Naxçıvan Muxtar Respublikası Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Nakhchivan in the South Caucasus region
Detailed map of Nakhchivan
Capital (and largest city)		Nakhchivan City
Official languages		Azerbaijani
Government
-	Parliamentary Chairman	Vasif Talibov
Autonomous republic
-	Establishment of the Nakhchivan ASSR	February 9, 1924
-	Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic	November 17, 1990
Area
-	Total	5,5001 km²  2,124 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2007 estimate	382,0592
-	Density	67. The flag of Nakhchivan is officially that of Azerbaijan. However another flag was used in 1991 by separatist groups in Nakhchivan during the breakup The Coat of arms of Azerbaijan mixes traditional and modern symbols The South Caucasus is a mountainous geopolitical area of south-central Eurasia, also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Transcaucasus. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Naxçıvan Muxtar Respublikası Նախիջևանի Ինքնավար Հանրապետություն Нахичеванская Автономная Nakhchivan City ( Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan şəhəri; also Nachitschewan, Nakhchyvan, Nakhicevan, Nakhichevan’, and An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Vasif Talibov (Vasif (born 14 January, 1960, Aralig, Nakhchivan ASSR, Azerbaijan SSR An autonomous republic is a type of Administrative division similar to a Province. The Nakhichevan ASSR (or the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 8/km²  175. 6/sq mi
Currency		Azerbaijani manat (AZN)
Time zone		EET (UTC+4)
-	Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+5)
1	GeoHive: Country Data: Azerbaijan
2	The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan Muxtar Respublikası; Armenian: Նախիջևանի Ինքնավար Հանրապետություն; Russian: Нахичеванская Автономная Республика; Turkish: Nahçıvan Özerk Cumhuriyeti or Nahçıvan Muhtar Cumhuriyeti; Persian: جمهوری خودمختار نخجوان), known simply as Nakhchivan, is a landlocked exclave of Azerbaijan. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The manat ( currency code: AZN is the Currency of Azerbaijan. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. The Armenian language (hy հայերեն լեզու hajɛɹɛn lɛzu —, conventional short form) is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South The region covers 5,500 km² and borders Armenia (221 km) to the east and north, Iran (179 km) to the south and west, and Turkey (9 km) to the northwest. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Its capital is Nakhchivan City, home to the Nakhchivan State University. Nakhchivan City ( Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan şəhəri; also Nachitschewan, Nakhchyvan, Nakhicevan, Nakhichevan’, and Nakhchivan State University (NSU Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan Dövlət Universiteti) is a Public university located in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan

Etymology

Variations of the name Nakhchivan include Nakhichevan^[1], Nachidsheuan^[2], Nakhijevan^[3], Nakhchawan^[4], Nakhitchevan^[5], Nakhjavan^[6] and Nakhdjevan^[7]. According to the nineteenth-century language scholar, Johann Heinrich Hübschmann, the name "Nakhichavan" in Armenian literally means "the place of descent", a Biblical reference to the descent of Noah's Ark on the adjacent Mount Ararat. Johann Heinrich Hübschmann (1848񮕄 was a German philologist, born at Erfurt. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Noah's Ark, according to the Book of Genesis (chapters 6-9 is the story of a large vessel built at God 's command to save Noah, his family Mount Ararat (see section Names for other names is the tallest peak in Turkey. Hubschmann notes, however, that it was not known by that name in antiquity. Instead, he states the present-day name evolved to "Nakhchivan" from "Naxcavan". The prefix "Naxc" was a name and "avan" is Armenian for "town". ^[8] Nakhchivan was also mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography and by other classical writers as Naxuana. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca ^[9][10] According to other versions, the name Nakhchivan derived from the Persian Nagsh-e-Jahan ("Image of the World"), a reference to the beauty of the area. ^[11][12] The medieval Arab chronicles referred to the area as "Nashava". ^[13]

History

Early history

According to an Armenian tradition, Nakhchivan was founded by Noah, of the Abrahamic religions. Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of ^[14] The oldest material culture artifacts found in the region date back to the Neolithic Age. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The region was part of the states of Mannae, Urartu and Media. The Mannaeans (country name usually Mannea; Akkadian: Mannai, possibly Biblical Minni, מנּי were an ancient people of unknown origin Urartu ( Assyrian: Urarṭu Urartian: Biainili Ուրարտու was an Iron Age kingdom in Eastern Anatolia ( Transcaucasia) rising The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. ^[15] It became part of the Satrapy of Armenia under Achaemenid Persia circa 521 BC. The Orontid Dynasty (in Armenian: Երվանդունիների հարստություն was the first known Armenian dynasty The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of Events 529 BC — Cambyses II started to rule He is son of Cyrus II. After Alexander the Great's death (323 BC) various Macedonian generals such as Neoptolemus tried to take control of the region but ultimately failed and a native dynasty of Orontids flourished until Armenia was conquered by Antiochus III the Great. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Events By place Macedonian Empire 10 June — In Babylon, Alexander the Great dies ten days after being taken ill The Ancient Macedonians (Μακεδόνες Makedónes were an ancient tribe which inhabited the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axius, north Neoptolemus (in Greek Νεoπτόλεμος; died 321 BC was a Macedonian officer of Alexander the Great. Antiochus III the Great, ( Greek; ca 241&ndash187 BC ruled 222&ndash187 BC younger son of Seleucus II Callinicus ^[16]

The Nakhchivan region (highlighted in light purple) at the time of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan (908-1021). Vaspurakan (also transliterated as Vasbouragan in Western Armenian; Վասպուրական meaning the "noble land" or "land of princes" was first a province Events By Place Asia The Battle of Belach Mugna is fought Zhu Wen kills the last Tang Dynasty emperor

