Nakhichevan Azerbaijan. Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic

Nakhichevan is a city with a special flavor that has absorbed several different cultures and characteristics at once, and has become something of a kind of reconciliation between them. Here you can feel the remnants of the once great Soviet state, and the influence of neighboring Iran and China. Today's city of Nakhichevan is an Azerbaijani city with many Iranian names, stunning views of the Caucasus mountains (especially Ararat) and a merciless reconstruction that stubbornly strives to disguise the Asian features of the streets and train stations as European ones.

Tourist side of the city of Nakhichevan

For tourists, Nakhichevan is an almost unexplored chapter. The reasons for this unfortunate misunderstanding lie in the fact that the entrance to the city, along with many other points in Azerbaijan, was blocked due to hostilities in the framework of the Azerbaijani-Armenian war in 1992-94. And now Nakhichevan does not position itself as a tourist city - therefore, this region of the country is far from spoiled by the attention of travelers.

Against the backdrop of the overall picture, it is not at all surprising why there are so few entertainment venues in the city aimed at tourists and travelers visiting here. There are critically few sights in Nakhichevan, but, nevertheless, each of them is worthy of attention and interest.

How to get to Nakhichevan

Since the “influx” of tourists to Nakhichevan, to put it mildly, is not full of excitement, there is a minimum number of flights and rail links from Russia here. For example, a plane to Nakhichevan from Moscow flies only once a week. In this regard, tickets should be bought ahead of time. Despite the fact that in fact there are not so many people on these flights, many people often have luggage with them that takes up 2-3 additional passenger seats! Therefore, planes are never empty.

Air flight is the most expedient way to get to Nakhichevan. But moving within the country is much more convenient and easier by train. Built about a hundred years ago, but perfectly renovated, the railway station looks grotesquely massive against the backdrop of the meager number of messages it serves. The fact is that in Soviet times Nakhichevan was a popular transport hub, through which a lot of trains passed to Leningrad and Moscow, to Tehran and across the Transcaucasus.

However, today's realities are much less inspiring. The current station is idle: it serves only two pairs of trains a day - from Ordubad to Sharur and back. The schedule of these trains was compiled with the expectation that in the morning any resident of the NAR managed to arrive in the capital of the republic, and already in the afternoon there was an opportunity to return back to their city.

Prices in hotels and shops

Having finally arrived on Azerbaijani soil, the question arises: how to get from the airport to the center of Nakhichevan? Where to settle? Oddly enough, the best transport option in this case is a taxi. The road from the airport will take about 2.5-3 km, for which the taxi driver will ask about 5 euros. It is impossible to earn money as a taxi driver in the NAR, as is often the case in Russia or Ukraine.

Each taxi driver needs to purchase a kind of license - a special blue license plate. Only with such a distinctive sign, the driver has the right to work as a taxi driver.

There are many taxis in the city - they are all mostly Chinese. Travel around the city will cost no more than 2 euros. The center of Nakhichevan is surprisingly clean, despite the fact that there are no janitors scurrying around the streets and no visible work to restore order is being carried out. The most prestigious hotel is considered to be "Tabriz".

Nearby is a small complex, which includes several malls and an elegant park with a beautiful cascade of waterfalls. Remarkably, in Nakhichevan, many cafes and shops bear the names of large cities: Istanbul, Baku, Dubai.

Nearby is a collective farm market, in which the shops are clearly demarcated by the regions from which the merchants came. The cost of all goods here is truly low and incomparable, while their quality is always at the highest level. Here are natural, natural products grown by their own labors and efforts of local residents.

The railway station area is in the lowlands, while the city center rises to higher ground. On the mountain slope there is a memorial complex, honoring the memory of those who died in the hostilities of the 90s. On a high hill stands the Kekhnya-Kala fortress, which you should climb at least in order to see the stunning view of the southern part of the city and the valley of the river that opens from here. Araks, flowing between Iran and Azerbaijan. Here . The main attraction in the fortress is the Mausoleum of Noah (yes, the one who, according to biblical stories, rebuilt the ark and moored it near the mountain, located 120 km from Nakhichevan).

Another mausoleum (in the open air) surpasses Noah's tomb in size and decoration. This is the Mausoleum of Momine Khatun with decorative architectural elements carved in stone that amaze the imagination.

The northwestern part of Nakhichevan is famous for the fact that it is here that the largest city mosque is located. Otherwise, there are practically no places of interest for tourists in the city. Of course, the very views that open up to the mountain ranges and the rivers separating them can no doubt be called an invaluable attraction and feature of this secretive city.

Nakhichevan - Originally Armenian land, under the occupation of the Transcaucasian Tatars (1923-Azerbaijan)

Flag of Nakhichevan

Administrative division of nakhijevan

Nakhijevan-Hands off Nakhijevan

History of Nakhijevan

Nakhichevan is Noah's first stop after the Flood. A number of languages have their own interpretation of the word. "Nakhichevan" - arm. → “Nakh” - primary, “Ijevan” - landing; The Jewish historian Josephus Flavius (I century) reports on the ethnic composition of the region, using the toponym “Apobaterion”, which is a grammatical literal translation of the Armenian “Nakhijevan”, and means “landing place”: “ Seven days later, Noah released a dove for the same purpose ... Then, having made a sacrifice to the Lord God, he, along with his relatives, arranged a sacrificial feast. The Armenians call this place the “landing place”, and even now the natives show the remains of the ark there.” From the end of the 4th century, the scientist and monk Mesrop Mashtots conducted active preaching work in the Goltn and Yernjak gavars near Nakhichevan, after which he faced the need translation of the Bible into Armenian, for understanding by the local population. The oldest monuments of the material culture of the tribes that inhabited the territory of modern

Brief chronicle

Nakhichevan, belong to the Neolithic era (9500 BC).

