While some “employees” of the Armenian embassy in Georgia are trying to provoke a conflict around David Gareji with their provocations, while others illegally (but already officially!) Claim 465 Georgian churches in Georgia, claiming that they are “Armenian”, the authorities of the Republic of Armenia decided to use the already captured Georgian temples as a “bait for tourists”.

During a recent visit to the north of the state, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan paid much attention to the need for the development of domestic tourism. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that “Kobayr (Kobairi), Haghpat, Sanahin, Odzun, Ardvi, Dsekh, and Akhnidzor” are important tourist destinations in the region.

Thus, the ancient Georgian monastery Kobairi (Kobayr), appropriated by the Armenian authorities, Nikol Pashinyan was the first in the list of attractive monasteries and temples for the north of the Republic of Armenia. And this is no coincidence. The fact is that this Georgian temple is a masterpiece of medieval Georgian culture. Unique 13th-century murals have been preserved here.

Recall that the Kobairi monastery was founded in the middle of the 13th century by the Georgian prince of Kurdish origin Shanshe Mkhargrdzeli. The monastery has many Georgian inscriptions. The monastery contains the burial place of family members of Shanshe Mkhargrdzeli and other famous personalities.

In 2015, the Armenian side, without coordination with the Georgian side, represented by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Georgia, began conservation work in Kobairi, wooden and metal structures were installed to strengthen the walls. This caused alarm among Georgian art historians, historians, and the Patriarchate of Georgia, according to which "the Armenians began conservation work without even familiarizing them with the project." There was a danger that many Georgian inscriptions would simply be falsified or destroyed.

The head of the Davitiani movement under the Georgian Patriarchate, Kote Svanadze, then made a statement that the work has begun in Kobairi and the conduct of the Armenian-Gregorian service in the Akhtaly monastery are a direct violation of the agreement concluded between the Georgian and Armenian churches, according to which, before clarification of all circumstances in the disputed temples should not be held services.

“This agreement is violated unilaterally by the Armenian side, which causes great concern to the Georgian Patriarchate. In connection with the above-mentioned monasteries, the position of the Patriarchate is unchanged: monasteries that were the property of Georgia should be returned to their historical heir. It is necessary to create a commission that will establish how to return the churches belonging to them to the Georgian and Armenian churches. Readiness in this matter is confirmed by both parties. Negotiations are underway on the details, in particular on how the commission will be staffed, on its composition and when it will begin its work, ”Kote Svanadze said then.

Unfortunately, the Armenian side then defiantly ignored the concern of the Georgian Patriarchate and the Georgian public about the situation with the Georgian monasteries of Kobairi and Akhtal, located on the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

It also seems that for the Armenian “restorers” of falsifiers, the main thing then was to destroy to the maximum the evidence of the Georgian origin of the Kobairi monastery and not save it. The monastery is still in terrible condition. The worst thing is that despite the intervention of the "restorers", it was essentially turned into a barn, as the Armenian media wrote with indignation. In particular, about this in 2017 there was material in the Sputnik-Armenia publication “Shed in Kobayr, or the“ Sacred Cow" in a Medieval Monastery” (https://ru.armeniasputnik.am/armenia/20170918/8708153/hlev-v-kobajre-ili-svyashchennaya-korova-v-srednevekovom-monastyre.html.) A shocking photo was published in the material - the cow lies in the ancient altar Georgian temple!

(https://cdn2.img.armeniasputnik.am/images/870/86/8708689.jpg)

True, the material did not say anything about the Georgian origin of the monastery, and it is called "Armenian." But even the citizens of Armenia, duped by nationalist propaganda, were outraged then by the blasphemous attitude towards the shrines.

Unfortunately, the pseudo-“patriots” of Georgia, who are now so “worried” about the fate of David Gareji, the same Nikoloz Mzhavanase, was not indignant at that time that his Armenian “friend-employers” turned the Georgian shrine into a cattle barn.

Today, Nikol Pashinyan apparently decided that using the Georgian monastery as a crib is unprofitable, and it is better to make it a tourist attraction. Well, thanks for that. However, rejoice in this prematurely. There is a danger that the Armenian "restorers" - falsifiers involved in giving the monastery a "tourist look" will "complete" the destruction of Georgian inscriptions in order to show the Kobairi monastery to tourists as "Armenian."

KavkazPlus