In 189 BC, Nakhchivan was part of the new Kingdom of Armenia established by Artaxias I. Events By place Roman Republic Cato the Elder criticizes the Consul Marcus Fulvius Nobilior for giving awards to The Kingdom of Armenia (or Greater Armenia) was an independent kingdom from 190 BC to AD 387 and a client state of the Roman and Persian empires until Artaxias I (also called Artaxes or Artashes, Armenian: Արտաշես Առաջին (reigned 190 BC/189 BC-160 BC/159 BC was the founder of the Artaxiad ^[17] Within the kingdom, the region of present-day Nakhchivan was part of the Ayrarat, Vaspurakan and Syunik provinces. Ayrarat (Այրարատ was a province of the old Armenia c 300 &ndash 800. Vaspurakan (also transliterated as Vasbouragan in Western Armenian; Վասպուրական meaning the "noble land" or "land of princes" was first a province Syunik may refer to Syunik Province Syunik (village Syunik (historic region ^[18] The area's status as a major trade center allowed it to prosper, though because of this, it was coveted by many foreign powers. ^[4] According to historian Faustus of Byzantium (4th century), when the Sassanid Persians invaded Armenia, Sassanid King Shapur II (310-380) removed 2,000 Armenian and 16,000 Jewish families in 360-370. Faustus of Byzantium (Փավստոս Բյուզանդ Pavstos Buzand) was an Armenian historian of the 5th century The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire Shapur II was the ninth King of the Sassanid Empire from 309 to 379 ^[19] In 428, the Armenian Arshakuni monarchy was abolished and Nakhchivan was annexed by Sassanid Persia. Events By Place Europe Geiseric becomes King of the Vandals and Alans. The Arsacid Dynasty (Arshakuni Dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 54 to 428 In 623, possession of the region passed to the Byzantine Empire. ^[15] From 640 on, Arabs invaded Nakhchivan and undertook many campaigns in the area crushing all resistance and attacking Armenian nobles who remained in contact with the Byzantines or who refused to pay tribute. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding In 705, Arab viceroy Muhammad ibn-Marwan decided to eliminate the Armenian nobility. ^[20] In Nakhchivan, several hundred Armenian nobles and their families were locked up in churches and burnt, while others were crucified. ^[5][20] The violence caused many Armenian princes to flee to the neighboring Kingdom of Georgia or the Byzantine Empire. Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between ^[20] Meanwhile, Nakhchivan itself became part of the autonomous Principality of Armenia under Arab control. ^[21] In the 8th century, Nakhchivan was one of the scenes^[15] of an uprising against the Arabs led by Persian^[22][23][24] revolutionary Babak Khorramdin of the Iranian Khorram-Dinān ("those of the joyous religion" in Persian). Bābak Khorram-Dīn ( Persian: بابک خرمدین; alternative spelling Bâbak Xoramdin; 795 according to some other The Khurramites ( - Khorrām-Dīnān "Those of the Joyful Religion" خُرَّميه Khurrāmīyah) were an Iranian religious and ^[25] Nakhchivan was finally released from Arab rule in the 10th century by Bagratid King Smbat I and handed over to the princes of Syunik. The Bagratuni or Bagratid royal dynasty of Armenia (Բագրատունյաց Արքայական Տոհմ or Bagratunyac Arqayakan Tohm) is a royal family Smbat I (Սմբատ Ա (known as "the Martyr" 850 &ndash 912 was King of Armenia (890 &ndash 912 of the Bagratuni dynasty son of Ashot I and the ^[17]

A miniature depicting Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent marching into Nakhchivan during the continuous border wars between the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Persia in the 14th to 18th centuries. Suleiman I (سليمان Sulaymān, Süleyman almost always Kanuni Sultan Süleyman) ( 6 November 1494 5/ 6 September 1566

In the 11th century the region was taken over by the Seljuk Turks. The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in ^[15] In 12th century, the city of Nakhchivan became the capital of the state of Atabegs of Azerbaijan, also known as Ildegizid state, which included most of Iranian Azerbaijan and significant part of South Caucasus. The Atabegs of Azerbaijan rose from the ashes of the vast Seljuk Empire in the beginning of the 12th century This article is about the region in Iran for other uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. ^[26] The magnificent 12th century mausoleum of Momine khatun, the wife of Ildegizid ruler, Great Atabeg Jahan Pehlevan, is the main attraction of modern Nakhchivan. The Mausoleum of Momine Khatun (or Mu'mine Khatun) is located in Nakhchivan City, the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Azerbaijan For the village in Azerbaijan see Atabəy. Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey (in Turkic languages (Աթաբեկ Atabek is a hereditary ^[27] At its heyday, the Ildegizid authority in Nakhchivan and some other areas of South Caucasus was contested by Georgia. The Armeno-Georgian princely house of Zacharids frequently raided the region when the Atabeg state was in decline in the early years of the 13th century. It was then plundered by invading Mongols in 1220 and Khwarezmians in 1225 and became part of Mongol Empire in 1236 when the Caucasus was invaded by Chormaqan. The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire Chormaqan, also Chormagan or Chormaqan Noyan (?-1241 was one of the most famous generals of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan and Ögedei ^[15] In the 13th century during the reign of the Mongol horde ruler Güyük Khan Christians were allowed to build churches in the strongly Muslim town of Nakhchivan, however the conversion to Islam of Gazan khan brought about a reversal of this favor. Güyük ( cyrillic:Гүюг хаан c. 1206–1248 was the third Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. ^[28] The 14th century saw the rise of Armenian Catholicism in Nakhchivan,^[4] though by the 15th century the territory became part of the states of Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu. (Refer to List of Armenian Catholic Patriarchs of Cilicia) The Armenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic church Sui juris within The Kara Koyunlu or Qara Qoyunlu, also called the Black Sheep Turkomans ( Turkmen: Garagoýunly; Azeri: Qaraqoyunlu The Ak Koyunlu or Aq Qoyunlu, also called the White Sheep Turkomans ( Turkmen: Akgoýunly, Azeri: Ağqoyunlu, ^[15]

Safavid Persian rule

In the 16th century, control of Nakhchivan passed to the Safavid dynasty of Persia. The Safavids ( صفوی) were an Iranian ref>Helen Chapin Metz The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Because of its geographic position, it frequently suffered during the wars between Persia and the Ottoman Empire in the 14th to 18th centuries. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Turkish historian Pechevi-Ibrahim described the brutality of the Ottoman army marching from the Ararat plain to Nakhchivan and Syunik:

In 1604, Shah Abbas I Safavi, concerned that the lands of Nakhichevan and the surrounding areas would pass into Ottoman hands, decided to institute a scorched earth policy. Shāh ‘Abbās I or Shāh ‘Abbās the Great ( (born January 27, 1571; died January 19, 1629) was Shah of Iran and the most eminent A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method (possibly more often referred to as a tactic but this is not entirely correct as there is a difference between He forced the entire local population, Armenians, Jews and Muslims alike, to leave their homes and move to the Persian provinces south of the Aras River. ^[29][30][31]