Hayastan

Ayasa

Arrata

Torgom(2570-2507)

Hayasa (2492 - 331 BC)

History of Nakhichevan (Nakhichevan) - Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron notes that according to legend, the city of Nakhichevan was founded by Noah, and the date of the foundation of the city according to Persian and Armenian sources is 1539 BC. e. Noah's first stop after the Flood. A number of languages have their own interpretation of the word. "Nakhichevan" - Arm. → "Nakh" Modern science also places the foundation of the city in 1500 BC. e. - primary, "Ijevan" - landing; The Jewish historian Josephus Flavius (I century) reports on the ethnic composition of the region, using the toponym "Apobaterion", which is a grammatical literal translation of the Armenian "Nakhijevan", and means "landing place": "In seven days Noah released a dove for the same purpose ... Then, after offering a sacrifice to the Lord God, he, along with his relatives, arranged a sacrificial feast. The Armenians call this place the ‘landing place’, and even now the natives show the remains of the ark there.” From the end of the 4th century, the scholar and monk Mesrop Mashtots conducted active preaching work in the Goltn and Yernjak gavars near Nakhchivan, after which he faced the need for translation Bibles into Armenian, for understanding by the local population. The oldest monuments of the material culture of the tribes that inhabited the territory of modern

Armenian, Hittite, Assyro-Babylonian, Persian and Greek sources testify to the rule of seven main pan-Armenian royal dynasties in Armenia:

590 BC e. - as part of Ararat (in Assyrian Urartu)

In the 2nd century A.D. e. Nakhchivan was already known to Ptolemy under the name Ναξουὰνα.

Tigran II -140 BC e. - 55 BC e.

The capitals of Artashat, from c. 200 Vagharshapat, from 338 Dvin

Movses Khorenatsi (V or IX centuries AD), describing the deeds of the legendary Armenian king Tigran I Yervandid (Tigran I the Ancient), tells about the fortress of Nakhijevan (arm.Նախիջևան).

According to Iranian mythology, the medieval Turkish traveler of the 17th century, Evliya Chelebi, attributed the foundation of Nakhichevan to the legendary king of Turan, Afrasiyab. The Iranian historian and geographer of the 14th century, Hamdallah Qazvini, in his book “Nuzkhat Al-Kulub” (“Delight of the Hearts”), considered the Sasanian Iranian commander, later the Shahinshah of Iran, Bahram Chubin, who lived at the end of the 6th century, to be the founder of the city of Nakhichevan (Naksh i-Jahan). n. e.

As part of Greater Armenia

From the beginning of the II century BC. e. to 428 AD e. part of Greater Armenia. Nakhchavan was located in the center of the lands inhabited by Armenians, stretching, as the encyclopedia "Iranica" notes, from the Kura to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigranes. As part of Armenia, the region belonged to the nakhangs (provinces) of Vaspurakan and Syunik, and the lands along the Araks, that is, the gavars (districts) of Nakhchavan (later also Nakhichevan) and the “abundant wine” Gokhtan (in the ancient Armenian pronunciation Goltn, Ordubad region) were part of Vaspurakan, while the more northern lands belonged to the Chahuk (now Shahbuz region) and Yernjak (Dzhulfa region) Gavars of Syunik Nakhang. This region was ruled by the hereditary chamberlains of the Armenian kings, who bore the title of “mardpets”, and their clan was called “Mardpetakan”. At the end of the 4th century. in Goltna and Yernjak, the scholar and monk Mesrop Mashtots preached, and it was there that he came to the idea of the need to translate the Bible into Armenian for the understanding of the local population. The monastery on the site where Mashtots preached (built in 456) was preserved until recently in the village, which bore the name Mesropavan in honor of Mashtotsan.

In the VI-IV centuries. BC e. the city is part of the Persian satrapy "Armenia".

Dominion of the Persians and Arabs

Since 428, the region has been part of the Armenian marzpanism (governorship) of Persia.

In the V-VII centuries. the capital of Persian (so-called Marzpan) Armenia, after the Arab Caliphate as part of the province of Armenia.

590 BC e. - as part of Media, from the VI century BC. e. - as part of the state of the Achaemenids, within the boundaries of the satrapy "Armenia", as part of Greater Armenia. From the beginning of the II century BC. e. to 428 AD e. part of Greater Armenia. Nakhchavan was located in the center of the lands inhabited by Armenians, stretching, as the Iranica encyclopedia notes, from the Kura to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigranes. As part of Armenia, the region belonged to the nakhangs (provinces) of Vaspurakan and Syunik, and the lands along the Araks, that is, the gavars (districts) of Nakhchavan (later also Nakhichevan) and the “abundant wine” Gokhtan (in the ancient Armenian pronunciation Goltn, Ordubad region) were part of Vaspurakan , while the more northern lands belonged to the Chahuk (now Shahbuz region) and Yernjak (Dzhulfa region) Gavars of Syunik Nakhang. This region was ruled by the hereditary chamberlains of the Armenian kings, who bore the title of “mardpets”, and their clan was called “Mardpetakan” .. At the end of the 4th century. in Goltna and Yernjak, the scholar and monk Mesrop Mashtots preached, and it was there that he came to the idea of the need to translate the Bible into Armenian for the understanding of the local population. The monastery on the site where Mashtots preached (built in 456) was preserved until recently in the village, which bore the name Mesropavan in honor of Mashtots.

In 623 he temporarily went to Byzantium, in
the middle of the 7th century was conquered by the Arabs.

In 705, the Arabs burned alive in the churches of Nakhichevan and the neighboring village of Kharm the representatives of the Armenian nobility, invited by them supposedly to conclude an agreement (800 people)

In the 8th century, the population of this area was associated with the movement of Babek, although it did not play a big role in it.

In 705, the Arabs burned alive in the churches of Nakhichevan and the neighboring village of Kharm representatives of the Armenian nobility, invited by them supposedly to conclude an agreement (800 people).

Ani kingdom of the Bagratids

At the end of the 9th century, Nakhichevan was conquered from the Arabs by the second king of the Ani kingdom, Smbat I Bagratuni, who in 891/92 gave it to the Prince of Syunik as conditional possession. In 902, about the possession of the prince of Syunik. In 902

Dominion of the Persians and Arabs

Since 428, the region has been part of the Armenian marzpanism (governorship) of Persia. In 623, it temporarily went to Byzantium, in the middle of the 7th century it was conquered by the Arabs. In 705, the Arabs burned alive in the churches of Nakhichevan and the neighboring village of Kharm representatives of the Armenian nobility, invited by them supposedly to conclude an agreement (800 people). In the VIII century, the population of this region was associated with the Babek movement, although it did not play a big role in it.

