The collapse of Soviet Union left many nations in once-Soviet areas with the questions about their identities. Various elements, such as religion and ethnicity, were used to provide new self-determinations and fill the identity gap. In the Caucasus region, identity-building attempts were made focusing on the specific heritage of Caucasus Albanians, the most ancient and least studied ethnic community in the ethnically diversified Caucasus. Many ethnic groups tried to establish a backward connection to the ancient Albanians in order to make claims of being native and therefore the rightful heirs to the Caucasus.

The territory of modern Azerbaijan was once known as Caucasus Albania, a political entity whose religion was Christianity. Caucasus Albania existed from the end of the first millennium BC until the beginning of the seventh century AD. It was located in a small territory stretching over the area between the Kura, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Caspian Sea (P. Donabedian 1994), the current border between southern Dagestan and northern Azerbaijan. (M. Gadjiyev 2007). According to Strabo, Albania was made up of 26 tribes, whose language was Ibero- Caucasian (P. Donabedian 1994). Although Mesrop Mashtots, a Saint of the fourth century AD, provided the Albanians with an alphabet, the Albanian language disappeared. There remain only a few fragment of inscriptions dated from the sixth and seventh centuries, which were found for the most part at Mingechaur, on the north bank of the Kura. After the tenth century, the Caucasus Albanian state, people, and culture gradually vanished from the historical arena. Today, the few thousand remaining heirs, the Udins, live in Kabala and Oghuz, in Azerbaijan and Zinobiani respectively, in Georgia.

While Azerbaijani historians claim the Caucasus Albanians to be the ancestors of Azerbaijanis (Ziya Bunyadov, Farida Mammadova), Armenian scholars posit that the Christian kingdom of Caucasus Albania actually continued to the west in what had been part of Armenia, and thus that the term Albanian at this time changes its meaning, becoming purely geographical and taking over a part of Armenia (Donabedian, 1994). Drawing on the seventh-century author Anasian, Armenian scholars write that in the fifth century Utik and Artsakch were detached from Armenia and were included in Albania. For them, after the partition of Armenia, about half of Albania included Armenia, and the word Albania, whether referring to land or population, represents Armenian, Armeniand, and Armeniannes.

However, Azerbaijani historian Arif Yunusov claims that Albanian nations living in Karabakh quickly became Armenians due to their church. When Russia invaded South Caucasus at the beginning of the nineteenth century it counted on the support of the Armenians to pursue its foreign political interests in the Caucasus and because of this made a lot of concession to Armenians. In 1836, according to a provision of the Armenian Church, the Albanian Catholicos was abolished and the areas dependent on it were subordinated to the Echmiadzin Catholicos, thus making Albanians dependent on the Armenian Church. 

According to Zaza Alexidze, former Director of the Institute of Manuscripts in Tbilisi and decipherer of the Caucasian Albanian written script, the Albanian Church until around 720 AD was Diophysite, meaning that it perceived Christ as having a dual nature — both human and divine. The Armenian Church, however, was Monophysite and believed that Christ's nature was altogether divine. It wanted to stamp out any literature that was considered to be Diophysite. From about 720 onwards, the Albanian church was strongly affected by the influence of the Monophysite Armenian Church. Albania gradually adopted the Armenian language and script, and thus, step by step, lost its national identity and written language. Up until recently, the only Albanian historical and ecclesiastical texts we had access to were translations that had been preserved in the Armenian language.

In spite of this dispute among nations in the academic world, little attention has been given to the protection and restoration of Albanian churches, especially in Azerbaijan, which was once the huge part of Caucasus Albania. There are still many Albanian monuments not registered by the state and ruined as a result of neglect.

Zakatala, the northern part of Azerbaijan once part of Caucasus Albania, is popular not only for its mountainous landscape, but also for its numerous ancient churches from the fourth through eighth centuries, remnants of the Caucasian Albanians. The region is populated by various ethnic groups who are believed to be part of those ethnos that established Caucasus Albania.