Many of the deportees were settled in the neighborhood of Isfahan that was named New Julfa since most of the residents were from the original Julfa (a predominantly Armenian town which was looted and burned). Esfahān or Isfahan (historically also rendered as Ispahan or Hispahan, Old Persian: Aspadana, Middle Persian: Spahān New Julfa (Նոր Ջուղա "Nor Juġa" is the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran, located along the south bank of the river Zayandeh River Julfa ( Azerbaijani: Culfa; Armenian: Ջուղա, sometimes transliterated as Jugha; also rendered as Djulfa, Dzhul’fa The Turkic Kangerli tribe was later permitted to move back under Shah Abbas II (1642–1666) in order to repopulate the frontier region of his realm. Shah Abbas II (1633-1666 was Shah of Iran from 1642 to 1666 He was the seventh Shah of the Safavid Dynasty. ^[32] In the 17th century, Nakhchivan was the scene of a peasant movement led by Köroğlu against foreign invaders and "native exploiters". The Epic of Köroğlu ( Turkish Köroğlu destanı) is a Legend prominent in the Oral traditions of the Turkic peoples. ^[15] In 1747, the Nakhchivan khanate emerged in the region after the death of Nadir Shah Afshar. Nakhchivan khanate (Naxçıvan xanlığı was a feudal state that existed on the territory of the present-day Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Nāder Shāh Afshār ( also known as Nāder Qoli Beg - نادر قلی بیگ or Tahmāsp Qoli Khān - تهماسپ قلی خان) (November ^[15]

Imperial Russian rule

After the last Russo-Persian War and the Treaty of Turkmenchay, the Nakhchivan khanate passed into Russian possession in 1828. The Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828 was the last major military conflict between the Russian Empire and the Persian Empire. The Treaty of Turkmenchay (Туркманчайский договор Persian: عهدنامه ترکمنچای was a treaty negotiated in Turkmenchay by which With the onset of Russian rule, the Tsarist authorities encouraged resettlement of Armenians to Nakhchivan and other areas of the Caucasus from the Persian and Ottoman Empires. Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Special clauses of the Turkmenchay and Adrianople treaties allowed for this. The Peace Treaty of Adrianople (also called the Treaty of Edirne) concluded the Russo-Turkish War 1828-1829 between Russia and the Ottoman Empire ^[33] Alexandr Griboyedov, the Russian envoy to Persia, stated that by the time Nakhchivan came under Russian rule, only 17% of its residents were Armenians, while the remainder of the population (83%) were Muslims. Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov (Александр Сергеевич Грибоедов alternative transcription Griboedov ( January 15, 1795 – February After the resettlement initiative, the number of Armenians had increased to 45% while Muslims remained the majority at 55%. With such a dramatic increase in population, Griboyedov noted friction arising between the Armenian and Muslim populations. He requested Russian army commander Count Ivan Paskevich to give orders on resettlement of some of the arriving people further to the region of Daralayaz to quiet the tensions. Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich (Иван Фёдорович Паскевич ( &ndash) was a Ukrainian -born military leader in the Russian service ^[34]

With Nakhchivan's conquest by Imperial Russia, came Russian culture. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Shown here is photograph of a statue of Catherine the Great in Nakhchivan City taken in 1902. Catherine II, called Catherine the Great (Екатерина II Великая Yekaterina II Velikaya;) reigned as Empress of Russia for 34 years Nakhchivan City ( Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan şəhəri; also Nachitschewan, Nakhchyvan, Nakhicevan, Nakhichevan’, and

The Nakhchivan khanate was dissolved in 1828, its territory was merged with the territory of the Erivan khanate and the area became the Nakhchivan uyezd of the new Armenian oblast, which later became the Erivan Governorate in 1849. Uyezd or uezd (уе́зд uˈjɛst was an admistrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, and Russian Empire used from the 13th century originally The Armenian Oblast ( Armenian: Հայաստանի ոբլաստ Russian: Армянская область was an Oblast (province of the Russian Erivan Governorate ( Old Russian: Эриванская губернія) was one of the Guberniyas ' of the Russian Empire, with its centre According to official statistics of the Russian Empire, by the turn of the 20th century Azerbaijanis made up 57% of the uyezd's population, while Armenians constituted 42%. ^[9] At the same time in the Sharur-Daralagyoz uyezd, the territory of which would form the northern part of modern-day Nakhchivan, Azeris constituted 70. 5% of the population, while Armenians made up 27. 5%. ^[35] During the Russian Revolution of 1905, conflict erupted between the Armenians and the Azeris, culminating in the Armenian-Tatar massacres which saw violence in Nakhchivan in May of that year. See also Russian Revolution (1917 The 1905 Russian Revolution also known as the Failed Russian Revolution of 1905 was an empire-wide struggle of The Armenian-Tatar massacres (also known as the Armenian-Tartar War and the Armeno-Tartar War) refers to the bloody inter-ethnic confrontation between the ^[36]

War and revolution

In the final year of World War I, Nakhchivan was the scene of more bloodshed between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, who both laid claim to the area. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All By 1914, the Armenian population had decreased slightly to 40% while the Azeri population increased to roughly 60%. ^[37] After the February Revolution, the region was under the authority of the Special Transcaucasian Committee of the Russian Provisional Government and subsequently of the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. The February Revolution (Февральская революция in 1917 in Russia was the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Russian Provisional Government was formed in Petrograd in 1917 after the February Revolution and the Abdication The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR Закавказская демократическая Федеративная Республика (ЗКДФР Zakavkazskaya When the TDFR was dissolved in May 1918, Nakhchivan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Zangezur (today the Armenian province of Syunik), and Qazakh were heavily contested between the newly formed and short-lived states of the Democratic Republic of Armenia (DRA) and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR). For the republic see Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh is a Region in the South Caucasus. Syunik may refer to Syunik Province Syunik (village Syunik (historic region The Democratic Republic of Armenia ( DRA; Armenian: Դեմոկրատական Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Demokratakan Hayastani Hanrapetutyun The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic ( ADR; Azərbaycan Xalq Cümhuriyyəti was the first Democratic and Secular Republic in the Muslim world In June 1918, the region came under Ottoman occupation. ^[15] Under the terms of the Armistice of Mudros, the Ottomans agreed to pull their troops out of the Transcaucasus to make way for the forthcoming British military presence. The Armistice of Moudros ( 30 October 1918) ended the hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies ^[38]

