture and Identity, Iranian and Local Traditions in the Early 19th Century" (PDF). Iran and the Caucasus . 13 (2). Brill Publishers: 252–253. doi:10.1163/157338410X12625876281109. JSTOR   25703805.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Kiesling, Brady (2000). Rediscovering Armenia: An Archaeological/Touristic Gazetteer and Map Set for the Historical Monuments of Armenia (PDF). Yerevan/Washington DC: Embassy of the United States of America to Armenia. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-05-03.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Yerevan Great Blue Mosque". yerevanmasjed.ir. Cultural Council of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran-Armenia. 18 November 2013. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017.
  11. ↑ Lynch 1901, p. 214.
  12. ↑ "Erivan (town)"  . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Darieva 2016, p. 297.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Darieva 2016, p. 299.
  15. ↑ Darieva 2016, p. 298.
  16. 1 2 Mkrtchyan, Irina (26 February 2022). "Իրանի մշակույթի կենտրոնի խորհրդականը ադրբեջանցի պատգամավորների վարքը սանձարձակ է համարում [The adviser of the Iranian Cultural Center considers the behavior of the Azerbaijani deputies to be unrestrained]". 1lurer.am. Public TV of Armenia. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022.
  17. ↑ "Historical Overview". yhm.am. Yerevan History Museum. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. In 1936 it was moved to the Blue Mosque (Gyoy Djami) where it functioned for about 56 years.
  18. ↑ "Armenian Premier Receives Iranian Delegation". Daily Report: Soviet Union (35–39). Foreign Broadcast Information Service: 103–104. 22 February 1991. The guests had a businesslike meeting at Yerevan city soviet executive committee where an agreement was drafted to repair the capital's 17th century Persian architectural edifice, the Blue Mosque. In keeping with the agreement, Iran will send renovation specialists to Yerevan and will provide the necessary amount of construction material. Plans are to complete the renovation work before 1995.
  19. ↑ Darieva 2016, p. 294.
  20. ↑ Markossian 2002, p. 45.
  21. ↑ "Visiting Iranian Minister Comments on Relations". Daily Report: Central Eurasia. Foreign Broadcast Information Service: 87–88. 16 October 1995. "Blue Mosque is the only large Iranian memorial which was preserved even under conditions of mass termination of churches in the 30s" Hakob Movsesi said. Iranian Government allocates some 1 billion Iranian rials for capital restoration of the mosque. Restored mosque will become the center of Iranian culture in Yerevan. online (archived)
  22. 1 2 Aghajanian, Liana (16 May 2016). "An insider's guide to Yerevan: the city where Kanye likes to swim in Swan Lake". The Guardian . As the only active mosque left in Armenia, it now serves as a hub for a growing number of Iranian residents and tourists.
  23. 1 2 Brooke, James (12 March 2013). "Iran, Armenia Find Solidarity in Isolation". Voice of America. In all of Christian Armenia, there is only one mosque: "The Iranian Mosque," restored 15 years ago by Iran.
  24. ↑ "Կրոնական կազմը Հայաստանում [Armenia's religious makeup]". ampop.am (in Armenian). 27 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Հայաստանում բնակվում է 812 մուսուլման...
  25. ↑ Miller, Tracy, ed. (October 2009), Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population (PDF), Pew Research Center, p. 28, archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-10, retrieved 2009-10-08
  26. ↑ de Waal 2003, p. 74.
  27. ↑ Ionesyan, Karine (17 July 2009). "Mourning rite at Blue Mosque: Iranians in Yerevan pay tribute to their compatriots". ArmeniaNow . Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  28. ↑ Darieva 2016, p. 303.
  29. ↑ Darieva 2016, p. 302.
  30. ↑ "Իրանի դեսպանատունը 99 տարով անհատույց կօգտագործի Կապույտ մզկիթն ու հարակից հողամասը". Hetq (in Armenian). 10 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019.
  31. ↑ "ՀՀ Կառավարության որոշում որպես նվիրատվություն հողամաս ընդունելու և "Կապույտ" մզկիթ» հուշարձանն անհատույց օգտագործման իրավունքով հանձնելու մասին որոշում". e-gov.am (in Armenian). Archived from the original on 8 September 2019.
  32. ↑ Darieva 2016, p. 300.