Ani kingdom of the Bagratids

At the end of the 9th century, Nakhichevan was conquered from the Arabs by the second king of the Ani kingdom, Smbat I Bagratuni, who in 891/92 gave it to the Prince of Syunik as conditional possession. In 902, Smbat handed it over to the owner of Vaspurakan, Ashot Artsruni, and after the death of the latter in 904, again to the owner of Syunik, Smbat. After that, Nakhichevan remained part of Syunik, which eventually gained de facto independence from Ani. In the area of Nakhichevan, the families of Orbelyans and Proshyans ruled, which, as can be seen from the chronicle of Stepanos Orbelyan (XIII century), retained their significance even after the Turkic conquest. According to the testimony of the papal ambassador Rubruk, on the eve of the Mongol invasion there were 800 Armenian churches in Nakhichevan.

Smbat handed it over to the owner of Vaspurakan, Ashot Artsruni, and after the death of the latter in 904, again to the owner of Syunik, Smbat. After that, Nakhichevan remained part of Syunik, which eventually gained de facto independence from Ani. In the region of Nakhichevan, the families of Orbelyans and Proshyans ruled, which, as can be seen from the chronicle of Stepanos Orbelyan (XIII century), retained their significance even after the Turkic conquest. According to the testimony of the papal ambassador Rubruk, on the eve of the Mongol invasion there were 800 Armenian churches in Nakhichevan.

In 902, Smbat handed it over to the owner of Vaspurakan, Ashot Artsruni, and after the death of the latter in 904, again to the owner of Syunik, Smbat. In the second half of the 9th century, and especially during the reign of Gagik I, Nakhichevan, like the rest of the southern regions of Armenia, was not attacked.
After that, Nakhchavan, or Nakhichevan, as it was also called, remained part of Syunik, which eventually gained de facto independence from Ani.

Seljuks, Mongols, Timur

Seljuks, Mongols, Timur In 1064 Nakhichevan was conquered by the Seljuk sultan Alp-Arslan; in the 12th century here was the center of the state.
Zakarian dynasty (Yerkarabazuk, Mkhargrdzeli) (1196 - 1261)

In 1064 Nakhichevan was conquered by the Seljuk sultan Alp-Arslan; in the 12th century the center of the state of the Ildegizids was located here. In the XIII-XIV centuries. Nakhichevan was subjected to invasions by the Mongol conquerors and Timur. Robruk, who visited Nakhichevan after the Mongol invasion, writes that the city “formerly was the capital of some great kingdom and the greatest and most beautiful city; but the Tatars turned it almost into a desert. Previously, there were eight hundred Armenian churches in it, and now there are only two small ones, and the rest were destroyed by the Saracens. "The pushing back of the Armenian population by the Turks. Already in the Seljuk era, the centuries-old process of pushing the Armenian population away by the newcomer Turkic began in the region, which especially intensified after the invasions of Timur. In 1603, all Nakhichevan Armenians, as well as Muslims, were taken away by Shah Abbas I to Persia. At the same time, in the 16th-17th centuries, Turkmen nomadic tribes settled in Transcaucasia not only spontaneously, but also deliberately, which the local rulers considered as their support

In the area of Nakhichevan, the clans of Orbelyans and Proshyans ruled, which, as can be seen from the chronicle of Stepanos Orbelyan (XIII century), retained their significance even after the Turkic conquest. It was ruined by the Mongols (XIII century), Tamerlane (end of the XIV century).

Ildegizids.

In the XIII-XIV centuries. Nakhichevan was subjected to invasions by the Mongol conquerors and Timur. Robruk, who visited Nakhichevan after the Mongol invasion, writes that the city “formerly was the capital of some great kingdom and the greatest and most beautiful city; but the Tatars turned it almost into a desert. Previously, there were eight hundred Armenian churches in it, but now there are only two small ones, and the rest were destroyed by the Saracens.

The papal ambassador Rubruk, who visited Nakhichevan shortly after its defeat by the Mongols, found “almost a desert” on the site of this once “greatest and most beautiful city”: “Before, there were eight hundred Armenian churches, and now there are only two small ones, and the rest were destroyed by the Saracens.”

In the 17th century, it became part of the Safavid state.

Pushing the Armenian population out by the Turks Already in the Seljuk era, a centuries-old process of pushing the Armenian population out by the newcomer Turks began in the region, which especially intensified after the invasions of Timur. In 1603, all the Armenians of Nakhichevan, however, as Muslims, were taken away by Shah Abbas I to Persia.

In November 1603, Shah Abbas I, with his 120 thousandth army, captured Nakhichevan from the Turks, which practically did not resist, Georg Tektander, who visited the Austrian embassy, testifies to this, noting that “All cities and villages, then, wherever we came, submitted to the Persians voluntarily, without any opposition, as the city of Marand in Media, Nakhichevan, Julfa in Armenia and many others, which I myself witnessed "" After the occupation of the city, the shah evicted all its population deep into Persia, according to the Armenian author Arakel Davrizhetsi, "turning it into an uninhabited [desert] prosperous and fertile Armenia.” The Turkish traveler Evliya Celebi, who visited the Nakhichevan region in 1648, described the region as a flourishing region. Celebi wrote about Nakhichevan that “the city is decorated with 10,000 large houses covered with clay; there are 70 cathedral mosques and places of worship, 40 quarter mosques, 20 houses for visitors, 7 beautiful baths, about 1000 shops.

At the same time, in the 16th-17th centuries, not only spontaneously, but also deliberately, Turkmen nomadic tribes settled in Transcaucasia, whom the local rulers considered as their support.

