On September 20, 2023, Natik Alishov, a researcher at the Baku Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, posted photos of the royal sources in Tigranakert, Artsakh, on his Facebook page. The photos show that earthworks are underway in the area adjacent to the mosque built by Panah Khan to the south. As a result of the work, sections of the wall covered with medium-sized rough stones were opened up. In his comments, the Azerbaijani archaeologist states that they have been working in this area since August 23, 2023.

It should be noted that since 2021, the Azerbaijani side has regularly announced that archaeological work is planned in the territories “liberated from Armenian occupation”. This is the first known fact of the Azerbaijani “excavations” of Tigranakert. The “excavations” were initiated near the royal springs, adjacent to the 18th century mosque. Additionally, they opened a part of the wall that had been excavated by the Tigranakert expedition in 2011. This is the retaining wall of the cemetery next to the mosque. Excavations in 2011 around the royal springs also revealed the swimming pool in front of the mosque, the strip-shaped foundations of an adjacent rock-cut structure and similar to the fortifications of the walled district.