Organization calls to save monastery from mutilation

A photographer has place in Facebook photos depicting how the 13th century Gandzasar Monastery in Karabakh is being "mutilated" by marble siding, according to a report by a youth group called We Will Not Stay Silent.

The report says that the monastery was restored in 2000-02 with the help of Levon Hayrapetyan, a Moscow-based Armenian businessman with Karabakh roots.

"Today, Gandzasar is one of the well-restored Armenian sacred sites," the report goes on. The organization calls on the businessman to bring to halt further works of siding of the wall surrounding the monastery, and carefully remove the plates already put on the wall.

The Karabakh agency in charge of historical monuments has issued a statement saying it has never authorized the siding.