The era of the Persian-Turkish wars

In the XV century. Nakhichevan was part of the states of Kara-Koyunlu and Ak-Koyunlu, in the 16th century. disputed by Turkey and the power of the Safavids. In the autumn of 1603, Shah Abbas I, during the war with the Ottoman Empire, occupied the Nakhichevan region. The Turkish garrison of the city of Nakhichevan capitulated to the Safavid troops and left Nakhichevan together with the Sunni residents, while the “warriors of the city” (from local Muslims), according to Arakel Davrizhetsi, hastened to declare their adherence to Shiism: they “quickly took off their Ottoman clothes, they cut their long beards, put on the Kyzylbash clothes and became like the ancient Kyzylbash. However, in the summer of 1604, Ottoman troops launched a counteroffensive that took Shah Abbas by surprise. Not hoping to hold on to the region, Shah Abbas decided to carry out the scorched earth tactics and brought the entire population of Nakhichevan and Erivan (both Armenian and Muslim) deep into Persia, according to Arakel, "turning into an uninhabited prosperous and fertile Armenia." In total, according to Armenian authors, 400,000 Armenians were deported to Persia from Nakhichevan and Yerevan. In particular, a large city populated predominantly by Armenians and a former center of Armenian trade (primarily silk) in the region, Dzhugha (Julfa), lost its population, the inhabitants of which, when occupied by the Persians, solemnly came out to meet Shah Abbas, led by priests. Its population of about 20,000 people was resettled in Isfahan, where they formed an Armenian suburb that still exists - New Julfa. At the same time, many Armenian artisans and the poor died during the resettlement, and rich merchants turned into the Shah's clerks. The modern researcher E. Rodionova identifies several reasons for the eviction of Armenians to Persia (called the “great surgun”):

a) military-strategic: weaken the enemy, leave a "scorched earth";

b) political: strengthening the central government, weakening the separatist regions);

c) economic (the intention to establish an Armenian colony in the center of their state and move the center of caravan

from Julfa to Iran) and the desire to use the labor of skilled Armenian artisans in construction work in Isfahan Among the resettled was the Turkic tribe of Kangarli, who were allowed to return to Nakhichevan under the descendant of Shah Abbas I, Shah Abbas II. During the conquest of the Nakhichevan region, Shah Abbas I massacred the Sunni population. According to the Iranian-British historian Aptin Khanbagi, during the Turkish-Persian wars, the Armenians were more fortunate than the Muslims, since the Turks killed the Shiites, and the Persians - the Sunnis. As part of Persia. Nakhichevan Khanate. The Turkish traveler Evliya Chelebi, who visited the Nakhichevan region in 1648, described it as a flourishing region and called Nakhichevan "the pride among the cities of Iranian land." According to him, in the comfortable city of Karabaglar, which constituted a separate sultanate in the Nakhichevan land, he was treated to 26 varieties of pears. Describing the city of Nakhichevan, Celebi noted that “the city is decorated with 10,000 large houses covered with clay; there are 70 cathedral mosques and places of worship, 40 quarter mosques, 20 houses for visitors, 7 beautiful baths, about 1000 shops. after death

The era of the Persian-Turkish wars.

In the XV century. Nakhichevan was part of the states of Kara-Koyunlu and Ak-Koyunlu, in the 16th century. disputed by Turkey and the Safavid power.

Safavids.

In the autumn of 1603, Shah Abbas I occupied the Nakhichevan region during the war with the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish garrison of the city of Nakhichevan capitulated to the Safavid troops and left Nakhichevan together with the Sunnis, while the "warriors of the city" (from local Muslims), according to Arakel Davrizhetsi, hastened to declare their adherence to Shiism: they "quickly took off their Ottoman clothes, cut their long beards their own, dressed in Kyzylbash clothes and became like the ancient Kyzylbash. However, in the summer of 1604, Ottoman troops launched a counteroffensive that took Shah Abbas by surprise. Not hoping to hold on to the region, Shah Abbas decided to implement a scorched earth tactic and withdrew the entire population of Nakhichevan and Erivan (both Armenian and Muslim) deep into Persia, according to Arakel, "turning prosperous and fertile Armenia into an uninhabited [desert]". In total, according to Armenian authors, 400,000 Armenians were driven to Persia from Nakhichevan and Yerevan. In particular, a large city populated mainly by Armenians and a former center of Armenian trade (primarily silk) in the region - Dzhugha (Dzhulfa) lost its population, the inhabitants of which, when occupied by the Persians, solemnly came out to meet Shah Abbas, led by co-priests. Its population of about 20,000 people was resettled in Isfahan, where they formed an Armenian suburb that still exists - New Julfa. At the same time, many Armenian artisans and the poor died during the resettlement, and rich merchants turned into the Shah's clerks. The modern researcher E. Rodionova highlights several reasons for the eviction of Armenians to Persia (called the “great Surgun”): a) military-strategic: to weaken the enemy, leaving a “scorched earth”; b) political: strengthening the central government, weakening separatist regions); c) economic (the intention to establish an Armenian colony in the center of their state and move the center of the caravan routes from Julfa to Iran) and the desire to use the labor of skilled Armenian artisans in construction work in Isfahan. Among the resettled was the Turkic tribe of Kangarli, who was allowed to return to Nakhichevan under the descendant of Shah Abbas I Shah Abbas II. During the conquest of the Nakhichevan region, Shah Abbas I massacred the Sunni population. According to the Iranian-British historian Aptin Khanbagi, during the Turkish-Persian wars, the Armenians were more fortunate than the Muslims, since the Turks killed the Shiites, and the Persians killed the Sunnis.

Nadir Shah Heydar-Kuli Khan from the Kangarli clan created the Nakhichevan Khanate.

As part of Persia. Nakhichevan Khanate.

The Turkish traveler Evliya Chelebi, who visited the Nakhichevan region in 1648, described it as a flourishing region and called Nakhichevan "the pride among the cities of Iranian land." According to him, in the comfortable city of Karabaglar, which constituted a separate sultanate in the Nakhichevan land, he was treated to 26 varieties of pears. Describing the city of Nakhichevan, Chelebi noted that “the city is decorated with 10,000 large houses covered with clay; there are 70 cathedral mosques and places of worship, 40 quarter mosques, 20 houses for visitors, 7 beautiful baths, about 1000 shops. After the death of Nadir Shah, Heidar-Kuli Khan from the Kangarli clan created the Nakhichevan Khanate.

