To hold about the church buildings towards Georgian territory, Tbilisi provides proposed providing Azerbaijan an up to now in public places unspecified area from Georgian house around the Azerbaijani border

An unresolved border between Georgia and Azerbaijan possess put significantly less than matter among Southern Caucasus’s biggest social and you may religious landmarks, the newest gothic David-Gareja monastery advanced, based in Georgia and you will Azerbaijan.

Devote semi-wasteland certain 70 kilometers the southern part of regarding Tbilisi along side Georgian edging with Azerbaijan and you can contained in this Azerbaijan right, the new complex, which contains a refreshing distinct cave frescoes, could have been web site having disagreement and also for contemplation, since that time framework first started in the sixth millennium.

Additional monasteries, some nearly inaccessible and you may mainly destroyed, also are on the Georgian territory. Azerbaijan contains the monastery out-of Bertubani, featuring frescoes of one’s legendary twelfth-13th millennium Georgian King Tamara along with her boy, Giorgi IV.

However, which is handle the fresh new David-Gareja monastery? When the Soviet Connection discussed the newest limits between your up coming Soviet republics away from Azerbaijan and Georgia, the fresh monastery advanced try split in two. The new border between the two now independent regions has actually remained undamaged since the 1991. Area of the border experiences the top the latest 813-meter-high Udabno ridge (recognized when you look at the Azerbaijan given that Keshishdag), and that ports cave monasteries toward the most useful and also on north (Georgian-controlled) and southern area (Azerbaijani-controlled) mountains.

The monastery cutting-edge, which has encountered attacks from the Tamerlane and you may Shah Abbas alike, keeps strategic significance both for Azerbaijan and you can Georgia. On Udabno ridge, one another Azerbaijani and Georgian region can easily be monitored. “About military point of view, which condition possess characteristics both for countries,” told you Uzeir Jafarov, an independent Azerbaijani armed forces pro for the Baku and a resigned colonel. “Commercially, when it comes to military dispute, along side it hence has command over these types of levels becomes a big advantage.”

Edging discussions, constant given that 1991, has just reentered the news when Zviad Dzidziguri, a good Georgian member of parliament with the resistance Conventional Class, and you can chairman of your Democratic Front side faction, said one to Azerbaijan had gone its border with Georgia so that among complex’s monasteries, Chichkhituri, is today in this Azerbaijani region, putting on the line the rest monasteries lower than Georgian manage.

The new Georgian international ministry features refused the fresh declaration. During the a job interview which have EurasiaNet, a premier-level Azerbaijani County Edging Handle Services certified, who asked to stay unknown, including reported that Azerbaijan had never went their edging. Yet, nevertheless, this new argument continues on.

A knowledgeable-identified part of the complex, this new Udabno cavern monastery, that contain frescoes relationships around regarding the eighth for the 13th ages, as well as the monastery head office in the Lavra, can be found in this Georgia

“All the we have to carry out is to obtain a familiar code with the Azerbaijani associates,” Georgian Deputy International Minister Giorgi Manigaladze, exactly who oversees the official Commission into Edging Delimitation and Demarcation, advised journalists into the Tbilisi towards the October 30.

“There’s absolutely no space to have territorial exchange [with Georgia]. There are not any negotiations more this matter,” Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov, co-chairman of your own intergovernmental percentage toward edging delimitation which have Georgia, told you at the a newspapers briefing for the Baku into the November dos. Azerbaijani officials declare that before three-years Georgia keeps twice provided sections of Georgian area in return for identification out-of the present day edging division of your David-Gareja monastery, however, one Baku provides declined the newest offers each other moments.

“That it area [Azerbaijan’s an element of the monastery] enjoys proper importance getting Azerbaijan. And then we don’t have any aim of giving they so you can individuals,” Garib Mammadov, president of your own Azerbaijani Condition Homes and you may Cartography Committee, said for the an interview for the Azerbaijani every single day newspaper Mirror. “This really is a strategic overlook. The complete Southern area Caucasus would be monitored from this neglect extremely really. Why must we have out?”