The Georgian Orthodox ChurchGeorgian Church trades barbs with Azerbaijan government over church excavationsby Mikheil Gvadzabia• 3 min readShare▲Reported excavations at the church. Photos via social media.A spat has erupted between the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Azerbaijani government over reported works at and around a church in Azerbaijan near the border with Georgia. In a statement on Thursday, the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church warned that ‘any intervention carried out both inside the church itself and in the surrounding area is of particular concern’. The statement was accompanied by photographs showing excavations cordoned off with red-and-white tape. ‘This raises numerous questions, both about the unclear purpose of the works and the rehabilitation of a Georgian cultural heritage site without the agreement of the Georgian side’, the Patriarchate said. The site in question is referred to by the Georgian Church as the Kurmukhi Church of St George. Azerbaijan refers to the site as the Kurmuk Temple, insisting the area was home to an ancient Caucasian Albanian temple. In their statement, the Patriarchate said the Church was an important monument of ‘historical and spiritual heritage’ for Georgia and its Church. In a harshly-worded response on Friday, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry told Azerbaijani state-run news agency APA that it was ‘not advisable for the Georgian Patriarchate to repeat the well-known approaches of the Armenian Church and follow its path’. They said the remarks from the Georgian Church ‘contradict’ the spirit of friendship and partnership between the two countries. ‘The presentation of geographical and historical toponyms located in the territory of Azerbaijan under other names is unacceptable’, the ministry reportedly said. Mutual respect toward territorial integrity and sovereignty ‘constitutes an important foundation of the strategic partnership relations’, the statement said. ‘It is precisely in this regard that the Georgian Patriarchate’s approach containing territorial claims with respect to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty is incomprehensible’. ‘It is important that religious institutions refrain from approaches that could harm the historical friendship and good-neighbourly relations formed over centuries between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia’, the statement continued. ‘All historical, cultural and religious monuments existing in the territory of Azerbaijan are an integral part of the national heritage of the Azerbaijani people and the Azerbaijani state’, it concluded. The Patriarchate’s statement on Thursday highlighted that images of the excavations had caused a ‘strong reaction and justified outrage’ from the public in Georgia, saying it ‘negatively affects our good, neighbourly relations and the strengthening of cooperation between the two neighbouring states and peoples’. Photos purportedly showing the excavations at the church began circulating on Georgian social media about a week before the Patriarchate’s statement. However, it is unclear when the pits shown in the photos were dug, and when they were cordoned off. On Wednesday, another photo also circulated — reportedly taken at the site — showing a fence and an Azerbaijani sign reading: ‘Attention: Archaeological excavations in progress. Entry prohibited’. Noting that it had not been contacted by any Azerbaijani state agencies about the works, the Patriarchate stressed the ‘importance’ of establishing the nature of the works and urged Georgian state agencies to engage with the process: ‘We believe that only through timely and coordinated cooperation is it possible to properly protect and preserve the site of Georgian spiritual and cultural heritage’, they concluded. The largely inactive church is located in Azerbaijan’s northern Gakh District, near the Georgia border. The Georgian Church considers it part of Georgia’s cultural heritage. Georgian delegations — including representatives of the Patriarchate, parliament, and government — have travelled there multiple times over the years to mark St George’s Day. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan calls the monument the Kurmuk Temple, claiming the area was home to an ancient Caucasian Albanian temple, on the site of which a Russian Orthodox church was built in the late 19th century as part of the Russian Empire’s ‘Christianisation policy’. Caucasian Albania, not related to modern-day Albania in the Balkans, was an ancient Christian kingdom that existed in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan has often labelled medieval monasteries or heritage as Caucasian Albanian as a way to deny their, usually, Armenian origin despite widespread recognition among international scholars. Mikheil joined OC Media after a long career as a journalist at Netgazeti, focusing on politics, human rights and the wider region. He has an academic background in Arabic Studies and maintains a strong interest in Arabic language, Egyptian cinema, and the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.