At the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries, the capital of the independent Nakhichevan Khanate. On June 26, 1827, it was occupied by the Russian troops of General Paskevich without a fight.

According to Article III of the Turkmanchay peace treaty, signed on February 10, 1828

Together with the entire khanate, it was ceded by the shah "to the full ownership" of the Russian Empire. Then it became part of the Armenian region.

As part of Russia

as a result, his son, the ruler of the khanate Ehsan-khan Kangerli, together with his brother Shih-Ali bek, voluntarily went over to the side of Russia, providing important assistance in the war with Persia, for which he was granted the rank of major general of the Russian service and field ataman of the troops of Kangerli .; he was appointed naib (captain-captain, head of the civilian unit) of the Nakhichevan district, while his brother - of Ordubad. According to the rescript of Nicholas I of March 20, 1828, immediately after the conclusion of the Turkmanchay Treaty, the Armenian region was formed from the Nakhichevan and Erivan khanates annexed to Russia, from which in 1849, with the accession

Erivan province was formed in the Alexandropol district. By the time the Nakhichevan Khanate was annexed to Russia, this province had a predominantly Turkic population. According to the terms of the Turkmenchay peace, the Russian government organized a mass

resettlement of Armenians from Persia to the Armenian region. This caused dissatisfaction among the Muslim population, who were deprived of their lands, which were given to the settlers. In order to reduce tension in the region, the Russian ambassador to Persia, A.S. Griboedov, recommended that the commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the Caucasus, Count Paskevich, give an order to move part of the Armenians who had resettled from Persia to Nakhichevan to Daralagez. .95%, "Aderbeijan Tatars" (that is, Azerbaijanis) - 42.21%,. There was 1 Orthodox church, 66 Armenian-Gregorian churches, 58 mosques in the county. Pogrom of Armenians in Nakhichevan 1905-1906 Vandalism of Azerbaijanis 1905-1906

Since 1849, the center of the Nakhichevan district of the Erivan province.

By the time the Nakhichevan Khanate was annexed to Russia, this province had a predominantly Turkic population. According to the terms of the Turkmanchay peace, the Russian government organized a mass resettlement of Armenians from Persia to the Armenian region. This caused dissatisfaction among the Muslim population, who were deprived of their lands, which were given to the settlers. In order to reduce tension in the region, the Russian ambassador to Persia, A.S. Griboedov, recommended that the commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the Caucasus, Count Paskevich, issue an order to move part of the Armenians who had resettled from Persia to Nakhichevan to Daralagez. %, "Aderbeijan Tatars" (that is, Azerbaijanis) - 42.21%,. There was 1 Orthodox church, 66 Armenian-Gregorian churches, 58 mosques in the county.

For the first time Nakhichevan is mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography as "Naksuana". According to this source, the city was founded in 4400 BC. uh..

According to M. Vasmer and G. Hubschman, the toponym "Nakhichevan" comes from the Armenian. → "Nakh" - primary, "Ijevan" - disembarkation. However, as Hubschman points out, "Nakhichevan" was not known by this name in antiquity. Instead, he states that the modern name has evolved into "Nakhichevan" from "Nakhchavan"- where the prefix "Nakhch" was the name, and "avan" from the Armenian. «» → "locality".

The oldest monuments of the material culture of the tribes that inhabited the territory of modern Nakhichevan in ancient times belong to the Neolithic era. In the II millennium BC. e. on the territory of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, the Nakhichevan archaeological culture was developed. At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. This territory was part of the state of Urartu. In the VIII-VII centuries. BC e. the territory of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic was part of the states of Manna and Media, from the VI century BC. e. - as part of the state of the Achaemenids, within the borders of the satrapy of Armenia, it bordered Media with the Araks River. Later it became part of the kingdom of Atropatena.

As part of Greater Armenia

From the beginning of the II century. BC e. to 428 AD e. part of Greater Armenia. Nakhichevan was located in the center of the Armenian state, stretching, as the encyclopedia "Iranica" notes, from the Kura to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and the Tigris. According to the Armenian geographer of the 7th century Anania Shirakatsi, within Armenia, the region belonged to the nakhangs (provinces) of Vaspurakan and Syunik, and the lands along the Araks, that is, the gavars (districts) of Nakhchavan (later Nakhichevan) and the "abundant wine" Goghtn (Ordubad region) were part of Vaspurakan, while the more northern lands belonged to the Chahuk (now Shahbuz region) and Yernjak (Dzhulfa region) gavars of Syunik Nakhang (province map, author Robert Heusen). This region was ruled by the hereditary chamberlains of the Armenian kings, who bore the title of mardpets, and their clan was called Mardpetakan. According to Faust Buzand, Jews brought out of Palestine were settled in Nakhchavan itself by Tigran the Great. When during the Persian invasion of Armenia in 369 the city was taken by the Persians, they took out "two thousand families of Armenians and sixteen thousand families of Jews". At the end of the IV century. in Goghtn, the scholar and monk Mesrop Mashtots preached, and it was there that he came to the idea of the need to translate the Bible into Armenian for understanding by the local population. The monastery on the site where Mashtots preached (built in 456) was preserved until recently in the village, which bore the name Mesropavan in honor of Mashtots.

As part of Persia and the Arab Caliphate

By the beginning of N. e. Nakhichevan was an important point of trade between the West and the East. The territory of Nakhichevan was conquered by Iran in the 3rd century, by Byzantium in 623, and by the Arabs in the middle of the 7th century.

When they reached the Armenian borders, they scattered to attack. They divided into three detachments, of which one marched on the Vaspurakan region and took possession of the villages and castles, up to the city of Nakhichevan; another to the country of Taron, the third, having reached Kogoyovit, laid siege to the fortification of Artsap ...

As the "Encyclopedia of Islam" notes, in the era of the Arabs, Nakhichevan itself, along with Dvin, was one of the most important cities in Armenia.