Under British occupation, Sir John Oliver Wardrop, British Chief Commissioner in the South Caucasus, made a border proposal to solve the conflict. Sir John Oliver Wardrop, KBE, CMG (1864-1948 was a British diplomat traveller and translator primarily known as the United Kingdom's first Chief According to Wardrop, Armenian claims against Azerbaijan should not go beyond the administrative borders of the former Erivan Governorate (which under prior Imperial Russian rule encompassed Nakhchivan), while Azerbaijan was to be limited to the governorates of Baku and Elisabethpol. Baku Governorate ( Old Russian: Бакiнская губернiя) was one of the Guberniyas ' of the Russian Empire, with its centre Elisabethpol Governorate or Elizavetpol Governorate (Елизаветпольская губерния in pre-1918 Russian spellingЕлисаветпольская губернiя This proposal was rejected by both Armenians (who did not wish to give up their claims to Qazakh, Zangezur and Karabakh) and Azeris (who found it unacceptable to give up their claims to Nakhchivan). As disputes between both countries continued, it soon became apparent that the fragile peace under British occupation would not last. ^[39]

In December 1918, with the support of Azerbaijan's Musavat Party, Jafar Kuli Khan Nakhchivanski declared the Republic of Aras in the Nakhchivan uyezd of the former Erivan Governorate assigned to Armenia by Wardrop. The Müsavat (Equality Party (Müsavat Partiyası is the oldest existing Political party in Azerbaijan. The Republic of Aras (Araz Respublikası Արաքս Հանրապետություն also known as the Republic of Araks or the Araxi Republic) was a short-lived and ^[15] The Armenian government did not recognize the new state and sent its troops into the region to take control of it. The conflict soon erupted into the violent Aras War. ^[39] British journalist C. E. Bechhofer described the situation in April 1920:

By mid-June 1919, however, Armenia succeeded in establishing control over Nakhchivan and the whole territory of the self-proclaimed republic. The fall of the Aras republic triggered an invasion by the regular Azerbaijani army and by the end of July, Armenian troops were forced to leave Nakhchivan City to the Azeris. ^[39] Again, more violence erupted leaving some ten thousand Armenians dead and forty-five Armenian villages destroyed. ^[4] Meanwhile, feeling the situation to be hopeless and unable to maintain any control over the area, the British decided to withdraw from the region in mid-1919. ^[41] Still, fighting between Armenians and Azeris continued and after a series of skirmishes that took place throughout the Nakhchivan district, a cease-fire agreement was concluded. However, the cease-fire lasted only briefly, and by early March 1920, more fighting broke out, primarily in Karabakh between Karabakh Armenians and Azerbaijan's regular army. This triggered conflicts in other areas with mixed populations, including Nakhchivan. In mid-March 1920, Armenian forces launched an offensive on all of the disputed territories, and by the end of the month both the Nakhchivan and Zangezur regions came under stable but temporary Armenian control. ^[39]

Sovietization

In July 1920, the 11th Soviet Red Army invaded and occupied the region and on July 28, declared the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic with "close ties" to the Azerbaijan SSR. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. The Nakhichevan ASSR (or the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union. This article is about the former Soviet republic for other similar uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. In November, on the verge of taking over Armenia, the Bolsheviks, in order to attract public support, promised they would allot Nakhchivan to Armenia, along with Karabakh and Zangezur. This was fulfilled when Nariman Narimanov, leader of Bolshevik Azerbaijan issued a declaration celebrating the "victory of Soviet power in Armenia," proclaimed that both Nakhchivan and Zangezur should be awarded to the Armenian people as a sign of the Azerbaijani people's support for Armenia's fight against the former DRA government^[42]:

Vladimir Lenin, although welcoming this act of "great Soviet fraternalism" where "boundaries had no meaning among the family of Soviet peoples," did not agree with the motion and instead called for the people of Nakhchivan to be consulted in a referendum. According to the formal figures of this referendum, held at the beginning of 1921, 90% of Nakhchivan's population wanted to be included in the Azerbaijan SSR "with the rights of an autonomous republic. "^[43] The decision to make Nakhchivan a part of modern-day Azerbaijan was cemented March 16, 1921 in the Treaty of Moscow between the Soviet Union and the newly-founded Republic of Turkey. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar The Treaty of Moscow or Treaty of Brotherhood was a friendship treaty between Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches ^[45] The agreement between the USSR and Turkey also called for attachment of the former Sharur-Daralagez uyezd (which had a solid Azeri majority) to Nakhchivan, thus allowing Turkey to share a border with the Azerbaijan SSR. This deal was reaffirmed on October 23, in the Treaty of Kars. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - The Treaty of Kars (Kars Antlaşması Карсский договор / Karskiy dogovor) was a friendship treaty between the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Article V of the treaty stated the following:

So, on February 9, 1924, the Soviet Union officially established the Nakhchivan ASSR. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Its consititution was adopted on April 18, 1926. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[15]

Nakhchivan in the Soviet Union

As a constituent part of the Soviet Union, tensions lessened over the ethnic composition of Nakhchivan or any territorial claims regarding it. Instead, it became an important point of industrial production with particular emphasis on the mining of minerals such as salt. Under Soviet rule, it was once a major junction on the Moscow-Tehran railway line^[47] as well as the Baku-Yerevan railway. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan Yerevan (Երևան Երեւան or Երեվան ˌjɛrəˈvɑːn sometimes written as Erevan, Iravan, Erewan, Ayrivan, and Erivan ^[15] It also served as an important strategic area during the Cold War, sharing borders with both Turkey (a NATO member) and Iran (a close ally of the west until the 1979 Iranian Revolution). Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The North Atlantic Treaty The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed

Map of the Nakhchivan ASSR within the Soviet Union.

