Azerbaijan invokes Interpol over Dadivank monastery artifacts

Azerbaijan has requested assistance through Interpol to recover cultural artifacts it claims were removed from the Dadivank monastery. Sabina Hajiyeva, head of Azerbaijan’s State Service for Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, stated that frescoes, bells, and khachkars (cross-stones) were taken to Armenia following the 2020 Artsakh War. These items were reportedly entered into Interpol’s Stolen Works of Art database in October 2025.

This dispute is part of a broader disagreement regarding the historical identity of the site. Azerbaijani officials have characterized the medieval monastery as part of “Caucasian Albanian” heritage. Conversely, Armenian authorities and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin maintain that the monastery is an Armenian religious site, citing centuries of Armenian inscriptions, frescoes, and manuscripts as evidence.

Armenian officials have noted that the Mother See previously moved certain cross-stones for preservation. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed that proving the site's Armenian character to Baku is unnecessary, as historical records at the Matenadaran already provide exhaustive evidence of its origins. Meanwhile, Armenian security officials have been cautious in their political response to avoid disrupting ongoing peace processes.