In 705, the Arabs burned alive in the churches of Nakhichevan and the neighboring village of Khram representatives of the Armenian nobility, invited by them allegedly to conclude an agreement (800 people).

In the 9th century, the population of this area was associated with the Babek movement, although it did not play a big role in it.

The Armenian cities located along the Araks River, including Nakhichevan, repeatedly became the arena of struggle during the Middle Ages. So, for example, in the middle of the 10th century, Emir Daysam ibn Ibrahim, at the head of the Kurdish troops, invaded Armenia and captured Nakhichevan. Further control of this territory was contested by the Kurdish Sheddadid dynasty, the Iranian Salarid dynasty and the Ravvadidad - apparently Kurdish Arabs.

Bagratid Armenia

At the end of the 9th century, Nakhichevan was conquered from the Arabs by the second king of the Ani kingdom - Smbat I Bagratuni, who in 891/92 gave it to the Prince of Syunik on conditional possession. In 902, Smbat handed it over to the owner of Vaspurakan, Ashot Artsruni, and after the death of the latter in 904, again to the owner of Syunik, Smbat. After that, Nakhichevan remained part of Syunik, which eventually gained de facto independence from Ani. In Arabic sources, Nakhichevan is referred to as Nashava. According to Ibn-Khaukal (X century), the inhabitants of the Nakhichevan region spoke Armenian:

Residents of Dabil and Nashav, as well as the surrounding provinces, speak Armenian

Seljuks, Mongols, Timur

In 1064, Nakhichevan was conquered by the Seljuk sultan Alp-Arslan, when the full-scale conquest of Armenia began. During the reign of the Atabeks of Azerbaijan from the Ildegizids dynasty, Nakhichevan became the capital of the state.

From the beginning of the 13th century, the Orbelyan and Proshyan families ruled in the region of Nakhichevan, which, as can be seen from the chronicle of Stepanos Orbelyan (XIII century), retained their significance after the Turkic conquest.

In the XIII-XIV centuries. Nakhichevan was subjected to invasions by the Mongol conquerors and Timur. Rubruk, who visited Nakhichevan after the Mongol invasion, writes that the city “formerly was the capital of some great kingdom and the greatest and most beautiful city; but the Tatars turned it almost into a desert. Previously, there were eight hundred Armenian churches in it, and now only two small ones, and the rest were destroyed by the Saracens.

Repulsion of the Armenian population by the Turks

Already in the Seljuk era, the centuries-old process of pushing the Armenian population back to the newcomer Turkic began in the region, which especially intensified after the invasions of Timur. During the period of Mongol rule, Northern Armenia was destroyed and plundered, and from the end of the 13th century, Gazan Khan subjected the Armenian population to severe persecution, especially from Nakhichevan and nearby regions. The process of expulsion of the Armenians of Nakhichevan has been intensifying since the 16th-17th centuries, during the period of the Ottoman-Persian wars, when a significant majority of the Armenian population of the Nakhichevan region either died or was driven to Persia. A contemporary of the “Great Surgun” (then Muslims and Jews were also evicted) organized by the Persian Shah Abbas I in 1604, Arakel Davrizhetsi, writes: “... he turned prosperous and fertile Armenia into an uninhabited [desert]. For during the resettlement, he expelled to Persia [inhabitants] not one or two, but many Gavars, starting from the borders of Nakhichevan through Yeghegadzor, up to the banks of the Geghama ... ". At the same time, in the XVI-XVII centuries, Transcaucasia was not only spontaneously, but also purposefully settled by Kurds and Turkmen nomadic tribes, whom the local rulers considered as their support. A 17th century historian reports:

The great king of the Persians, Shah Abbas, was the first to evict the Armenian people from indigenous Armenia and drove them to Persia with the aim of devastating the country of the Armenians and building up the country of the Persians, reducing the [number] of the Armenian people and increasing the Persian. And since Shah Abbas himself was a cautious and prudent person, he always and incessantly thought and thought about how to prevent the return of the Armenian population to their homeland ...

Then only from Julfa the number of deported Armenians, according to various sources, ranges from 12,000 families to 20,000 people.

In 1746, Nadir Shah ordered the resettlement of 1,000 Armenian families from Nakhchevan to Khorasan.

The era of the Ottoman-Safavid wars

In the XV century. Nakhichevan was part of the states of Kara-Koyunlu and Ak-Koyunlu, in the 16th century. disputed by Turkey and the Safavid power. Around 1500, north of the Araks River, in Persian Armenia, the Turkic nomadic Kangarlu tribe settled.

The modern researcher E. Rodionova identifies several reasons for the eviction of Armenians to Persia (called the “great surgun”): a) military-strategic: to weaken the enemy, leave a “scorched earth”; b) political: strengthening the central government, weakening the separatist regions); b) economic (the intention to establish an Armenian colony in the center of their state and move the center of the caravan routes from Julfa to Iran) and the desire to use the labor of skilled Armenian artisans in construction work in Isfahan. Among the resettled was the Turkic tribe of Kangarli, who were allowed to return to Nakhichevan under the descendant of Shah Abbas I, Shah Abbas II. During the conquest of the Nakhichevan region, Shah Abbas I massacred the Sunni population. According to Iranian historian Aptin Khanbagi, during the Turkish-Persian wars, the Armenians were more fortunate than the Muslims, since the Turks killed the Shiites, and the Persians killed the Sunnis.

Nakhichevan Khanate

The Turkish traveler Evliya Chelebi, who visited the Nakhichevan region in 1648, described it as a flourishing region and called Nakhichevan "the pride among the cities of the Iranian land." According to him, in the comfortable city of Karabaglar, which constituted a separate sultanate in the Nakhichevan land, he was treated to 26 varieties of pears. Describing the city of Nakhichevan, Celebi noted that “the city is decorated with 10,000 large houses covered with clay; there are 70 cathedral mosques and places of worship, 40 quarter mosques, 20 houses for visitors, 7 beautiful baths, about 1000 shops.

