Yerevan: An American professor has shed light on the changes experienced by toponyms associated with Azerbaijanis in Armenia, highlighting significant alterations to these geographical names over the years. During a panel session titled ‘Tangible Heritage: Preserving the Physical Foundations of Return’ at the international conference ‘Cultural Heritage and the Right to Return,’ Professor Michael Martin Gunter discussed the historical context and impact of these changes.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Professor Gunter stated that in the 20th century, Azerbaijanis were forcibly evicted from their homes and lands, an event accompanied by the alteration of geographical names. He argued that these changed toponyms serve as evidence that Azerbaijanis were the original inhabitants of the territories in question, from which they were later expelled.
Professor Gunter further emphasized that the transformation of toponyms occurred both during the Soviet period and after 1991. He noted the systematic renaming of Azerbaijani place names to their Armenian equivalents, describing this as a process of ‘Armenianization’ that took place during the Soviet era and continued into the post-Soviet period.