Several Armenian websites have re-spread photos from a14-year-old performance and presented them as fresh information by falsely claiming that the Zorats Karer are being so-called defiled.

The archived  photos bega to spread quickly across the media. Everyone had the same text and title,in the tone of “what is happening in the historical territory of Carahunge Historical and Cultural Reserve.” The titles almost always made note of (18+ photos). The authors of the articles did not mention that the photographs were taken 14 years ago and are not presenting the news, rather a work of art.

The photos were distributed by newstime, haynews, arenanews  who later removed the material, hayeli, yelaket, slaq, orer and armday. The latter had contacted the author of the performance, artist Ashot Avagyan. The performance took place in 2004. It was called “Fertility.”

“The so-called portrock is a fetish related to fertility. The portrock is associated with the worship of the god of fertility of the land, fertility and motherhood. Until the 1960s, the people of Sisian would take the women who did not bear children to that rock and performed a ritual with the belief that a child should be born. Then when the baby was born their husbands would return and give a sacrifice. As an artist, I tried to present that ritual through art. It was also televised,” said Avagyan.  

The topic had reached the Ministry of Culture. The office also had to clarify.

It should be noted that there is a great contradiction among scientists as to what the roots and meaning of the Zorats Karer are. There are claims that the Zorats Karer were used as an observatory and that they were a mausoleum. One group wants to excavate, the other opposes it. Ashot Avagyan, author of the 14-year-old performance, is one of the parties.

Gagik Aghbalyan