The Netherlands Diary continues to examine Azerbaijani interpretations concerning Armenian historical and cultural heritage.
On October 8, our publication released an article in Armenian, Russian and English entitled “When an Azerbaijani Scholar Lies About What He Sees With His Own Eyes,” addressing a video posted on Facebook by Azerbaijani linguist Ilhami Jafarsoy.
The tombstones shown in the video visibly bear letters and words from the Armenian alphabet, discernible to the naked eye. These are surviving traces of writing on stone that require a professional epigraphic approach to their study. However, Jafarsoy’s interpretation fails to give due consideration to this fact, presenting the depicted elements as Turkish symbols while disregarding the visible evidence of Armenian writing.
Who Is Ilhami Jafarsoy, and What Is He Known For?
On Facebook: Ilhami Cafarsoy
On the website: Jafarov Ilhami Yusif oglu
Ilhami Jafarsoy, son of Yusif:
Was born on July 24, 1950.
Holds a doctorate in philological sciences.
Worked at the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.
Has published works in which he attributes Turkish origins or linguistic connections to languages and cultures of the Ancient Near East as well.
The titles and content of some of his publications indicate that he advances controversial hypotheses concerning Armenian history and language. These include works entitled “The Origin of the Hay and Armenians” and “Mesrop Mashtots Did Not Create the Alphabet.”
His claims concerning Armenian inscriptions and historical monuments should be assessed on the basis of primary sources, the reading and interpretation of inscriptions, and specialist research. When Armenian letters and words are visible on inscriptions, disregarding them cannot substitute for what he presents as “scientific substantiation.”
A New Development Following the Publication
Following the publication of our article, we noted another development: Jafarsoy’s Facebook account, which had previously been accessible to us, can no longer be found. Our searches have yielded no results.
Before this, we had not only preserved a copy of his video but had also archived the relevant publication materials.
We do not claim to know why the account has become inaccessible, nor do we assert a causal link between its disappearance and our article. However, we are documenting the sequence of events and will continue to monitor developments.
In the study of historical monuments, interpretation cannot replace the reading of an inscription. If Armenian letters and words are visible on a tombstone, their linguistic and historical analysis must be the starting point of the discussion.
Debates concerning historical heritage must be based on visible evidence, primary sources and scholarly findings.
And finally, one point is difficult to ignore: when inscriptions preserved on stone speak more clearly than attempts to present them otherwise, one can only hope that there is still room in scholarly debate for truth—and for a sense of shame.
The Netherlands Diary
October 11, 2026
Previous article:
https://www.nidoragir.com/2026/10/when-azerbaijani-scholar-lies-about.html
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