The Territory of Karabagh is an inhabited region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Many of the cities in the Territory of Karabagh have been abandoned after the destruction that occurred during the 1991-1994 Karabagh war and population became internally displaced persons. The cities that are now inhabited are being rebuilt and have had unequal and poor attention to the monumental cultural heritage.

For the time being, as the territory of Karabagh is under occupation of Armenia, Azerbaijan nationals are not allowed to enter the area (3 persons from Karabagh went to the area of Kalbajar area for visiting the grave of their parents in 2014, one of them was murdered by Armenian armed forces and two of them were taken captures and accused and charged). Large part of the territory is mined. The territory of Karabagh consequently turned to uncontrolled area and there widely spread producing, carry and sale of drugs, as well as sale and smuggler of cultural heritage objects of the region in other countries. International organizations including UN Security Council adopted resolutions and other legal documents and made calls on revert of Azerbaijani occupied lands to Azerbaijan.

However, the first phase of this project will concentrate on creating the documentation database on resources found in archives, libraries and research institutions outside this territory. There will be no need to have physical access to the region in the first phase.

The cultural heritage of Karabagh is a rich combination of archaeological monuments, Christian and Islamic architecture (churches, mosques, madrasas, houses, tombstones, forts, etc.). This heritage reflects the traces of diverse political and cultural influences along the centuries. Since 1991 until now and during the invasion the overall destruction of heritage resources has been largely undocumented.

There are details available on damage to the sites and monuments. Therefore, there is an inability to plan any heritage reconstruction strategy. Such crucial information for future reconstruction will be gathered in this project by a broad and in depth documentation drive for all the known monuments in the territory. This project will concern the occupied Karabagh region as a whole not concentrating on any monument and remnants. Karabagh is integral part of Azerbaijan and their separation is interfering with sovereignty of Azerbaijani state. The whole Azerbaijani citizens inhabited in Karabagh and communities share the landscape of this rich territory.

Published: Book of abstracts. 4th International Conference "Ohrid-Vodici, 2016", "Terrorism, Migration, Refugees - Contemporary Challenges to Cultural Heritage and Identities, Economy, Tourism and Media". Ohrid, Macedonia, 17-19.01.2016