Facilities improved during Soviet times. Education and public health especially began to see some major changes. In 1913, Nakhchivan only had two hospitals with a total of 20 beds. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The region was plagued by widespread diseases including trachoma and typhus. Trachoma ( Ancient Greek: "rough eye" is an infectious eye disease and the leading cause of the world's infectious blindness Typhus is any of several similar diseases caused by Louse -borne bacteria Malaria, which mostly came from the adjoining Aras River, brought serious harm to the region. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including At any one time, between 70% and 85% of Nakhchivan's population was infected with malaria, and in the region of Norashen (present-day Sharur) almost 100% were struck with the disease. This situation improved dramatically under Soviet rule. Malaria was sharply reduced and trachoma, typhus, and relapsing fever were completely eliminated. ^[15]

During the Soviet era, Nakhchivan saw a significant demographic shift. Its Armenian population gradually decreased as many emigrated to the Armenian SSR. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (Հայկական ՍովետականՍոցիալիստական Հանրապետություն Haykakan Sovetakan Sotsialistakan Hanrapetutyun In 1926, 15% of region's population was Armenian, but by 1979 this number had shrunk to 1. 4%. ^[48] The Azeri population, meanwhile increased substantially with both a higher birth rate and immigration (going from 85% in 1926 to 96% by 1979^[48]).

Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh noted similar though slower demographic trends and feared an eventual "de-Armenianization" of the area. ^[45] When tensions between Armenians and Azeris were reignited in the late-1980s by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan's Popular Front managed to pressure the Azerbaijan SSR to instigate a partial railway and air blockade against Armenia, while another reason for disruption of rail service to Armenia were attacks of Armenian forces on the trains entering the Armenian territory from Azerbaijan, which resulted in railroad personnel refusing to enter Armenia. ^[49][50] This effectively crippled Armenia's economy, as 85% of the cargo and goods arrived through rail traffic. In response, Armenia closed the railway to Nakhchivan, thereby strangling the exclave's only link to the rest of the Soviet Union.

December 1989 saw unrest in Nakhchivan as its Azeri inhabitants moved to physically dismantle the Soviet border with Iran to flee the area and meet their ethnic Azeri cousins in northern Iran. This action was angrily denounced by the Soviet leadership and the Soviet media accused the Azeris of "embracing Islamic fundamentalism". ^[51] In January 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Nakhchivan ASSR issued a declaration stating the intention for Nakhchivan to secede from the USSR to protest the Soviet Union's actions during Black January. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Верхо́вный Сове́т СССР Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in Black January ( Azeri: Qara Yanvar) also known as Black Saturday or the January Massacre was a crackdown of Azeri protest demonstrations It was the first part of the Soviet Union to declare independence, preceding Lithuania's declaration by only a few weeks. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the

Nakhchivan in the post-Soviet era

Heydar Aliyev, the future president of Azerbaijan returned to his birth place of Nakhchivan in 1990, after being ousted from his position in the Politburo by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev (Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev Гейдар Алиев May 10, 1923 &ndash December 12, 2003) also spelled as The Politburo ( in Russian: Политбюро, full Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, abbreviated Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician Soon after returning to Nakhchivan, Aliyev was elected to the Supreme Soviet by an overwhelming majority. Aliyev subsequently resigned from the CPSU and after the failed August 1991 coup against Gorbachev, he called for complete independence for Azerbaijan and denounced Ayaz Mütallibov for supporting the coup. Ayaz Niyazi oğlu Mütallibov (born 1938 Ayaz Niyazi oğlu Mütəllibov Аяз Ниязoвич Муталибов was the last leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, and the first In late 1991, Aliyev consolidated his power base as chairman of the Nakhchivan Supreme Soviet and asserted Nachichevan's near-total independence from Baku. Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan ^[52]

Nakhchivan became a scene of conflict during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The Nagorno-Karabakh War refers to the armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small ethnic Enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh On May 4, 1992, Armenian forces shelled the area's Sadarak rayon. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Sadarak may refer to Sadarak Rayon, Azerbaijan Sədərək, Azerbaijan capital of the above ^[53][54][55] The Armenians claimed that the attack was in response to cross-border shellings of Armenian villages by Azeri forces from Nakhchivan. ^[56][57] David Zadoyan, a 42-year-old Armenian physicist and mayor of the region said that the Armenians lost patience after months of firing by the Azeris. "If they were sitting on our hilltops and harassing us with gunfire, what do you think our response should be?" he asked. ^[58] The government of Nakhchivan denied these charges and instead asserted that the Armenian assault was unprovoked and specifically targeted the site of a bridge between Turkey and Nakhchivan. ^[57] "The Armenians do not react to diplomatic pressure," Nakhchivan foreign minister Rza Ibadov told the ITAR-Tass news agency, "It's vital to speak to them in a language they understand. " Speaking to the agency from the Turkish capital Ankara, Ibadov said that Armenia's aim in the region was to seize control of Nakhchivan. Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. ^[59] According to Human Rights Watch, hostilities broke out after three people were killed when Armenian forces began shelling the region. ^[60]

The heaviest fighting took place on May 18, when the Armenians captured Nakhchivan's exclave of Karki, a tiny territory through which Armenia's main North-South highway passes. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Karki (also Kərki, Kiarki, Kyarki or Tigranashen) is an exclave of Azerbaijan 's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic The exclave presently remains under Armenian control. ^[60] After the fall of Shusha, the Mütallibov government of Azerbaijan accused Armenia of moving to take the whole of Nakhchivan (a claim that was denied by Armenian government officials). However, Heydar Aliyev declared a unilateral ceasefire on May 23 and sought to conclude a separate peace with Armenia. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian expressed his willingness to sign a cooperation treaty with Nakhchivan to end the fighting and subsequently a cease-fire was agreed upon. Levon Ter-Petrossian ( Armenian: Լևոն Տեր-Պետրոսյան Russian: Левон Тер-Петросян (born January 9 1945) ^[61]

The conflict in the area caused a harsh reaction from Turkey, which together with Russia is a guarantor of Nakhchivan's status in accordance with the Treaty of Kars. The Treaty of Kars (Kars Antlaşması Карсский договор / Karskiy dogovor) was a friendship treaty between the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Çiller announced that any Armenian advance on the main territory of Nakhchivan would result in a declaration of war against Armenia. Tansu Penbe Çiller (ˈtansu ˈtʃiller (born May 24 1946) is an Economist and Politician in Turkey. Russian military leaders declared that "third party intervention into the dispute could trigger a Third World War. World War III (also WWIII, or Third World War) denotes a successor to World War II (1939&ndash1945 that would be on a global scale with " Thousands of Turkish troops were sent to the border between Turkey and Armenia in early September. Russian military forces in Armenia countered their movements by increasing troop levels along Armenia's Turkish frontier and bolstering defenses in a tense period where war between the two seemed inevitable. ^[62] Iran also reacted to Armenia's attacks by conducting military manueuvers along its border with Nakhchivan in a move widely interpreted as a warning to Armenia. ^[63] However, Armenia did not launch any further attacks on Nakhchivan and the presence of Russia's military warded off any possibility that Turkey might play a military role in the conflict. ^[62] After a period of political instability, the parliament of Azerbaijan turned to Heydar Aliyev and invited him to return from exile in Nakhchivan to lead the country in 1993.