In the 1720s. some territories (Ordubad-Agulis region) of the Nakhichevan region were occupied by Avid Bek and Mkhitar Sparapet, the leaders of the Armenian national liberation movement in Syunik (Zangezur).

In the middle of the XVIII century. After the death of Nadir Shah, Heydar-Kuli Khan from the Kangarli clan created the Nakhichevan Khanate.

As part of Russia

At the beginning of the 19th century, the region became the scene of Russian-Persian wars. According to the Gulistan Treaty, Russia abandoned its attempts to capture Nakhichevan, recognizing the khanate "in perfect power" of Persia, however, during the new Russian-Persian war, Nakhichevan was occupied by the troops of General Paskevich, met by the population with complete obedience, and according to Article III of the Turkmanchay Treaty signed in 1828 , the Nakhichevan and Erivan khanates were transferred by the shah "to the perfect property" of Russia. Kelbali Khan of Nakhichevan was once blinded by Agha-Mohammed Khan Qajar, which caused a natural hatred in the family for the Qajar dynasty, as a result, his son, the ruler of the Khanate Ehsan Khan Kangarli, together with his brother Shih-Ali Bek, voluntarily went over to the side of Russia, having rendered an important help in the war with Persia, for which he was granted the rank of colonel in the Russian service and he was appointed naib of the Nakhichevan Khanate, and Shih-Ali bek naib of the Ordubad district. In October 1837, Ehsan Khan was promoted to major general. In 1839, under the pressure of General E. A. Golovin, the chief manager in the Caucasus, Ehsan Khan was forced to resign from the post of naib. As compensation, he was appointed field ataman of the Kangarli army, and later military field ataman of the Transcaucasian Muslim troops.

By the decree of Nicholas I of March 21, 1828, immediately after the conclusion of the Turkmanchay Treaty, the Armenian region was formed from the Nakhichevan and Erivan khanates annexed to Russia, from which the Erivan province was formed in 1849 with the annexation of the Alexandropol district.

According to the terms of the Turkmanchay peace, the Russian government organized a mass resettlement of Armenians from Persia to the Armenian region. This caused dissatisfaction among the Muslim population, who were deprived of their lands, which were given to the settlers. To reduce tension in the region, the Russian ambassador to Persia, A.S. Griboedov, recommended that the commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the Caucasus, Count Paskevich, order the transfer of part of the Armenians who had moved from Persia to Nakhichevan to Daralagez.

According to the data of 1831, 37 thousand Armenians lived in the Nakhichevan region (of which 2.7 thousand old-timers, 10 thousand immigrants from different regions) and 17.1 thousand Azerbaijanis (Caucasian Tatars). According to the data for 1886, in the territories that made up the modern Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, the ethnic composition was as follows: in the part of the Davala section of the Erivan district: Tatars (Azerbaijanis) - 4,215 (100%); in parts of the Nakhichevan district: Tatars (Azerbaijanis) - 47.117 (59.1%), Armenians - 31.968 (40.1%), Kurds - 473 (0.6%); in the Sharur section of the Sharuro-Daralagoz district: Tatars (Azerbaijanis) - 27.453 (86.4%), Armenians - 4.075 (12.8%).

According to the data for 1896, "Aderbeijan Tatars" (that is, Azerbaijanis) lived in the Nakhichevan district of the Erivan province - 56.95%, Armenians - 42.21%, Kurds - 0.56%, Russians - 0.22%, Georgians and Gypsies 0.06%. There was 1 Orthodox church, 58 Armenian-Gregorian churches, 66 mosques in the county. The 1897 census recorded 100,771 people in the Nakhichevan district, of which Tatars (Azerbaijanis) - 63.7%, Armenians - 34.4%, Russians - 0.9%, Kurds - 0.6%.

Nakhichevan region in 1918-1920

More: Arak Republic, Republic of Armenia, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

Read more: Armenian-Azerbaijani war (1918-1920)

Nakhichevan SSR

On July 28, 1920, the 1st Caucasian Regiment of the 11th Red Army entered Nakhichevan. The commander of this regiment telegraphed S. M. Kirov: "The population of Nakhichevan warmly welcomes the Red Army and Soviet power". The Nakhichevan Revolutionary Committee was formed (chairman M. Baktashev, members: G. Babaev, A. Kadymov, F. Makhmudbekov and others), which proclaimed Nakhichevan a Soviet Socialist Republic. The next day, the revolutionary committee proposed to the government of the Republic of Armenia to start peace negotiations, but on July 30 the Minister of War of Armenia demanded “to ensure the unconditional obedience of Nakhichevan to the Armenian government…”. The ultimatum was rejected. In early August, the Armenian units launched an offensive against Nakhichevan from the area of the city of Ordubad, but were driven back by the Soviet units of the 28th Rifle Division. On August 10, the chairman of the Nakhichevan Revolutionary Committee, Baktashev, wrote to the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Azerbaijan SSR, Nariman Narimanov, that the population recognizes Nakhichevan as an integral part of the Azerbaijan SSR. On the same day, the RSFSR and the Republic of Armenia signed an agreement on peace, according to which the disputed regions: Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhichevan are engaged in the troops of the RSFSR. According to the agreement “The occupation by the Soviet troops of the disputed territories does not prejudge the issue of the rights to these territories of the Republic of Armenia or the Azerbaijan Socialist Soviet Republic. By this temporary occupation, the RSFSR intends to create favorable conditions for the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis that will be established by a peace treaty to be concluded between the RSFSR and the Republic of Armenia in the near future..

In November, the Armenian units launched hostilities again. On November 29, the Socialist Soviet Republic of Armenia was proclaimed by the Revolutionary Committee of Armenia. On November 30, a declaration of the Azrevkom was drawn up with the following content (according to the text published in the Collection of Documents and Materials. Yerevan, 1992, p. 601):

Soviet Azerbaijan, going towards the struggle of the fraternal Armenian working people against the power of the Dashnaks, who shed and shed the innocent blood of our best comrades communists within Armenia and Zangezur, declares that from now on no territorial issues can cause mutual bloodletting of two centuries-old neighboring peoples: Armenians and Muslims ; the territories of the Zangezur and Nakhichevan districts are an inseparable part of Soviet Armenia, and the working peasantry of Nagorno-Karabakh is granted the full right of self-determination.

