AVARIANS CLAIM AUTONOMY WITHIN AZERBAIJAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2007 17:21 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA Academy
of Sciences and Mitk analytical center initiated an international
conference titled "The state system of Caucasian Albania and its
ethnic and cultural heritage."
Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Professor Ruben
Safrastyan said the topic is both of scientific and political
interest. "The state system of medieval Caucasian Albania needs
serious and impartial investigation and I am hopeful that scientists
from Azerbaijan will join our work," he said.
According to Mitk head Eduard Abrahamyan, examination of the past and
present of Caucasian Albania and Albanian peoples will lead to a better
understanding of modern ethno-political processes in the Caucasus.
For his part, Armenian political scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan
told a PanARMENIAN.Net that participation of representatives of
Dagestani peoples will help to understand the problems of their
self-identity in Azerbaijan. "The conference is rather a political
than academic event. This can be proved by the statement of Dagestani
Avarians who claim autonomy within Azerbaijan," he said.
Professor of Dagestani State University Timur Aytberov said Baku
pursues a policy of extermination of aborigine Dagestani peoples
residing in some regions of Azerbaijan. "The Avarian people are going
to assert their rights by all legal ways including the experience of
Celtic peoples," he said.
Caucasian Albania, also known as Alvank in Armenian, Ardhan in
Parthian, Arran in Persian and Al-Ran in Arabic was an ancient kingdom,
which existed on the territory of present-day Republic of Azerbaijan
and southern Dagestan. The name "Albania" is Latin, and denotes
"mountainous land". The native name for the country is unknown.
The population of Caucasian Albania descends from the union of 26
tribes speaking various dialects of the Nakh-Dagestani family of
languages. The only known Albanian language is the Alvan or Gargarean
language.
According to Movses Kaghankatvatzi, the Albanian alphabet was invented
by Mesrob Mashtots, an Armenian monk, theologian and linguist.