Today, Nakhchivan retains its autonomy as the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and is internationally recognized as a constituent part of Azerbaijan governed by its own elected parliament. ^[14] A new constitution for Nakhchivan was approved in a referendum on November 12, 1995. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 The constitution was adopted by the republic's assembly on April 28, 1998 and has been in force since January 8, 1999. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) ^[64] However, the republic remains isolated, not only from the rest of Azerbaijan, but practically from the entire South Caucasus region. The South Caucasus is a mountainous geopolitical area of south-central Eurasia, also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Transcaucasus. Vasif Talibov, who is related by marriage to Azerbaijan's ruling family, the Aliyevs, serves as the current parliamentary chairman of the republic. Vasif Talibov (Vasif (born 14 January, 1960, Aralig, Nakhchivan ASSR, Azerbaijan SSR ^[65] He is known for his authoritarian^[65] and largely corrupt^[66] rule of the region. Most residents prefer to watch Turkish television as opposed to Nakhchivan television, which one Azerbaijani journalist criticised as "a propaganda vehicle for Talibov and the Aliyevs. "^[65]

Economic hardships and energy shortages (due to Armenia's continued blockade of the region in response to the Azeri and Turkish blockade of Armenia) plague the area. There have been many cases of migrant workers seeking jobs in neighboring Turkey. expatriate foreign worker is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a Citizen. "Emigration rates to Turkey," one analyst said, "are so high that most of the residents of the Besler district in Istanbul are Nakhchivanis. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey "^[65] When speaking to British writer Thomas de Waal, the mayor of Nakhchivan City, Veli Shakhverdiev, spoke warmly of a peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict and of Armenian-Azeri relations during Soviet times. Thomas de Waal is a British journalist writer and an expert on the Caucasus. Nakhchivan City ( Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan şəhəri; also Nachitschewan, Nakhchyvan, Nakhicevan, Nakhichevan’, and "I can tell you that our relations with the Armenians were very close, they were excellent," he said. "I went to university in Moscow and I didn't travel to Moscow once via Baku. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan I took a bus, it was one hour to Yerevan, then went by plane to Moscow and the same thing on the way back. Yerevan (Երևան Երեւան or Երեվան ˌjɛrəˈvɑːn sometimes written as Erevan, Iravan, Erewan, Ayrivan, and Erivan "^[47] Recently Nakhchivan made deals to obtain more gas exports from Iran,^[67] and a new bridge on Aras River between the two countries was inaugurated in October 2007; Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and first vice-speaker of Iran Perviz Davudi also attended the opening ceremony. ^[68][69]

Administrative subdivisions

Subdivisions of Nakhchivan.

Main article: Subdivisions of Azerbaijan

Nakhchivan is subdivided into eight administrative divisions. ||-||} Azerbaijan is divided into 59 Districts ( rayonlar; sing Country subdivision refers to the division of a Country 's territory for the sake of its administration, description or other such purpose Seven of these are rayons. For the manufactured regenerated fiber see Rayon A raion (or rayon) (райо́н ra'jon rayon раён რაიონი Its capital, the city (şəhər) of Nakhchivan City is treated separately. Nakhchivan City ( Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan şəhəri; also Nachitschewan, Nakhchyvan, Nakhicevan, Nakhichevan’, and

Demographics

As of 2005, Nakhchivan's population was estimated to be 372,900. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[71] Most of the population are Azerbaijanis. The Azerbaijanis are an Ethnic group mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. Ethnic Russians and a minority of Kurds constitute the remainder of the population. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries The Kurds of Nakhchivan are mainly found in the districts of Sadarak and Teyvaz^[72]. The remaining Armenians were expelled by Azerbaijani forces during the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh as part of the forceful exchange of population between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large According to a 1932 Soviet estimate, 85% of the area's was rural while only 15% was urban. This percentage increased to 18% by 1939 and 27% by 1959. ^[4]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Azerbaijan

Nakhchivan is an atmospheric, semi-desert region that is separated from the main portion of Azerbaijan by Armenia. Azerbaijan is situated in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline The Zangezur Mountains make up its border with Armenia while the Aras River defines its border with Iran. The Zangezur Mountains comprise a Mountain range that defines the border between Armenia 's southern province of Syunik and Azerbaijan 's It is extremely arid and mountainous. Nakhchivan's highest peak is Mount Kapydzhik (3904 m) and its most distinctive is Ilandag (Snake Mountain) (2415 m) which is visible from Nakhchivan City. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International According to legend, the cleft in its summit was formed by the keel of Noah's Ark as the floodwaters abated. ^[73]

Industry

Nakhchivan's major industries include the mining of minerals such as salt, molybdenum, and lead. Although dry irrigation, developed during the Soviet years, has allowed the region to expand into the growing of wheat (mostly grown on the plains of the Aras River), barley, cotton, tobacco, orchard fruits, mulberries, and grapes for producing wine. Other industries include cotton ginning/cleaning, silk spinning, fruit canning, meat packing, and, in the dryer regions, sheep farming. In terms of services, Nakhchivan offers very basic facilities and lacks heating fuel during the winter. ^[15]

International issues

Examples of Armenian khachkars from Julfa.

