The Patriarchate of Georgia is appealing to the Azerbaijani authorities to reopen the Kurmukhi Church of St. George, located in Hereti, as an active place of worship and to permit the Patriarchate of Georgia to conduct regular services there.
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The Patriarchate has responded to the music video circulated on the Internet, which was filmed in St. George's Cathedral in Kurmukh.
The footage shows an Azerbaijani musician standing on the pulpit of the temple and performing a piece on an electronic musical instrument, accompanied by the melody and song of the Adjarian. The performer later removed the video from YouTube, claiming it was intended to express his love and respect for Georgian culture and art, and not motivated by any other purpose. The Patriarchate's statement notes, "Unfortunately, this is not the first instance of Georgian sacredness in Hereti - the Church of St. George of Kurmukhi - being treated with such disrespect and used for a so-called cultural-artistic campaign."
The Patriarchate is appealing to the Azerbaijani authorities and the spiritual leader, Sheikh Ul-Islam Allah Shukur Pasha-Zade, Chairman of the Caucasian Muslim Division, to investigate the incident and take appropriate measures to prevent similar cases in the future.
"We hope that the existing friendly relations between our countries and religious leaders will ensure a timely resolution of such disrespectful incidents and will prompt an appropriate response from the relevant bodies and individuals. These cases highlight the importance of restoring the original purpose of Georgian churches and monasteries in Azerbaijan."
Therefore, the Patriarchate urges the Azerbaijani authorities to make the Church of St. George of Kurmukhi an active temple and to allow the Patriarchate of Georgia to hold regular worship services there. The statement emphasizes that this incident is not an isolated case and reflects ongoing issues that cause societal tension and hurt religious feelings.
The Kurmukh church, built in the 19th century and located approximately 2 kilometers from the city of Kakh, has been designated a historical-cultural monument by the Azerbaijani government. Azerbaijani authorities permit Georgian priests to hold services in the Kurmukh church twice a year, on St. George's Day, May 6, and November 23.
