Library of Congress: two Azerbaijani books presenting Yerevan as Azerbaijani heritage added to catalogue
- Published
- Place
- Washington, United States
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Two books by Azerbaijani academic Farida Safiyeva about Yerevan, called “Iravan” in Baku, have been added to the catalogue of the US Library of Congress, Azerbaijan’s state news agency Azertac announced on 30 October. It said the listing was confirmed in a letter to the author, and that five publications related to the two books are now listed. The first, “Iravan: Through the Language of Historical Documents”, was funded by an Azerbaijani state agency supporting NGOs. The second, “Iravan: Echoes of History and a Lost Heritage”, published in Azerbaijani, English, French and Russian, was supported by Leyla Aliyeva, vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. They were presented in New York on 11 October and in Washington on 16 October.
Analysis
A listing in the catalogue of the Library of Congress, which records millions of publications from around the world, does not mean their content is endorsed. Baku nonetheless presents it as international recognition. The books are part of the official “Western Azerbaijan” narrative, through which Azerbaijan claims heritage on the territory of today’s Armenia, including its capital.
Possible consequences
In the Armenian diaspora, some media see it as a new offensive by Baku over history and memory. The announcement comes as Yerevan and Baku negotiate a peace treaty and Azerbaijan demands a change to Armenia’s Constitution.
What remains uncertain
The information comes from Azerbaijan’s state news agency; the Library of Congress had not commented as of 1 November. The content of the books could not be examined.