Status of Armenian cultural monuments

Main article: Khachkar destruction in Nakhchivan

Azerbaijan has been has accused of destroying historic Armenian gravestones (khachkars) at a medieval cemetery in Julfa, with photographic and video evidence supporting these charges. Khachkar destruction in Nakhchivan refers to documented accusations against Azerbaijan of embarking on a campaign beginning in 1998 and ending in December 2005 to completely Julfa ( Azerbaijani: Culfa; Armenian: Ջուղա, sometimes transliterated as Jugha; also rendered as Djulfa, Dzhul’fa ^[74][75][76] Azerbaijan has denied these accusations. For example, according to the Azerbaijani ambassador to the US, Hafiz Pashayev, the videos and photographs "show some unknown people destroying mid-size stones", and "it is not clear of what nationality those people are", and the reports are Armenian propaganda designed to divert attention from what he claimed was a "state policy (by Armenia)to destroy the historical and cultural monuments in the occupied Azeri territories". ^[77] The Institute for War and Peace Reporting, meanwhile, reported on April 19, 2006 that "there is nothing left of the celebrated stone crosses of Jugha. Institute for War & Peace Reporting (or IWPR for short is an international media development charity established in 1991 Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "^[78]

The European Parliament has formally called on Azerbaijan to stop the demolition as a breach of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 ^[79] According to its resolution regarding cultural monuments in the South Caucasus, the European Parliament "condemns strongly the destruction of the Julfa cemetery as well as the destruction of all sites of historical importance that has taken place on Armenian or Azerbaijani territory, and condemns any such action that seeks to destroy cultural heritage. "^[80] In 2006, Azerbaijan barred a Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) mission from inspecting and examining the ancient burial site, stating that it would only accept a delegation if it also visited Armenian-controlled territory. "We think that if a comprehensive approach is taken to the problems that have been raised," said Azerbaijani foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Tagizade, "it will be possible to study Christian monuments on the territory of Azerbaijan, including in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. "^[81]

After several more postponed visits, a renewed attempt was planned by PACE inspectors for August 29 - September 6 2007, led by British MP Edward O'Hara. As well as Nakhchivan, the delegation would visit Baku, Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Nagorno Karabakh ^[82]. The inspectors planned to visit Nagorno Karabakh via Armenia, and had arranged transport to facilitate this. However, on August 28, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE released a demand that the inspectors must enter Nagorno Karabakh via Azerbaijan. On August 29, PACE Secretary General Mateo Sorinas anmounced that the visit had to be cancelled because of the difficulty in accessing Nagorno Karabagh using the route required by Azerbaijan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Armenia issued a statement saying that Azerbaijan had stopped the visit "due solely to their intent to veil the demolition of Armenian monuments in Nakhijevan" ^[83].

Recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Nakhchivan's parliament issued a non-binding declaration in the late 1990s recognizing the sovereignty of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and calling upon Azerbaijan to do so. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its While sympathetic to the TRNC, Azerbaijan has not followed suit because doing so would prompt Greek Cypriot recognition of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Note - please discuss *any* change to this intro on the talk page before making it no matter how minor it may seem ^[84][85]

Claims by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) claims that Nakhchivan should belong to Armenia. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation ( ARF or ՀՅԴ) (Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն — Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutiun The programme of the party states: The borders of United Armenia shall include all territories designated as Armenia by the Treaty of Sèvres as well as the regions of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Javakhk, and Nakhchivan. Greater Armenia or United Armenia (the term used by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation) is an Armenian irredentist political goal aimed at uniting all The Treaty of Sèvres ( 10 August 1920) was the Peace treaty between the Ottoman Empire and Allies at the end of World War For the republic see Artsakh Republic Artsakh (Արցախ was the tenth nahang (province of the Kingdom of Armenia For the republic see Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh is a Region in the South Caucasus. Expulsion of Meskhetian Turks from Meshketi Meskhetian Turks or Meskhetians are the former Muslim inhabitants of Meskheti (now known as Samtskhe in Georgia ^[86] However, Nakhchivan is not claimed by the government of Armenia. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan reaffirmed this on December 13, 2006, by stating that Armenia, as the legal successor to the Armenian SSR, is loyal to the Treaty of Kars and all agreements inherited by the former Soviet Armenian government. Vardan Oskanyan ( Վարդան Օսկանյան born February 7, 1955, Syria) served as the Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (Հայկական ՍովետականՍոցիալիստական Հանրապետություն Haykakan Sovetakan Sotsialistakan Hanrapetutyun The Treaty of Kars (Kars Antlaşması Карсский договор / Karskiy dogovor) was a friendship treaty between the Grand National Assembly of Turkey ^[87]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Azerbaijan

Nakhchivan is one of the cultural centers of Azerbaijan. The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences including its Turkic, Persian, Islamic, and Caucasus heritage as well In 1923, a musical subgroup was organized at the State Drama Theater (renamed the Mammadguluzadeh Music and Drama Theatre in 1962). The Aras Song and Dance Ensemble (established in 1959) is another famous group. Dramatic performances staged by an amateur dance troupe were held in Nakhichiven in the late 19th century. Theatrical art also greatly contributed to Nakhchivan's culture. The creative work of Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, M. Jalil Huseyngulu oglu Mammadguluzadeh ( Azeri: Cəlil Məmmədquluzadə; Persian: جليل محمدقلی زاده spelled Jalil Mohammad Gholizadeh ( S. Gulubekov, and Huseyn Arablinski (the first Azerbaijani theatre director) are just a few of the names that have enriched Nakhchivan's cultural heritage. Huseyn Arablinski ( Azeri: Hüseyn Ərəblinski) born Huseynbala Mammad oglu Khalafov (1881 Baku – 17 March 1919, ^[15] The region has also produced noteworthy Armenian artists too such as Soviet actress Hasmik Agopyan. Nakhchivan has also at times been mentioned in works of literature. Nezami, considered a master of Persian literature once wrote:

که تا جایگه یافتی نخچوان

Oh Nakhchivan, respect you've attained,

بدین شاه شد بخت پیرت جوان

With this King in luck you'll remain. Nezāmi-ye Ganjavi ( Nîzamî Gencewî نیزامی گه‌نجه‌وی Nizami Gəncəvi نظامی گنجوی;‎ 1141 – 1209 or Nezāmi ( whose full name Persian literature ( spans two and a half millennia though much of the pre- Islamic material has been lost

Famous people from Nakhchivan

Former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev was born in Nakhchivan.