“Having those churches around is not as exotic to me as it is to you. I grew up with them, I used to hear stories about them and I am one of those who dug their surroundings,” says Suleiman Sultanov, resident of Yukhari Tala village in Zakatala, Azerbaijan.

Pipan forest, located next to Yukhari Tala village in Zakatal, hosts several Caucasus Albanian churches whose exact number remains uncertain. Some of those churches are registered by the state and some are not. This creates challenges in defining the statistics of churches located in the Pipan forest. Local officials say there is only one church in that particular part of forest, while archeologist Aliya Karahmadova claims she did archeological works in three of them. Local people claim they currently have more than five churches. But physically only four of them can be visited. Besides that, Dagestan historian Timur Aytberov draws a small map in his book, Sioralul avarazul raqazul tarikhi, about the history of Avarian people, which shows more than ten churches built in Pipan forest and Yurkhari Tala village.

Entirely covered by bindweed, the churches are impossible to find without the help of local people. When visiting the churches for a second time after seven years, a significant impact of neglect is noticeable in all of them. One has huge new wells in the yard and additional destruction to the floor. Another half-ruined church houses a huge tree inside it that probably destroyed its roof while growing.

Another church, located two hours walk away, is also difficult to find and is in an equally bad condition. A small tree has taken root on the roof of the building. A small, rusty board once stuck into its wall showed inventory numbers and when it was built (fourth and fifth centuries). Now, the board lays on the ground.  

Aliya Karahmadova, an archeologist who studied these particular churches twenty years ago says the conditions of the buildings were much better during at her study time. “They definitely did not have trees on their roofs and wild bindweed that can destroy its wall. The roots of bindweed carve the wall of the building because they need to take their roots deep inside” says Karahmedova.

Suleiman Sultanov, who spends most of his days in Pipan forest, says that before, these buildings were not so destroyed by nature. Because of economic conditions and particularly a lack of gas pipelines local people cut a huge part of the forest for heating purposes. More sunlight means more weeds, more young trees, and more bindweed. “Some families have gas now. So we do not have to cut wood” says Sultanov. “But it is not a favor for the churches.  How many years do those sprouts need to become big trees that cast shadow? Minimum 30.”

The number of those churches decreases almost every year. As a result of neglect they are gradually destroyed by nature, damaged by gold searchers who dig in almost every inch of their yards and carve their walls, and totally excavated by land owners for new building projects.

Farida Mammadova, an Azerbaijani historian specialized in the history of ancient Caucasus Albania, says that there was little left after the Caucasian Albanians. Whatever reached us was learned in churches. “Church and Christianity were ideologies of the state of Caucasian Albania. Those ancient churches in the Caucasus were independent and were related directly to Jerusalem. Today we, Azerbaijan, host them and we should protect them. Those churches remained till our days being mostly protected by local people. What happens now?” says Mammadova. “What happens to them? Why government does not take care of them?”

Some churches are in the private property of local people. According to the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, article 77 on the protection of historical and cultural memorials, physical and legal persons who own historical buildings are responsible for their protection. Arif Aliyev, head of the monument protection sector at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic says destruction of buildings can result in up to two years imprisonment. Aliyev adds that protection of historical monuments is a big challenge that the government faces now. According to him, 1,500 new monuments were discovered in recent years and that is why the government faces a challenge to protect them. “We have to rely on citizens in protection of those churches,” says Aliyev. 

However, trusting citizens to protect a memorial does not always prove helpful, and can result in the destruction of the building. Rajab Abdullayev is one of those who own an ancient church building. There is one on his land in Yukhari Tala village that he uses as storage for nut shells that heat his house in winter. “I keep it, because I need it. Otherwise, I would destroy it,” he says. Abdullayev does not feel any responsibility to protect it. “I do not think even the government does. I don’t believe it is valuable. If so, then why does no one care?”