  33. ↑ "Vartan Oskanian's Speech to UNESCO General Conference". Asbarez . via Armradio. 19 October 2007. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  34. 1 2 "Involvement of Blue Mosque in UNESCO list of cultural heritage is highly significant". Armenpress. 14 January 2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  35. ↑ "Armenia applies to place Blue Mosque on UNESCO's World Heritage List". Today's Zaman . 22 January 2013. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015.
  36. ↑ "Armenia will apply to include Yerevan's Blue Mosque in UNESCO World Heritage Site". news.am. 19 April 2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  37. ↑ "Statement by Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, at the 38th session of UNESCO General Conference". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. 6 November 2015. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  38. ↑ Ghazanchyan, Siranush (15 October 2015). "Iran's First Vice-President visits Blue Mosque in Yerevan". Public Radio of Armenia. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017.
  39. ↑ "Iran's high-ranking delegation attends 250th anniversary celebration of Yerevan Blue Mosque foundation". Armenpress. 15 October 2015. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  40. ↑ "PM Attends Blue Mosque Foundation 250th Anniversary Celebration in Yerevan". Government of the Republic of Armenia. 15 October 2015. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  41. ↑ Elliott, Mabel Evelyn (1924). Beginning Again at Ararat. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company. p.  316. ...the Persian Blue Mosque...
  42. ↑ Kaeter, Margaret (2004). The Caucasian Republics. Facts on File. p.  12. ISBN   9780816052684. The Blue Mosque [...] is the only Persian mosque in Yerevan still preserved.
  43. ↑ Carpenter, C. (2006). "Yerevan". World and Its Peoples, Volume 1. Marshall Cavendish. p.  775. ISBN   9780761475712. ...only one large Persian mosque, the eighteenth-century Blue Mosque, is still open, now renovated as a cultural center.
  44. ↑ "Blue Mosque, historical Azerbaijani monument in Yerevan - PHOTOS". today.az. 17 January 2011. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  45. ↑ Zeynalov, Natiq (5 May 2010). "Yerevanda Göy məscid hər gün İran vətəndaşları ilə dolu olur". azadliq.org (in Azerbaijani). Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2014. Halbuki, onun fikrincə, bu, Azərbaycan mədəniyyətinin bir abidəsidir.
  46. ↑ Sayyad Salahli, First Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations. Dadaşov, Valeh (15 December 2015). "State Committee official: 'Lease of Blue Mosque to Iran has preconceived purpose'". report.az.
  47. ↑ Imranly, Kamala, ed. (2007). War against Azerbaijan: Targeting Cultural Heritage. Baku: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Heydar Aliyev Foundation. p. 313. ISBN   978-9952-8091-4-5. The Goy mosque was turned into the Museum of History of Yerevan in the Soviet period, and then 'restored' and presented as a Persian mosque after 1991.
  48. ↑ Galichian, Rouben (2010) [2009]. The Invention of History: Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Showcasing of Imagination (PDF) (2nd ed.). London: Gomidas Institute. p. 66. ISBN   978-1-903656-88-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-17.
  49. ↑ "Even today, the threat of genocide in our region is considered as a phenomenon needing urgent prevention. Nikol Pashinyan". primeminister.am. The Office to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022.
  50. ↑ "Nikol Pashinyan participated in the discussion on regional security with the Prime Minister of Georgia, the President of Azerbaijan and the Secretary General of the OSCE". primeminister.am. The Office to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. 18 February 2023. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023.
  51. ↑ "Ilham Aliyev attended plenary session on "Moving Mountains? Building Security in the South Caucasus" in Munich". president.az. Official web-site of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 18 February 2023. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023.
  52. 1 2 3 Khachatrian, Marine (February 24, 2022). "Iran Irked By Azeri Claims To Yerevan Mosque". azatutyun.am. RFE/RL. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
  53. ↑ "Azərbaycan Milli Məclisinin deputatları Tahir Mirkişili və Soltan Məmmədov Yerevanda Göy məscidi ziyarət ediblər [Deputies of the Azerbaijani National Assembly Tahir Mirkishili and Soltan Mammadov visited the Goy Mosque in Yerevan]" (in Azerbaijani). Meydan TV. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  54. ↑ Mirkishili, Tahir [in Azerbaijani] (23 February 2022). "Göy məsciddə olduq". Facebook (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  55. ↑ Mejlumyan, Ani (February 25, 2022). "Azerbaijani MPs' tour of Yerevan sparks scandal". Eurasianet. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022.
  56. ↑ "The Blue Mosque, a symbol of Iranian art". IRI Embassy, Armenia on Twitter. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.