Political leaders

• Heydar Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan (1993–2003)
• Abülfaz Elçibay, President of Azerbaijan (1992–1993)
• Rasul Guliyev, speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan (1993–1996) and opposition leader
• Christapor Mikaelian, founding member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
• Jafargulu Khan Nakhchivanski, the founder of the short-lived Republic of Aras
• Ibrahim Abilov, first and only ambassador of Azerbaijan SSR to Turkey
• Garegin Ter-Harutiunian (Garegin Njdeh), Armenian revolutionary

Religious leaders

• Alexander Jughaetsi (Alexander I of Jugha), Armenian Catholicos (1706–1714)
• Hakob Jughaetsi (Jacob IV of Jugha), Armenian Catholicos (1655–1680)
• Azaria I Jughaetsi, Armenian Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia (1584–1601)

Military leaders

• Abdurahman Fatalibeyli, Soviet army major who defected to the German forces during World War II
• Ehsan Khan Nakhchivanski, Russian military general
• Huseyn Khan Nakhchivanski, Russian cavalry general and the only Muslim to serve as General-Adjutant of the Russian Tsar
• Ismail Khan Nakhchivanski, Russian military general
• Kelbali Khan Nakhchivanski, Russian military general
• Jamshid Khan Nakhchivanski, Soviet military general

Writers and poets

• M. Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev (Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev Гейдар Алиев May 10, 1923 &ndash December 12, 2003) also spelled as The country of Azerbaijan is a Presidential republic, with the President of Azerbaijan as the Head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Abülfaz Elçibay, (Əbülfəz Elçibəy June 24, 1938, Nakhchivan – August 22, 2000, Ankara) was an Azerbaijani The country of Azerbaijan is a Presidential republic, with the President of Azerbaijan as the Head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Rasul Guliyev (Rəsul Quliyev is a former Chairman of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Chairman of the Acıq Camiyyat Party. The National Assembly ( Milli Məclis) is the Legislative branch of government in Azerbaijan. Christapor Mikaelian ( Armenian: hy Քրիստափոր Միքայէլեան also known by his noms de guerre Hellen (hy Էլլէն Topal The Armenian Revolutionary Federation ( ARF or ՀՅԴ) (Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն — Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutiun The Republic of Aras (Araz Respublikası Արաքս Հանրապետություն also known as the Republic of Araks or the Araxi Republic) was a short-lived and An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country This article is about the former Soviet republic for other similar uses see Azerbaijan (disambiguation. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Garegin Njdeh or Garegin Ter-Harutiunian, Garegin Nzhdeh (Գարեգին Նժդեհ ( 1 January 1886, Nakhijevan &ndash 21 December The Catholicos of All Armenians (plural Catholicoi, due to its Greek origin is the Chief Bishop of Armenia 's national church the Armenian This is a list of the Armenian Catholicoi of Cilicia. The Armenian patriarchate was transferred from Armenia to Cilicia in 1058 Abdurahman Ali oglu Fatalibeyli, born Abo Dudanginski (1908 Dudangi – 1954 Munich) was a Soviet army major who defected to the Huseyn Khan Nakhchivanski, francised spelling Hussein Nahitchevansky (Hüseyn xan Naxçıvanski Гусейн-хан Нахичеванский or ru Хан-Гуссейн The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. S. Gulubekov, writer
• Huseyn Javid, poet
• Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, writer and satirist
• Ekmouladdin Nakhchivani, medieval literary figure
• Hindushah Nakhchivani, medieval literary figure
• Abdurrakhman en-Neshevi, medieval literary figure
• Mammed Said Ordubadi, writer
• Heyran Khanum, late medieval poet
• Elşen Hudiyev, contemporary poet and writer
• Mammed Araz, poet

Others

• Hasmik Agopyan, Soviet Armenian actress
• Simeon Jughaetsi, philosopher
• Vladimir Makogonov, chess International Master and Grandmaster
• Aram Merangulyan, director and composer
• Ajami Nakhchivani, architect and founder of the Nakhchivan school of architecture
• Gaik Ovakimian, Soviet Armenian spy
• Ibrahim Safi, Turkish artist
• Rza Tahmasib, Azerbaijani film director

Photographs of Nakhchivan

The Momine Khatun mausoleum in Nakhchivan City. Huseyn Javid ( Azeri: Hüseyn Cavid) born Huseyn Abdulla oglu Rasizadeh ( 24 October 1882, Nakhchivan – 5 December Jalil Huseyngulu oglu Mammadguluzadeh ( Azeri: Cəlil Məmmədquluzadə; Persian: جليل محمدقلی زاده spelled Jalil Mohammad Gholizadeh ( Mammad Said Ordubadi (Məmməd Səid Ordubadi 24 March 1872, Ordubad - 1 May 1950, Baku) was Azerbaijani Vladimir Andreevich Makogonov ( August 27, 1904 - January 2, 1993) was a Chess player from Azerbaijan. The title International Master is awarded to outstanding Chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. The title Grandmaster is awarded to extremely strong Chess masters by the world chess organization FIDE. Ajami ibn Abubakr Nakhchivani ( 12th - 13th centuries is a distinguished person in Azerbaijan architecture and founder of the Nakhchivan school Haik Badalovich Ovakimian (Hayk Hovakimyan Major General USSR (11 August 1898 Nakhchivan - 1967 better known as "the puppetmaster" in intelligence circles was Rza Abbasgulu oglu Tahmasib (Rza Təhmasib 20 April, 1894, Nakhchivan City – 14 February, 1980, Baku) was an Azerbaijani Nakhchivan City ( Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan şəhəri; also Nachitschewan, Nakhchyvan, Nakhicevan, Nakhichevan’, and	Brickwork and faience pattern on the Momine Khatun mausoleum.	Another view of the mausoleum.	Medieval-period ram-shaped grave monuments collected near the Momine Khatun mausoleum.
A ram-shaped grave monument embedded in concrete.	Statue of Dede Gorgud in Nakhchivan City.	The Batabat region of Shakhbuz.	General view of Ordubad with a range of high mountains in neighboring Iran in the distance. Ordubad (also Ordoubat and Ordubat) is the second largest town and a municipality of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.
Houses of Ordubad photographed near the east bank of Ordubad-chay (also knowm as the Dubendi stream).	The famous narrow streets of Ordubad.	A mosque in a quarter of Ordubad.	The Aras River on the Iranian border near Julfa.
The mountainous terrain of Nakhchivan.	The landscape of Nakhchivan.	The Yusuf ibn Kuseir Mausoleum in Nakhchivan City.	The Armenian khachkar cemetery at Julfa, before its destruction. Julfa ( Azerbaijani: Culfa; Armenian: Ջուղա, sometimes transliterated as Jugha; also rendered as Djulfa, Dzhul’fa

Footnotes

External links

• Official website of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
• Nakhchivan Guide
• Armenian History and Presence in Nakhchivan
• Djulfa Virtual Memorial and Museum - Documenting Cultural Destruction in Azerbaijan
• Watch on YouTube: The New Tears of Araxes