At the same time, on the night of December 2-3, a peace treaty was concluded between Dashnak Armenia and the government of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Alexandropol, according to which the regions of Nakhichevan, Sharur and Shakhtakhty were declared temporarily under Turkish protection. The government of the RSFSR and the revolutionary committee of the Armenian SSR did not recognize the Treaty of Alexandropol, since it was signed after the transfer of power by the government of the Republic of Armenia to the Revolutionary Committee of the Armenian SSR.

However, according to Audrey Alstad, the agreement between the RSFSR and the Democratic Republic of Armenia, concluded in December 1920, recognized the latter's claims only to Zangezur, but not to Karabakh or Nakhichevan.

At the beginning of 1921, a referendum was held in the cities and villages of the Nakhichevan Territory by means of a poll, as a result of which over 90% of the population voted for Nakhichevan to become part of the Azerbaijan SSR as an autonomous republic. The data obtained during the referendum is explained by the fact that the number of Armenians in the region has significantly decreased. Thus, as a result of the extermination and flight of Armenians during the First World War, coupled with the impossibility of returning back, the share of Armenians decreased from 41.2% in 1832 to less than 11% in 1926. At the same time, the Nakhichevan Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan was elected at the 1st regional party conference.

On March 16, the governments of Soviet Russia and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Moscow signed an agreement on friendship and brotherhood, according to which the Nakhichevan region "forms an autonomous territory under the protectorate of Azerbaijan, provided that Azerbaijan does not cede this protectorate to a third state". According to the Iranica encyclopedia, Nakhichevan was separated from Armenia by the Soviet-Turkish treaty. According to Sergei Vostrikov, Nakhichevan was the core of historical Armenian lands, which served as a bargaining chip in the territorial division and rapprochement between Soviet Russia and Kemalist Turkey. According to him, the formal reason for the transfer of Nakhichevan under the protectorate of Azerbaijan was the fact that as a result of the Armenian genocide and the massacres of Armenians in Baku, Nakhichevan and Shusha in 1918-1921, the number of the Armenian population here was halved.

In October of the same year, the Treaty of Kars was signed between the government of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Soviet Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. According to Art. 5 of this agreement: "The Government of Turkey and the Government of Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan agree that the Nakhichevan region, within the boundaries defined in Appendix 3 of this Treaty, forms an autonomous territory under the protection of Azerbaijan".

In January 1922, the 1st Congress of Soviets of the Nakhichevan SSR took place.

Nakhichevan ASSR

In February 1923, on the basis of the decision of the 3rd All-Nakhichevan Congress of Soviets, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Territory was created as part of the Azerbaijan SSR, which was transformed on February 9, 1924 into the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. The Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was the only autonomous entity on the territory of the USSR that was not created on an ethno-confessional basis. According to the 1926 census, 104,656 Soviet citizens lived in the Nakhichevan ASSR, of which 88,433 were Azerbaijanis, 11,276 were Armenians, 2,649 were Kurds, and 1,837 were Russians. As a result of the policy of ousting the Armenian population from the region, which has been carried out since the Stalin era, by 1988 the entire Armenian population was expelled from the autonomous republic.

Mining, food, light and other industries, as well as diversified collective-farm agriculture, were created in the republic. Higher educational institutions, scientific and research institutions, libraries, clubs, etc. were created. Literature and art achieved significant development in the republic.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the inhabitants of the republic took part in it. Three people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, thousands were awarded orders and medals for military and labor exploits.

In 1967, for success in the development of the national economy and in cultural construction, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was awarded the Order of Lenin, and on December 29, 1972, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the USSR, the Order of Friendship of Peoples. By 1974, there were 21 Heroes of Socialist Labor in the republic.

Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic

On January 19, 1990, the emergency session of the Supreme Council of the Nakhichevan ASSR adopted a resolution on the withdrawal of the Nakhichevan ASSR from the USSR and the declaration of independence. On November 17 of the same year, the Supreme Council of the Nakhichevan ASSR changed the name "Nakhichevan ASSR" to "Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic".

The Constitution of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic in Article 1 states:

I. The Nakhchivan Autonomous State is a democratic, legal, global autonomous republic within the Republic of Azerbaijan.
II. The status of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Moscow on March 16, 1921 and Kars on October 13, 1921 international treaties.

According to the 1999 census of Azerbaijan, 354,072 people lived in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, and according to the 2009 census, the population was 398,323 people.

The city of Nakhichevan is the capital of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic within Azerbaijan. The city arose in the 6th century. BC, and in the 11th century. became the capital of the Seljuk state. Today, Nakhichevan and its environs are justly proud of not only their ancient history, but also the richest underground mineral water resources.

Attractions

The main attractions of Nakhichevan are monuments of medieval architecture: the mausoleums of Yusuf ibn Kuseyir (XI century) and Momine Khatun (XII century), the Gyaur-Kala fortress (Shakhtakhty, II millennium BC), as well as the unique Khudaferin bridges across the Arax .

Not far from Nakhichevan is the mausoleum of Alinja-Kala (XI-XIII centuries), popularly known as "Atababa".

The main diamond in the crown of Nakhichevan monuments is Gulistan Mausoleum. This is a stunningly beautiful building. The mausoleum is made of red sandstone in the form of a dodecahedron, where each facet has its own unique oriental pattern. The harmony of architecture is intertwined with the harmony of nature - the mausoleum is located in a picturesque place at the foot of the mountains, in the valley of the Araks River.

In the southeast of Nakhichevan, near the border with Iran, the city of Julfa is located. Not far from it, on a bare peak of a mountain rising in the middle of a wide plain, there is an ancient fortress Alinja-Kala (XI-XIII centuries), located on the right bank of the Alinja River.

To the west of Julfa, right on the banks of the Araks, a caravanserai was found - one of the largest caravanserai in Azerbaijan. The remains of this caravanserai were discovered in 1974. Subsequently, entire structures were excavated.

Near the kavaran-saray, the remains of a bridge built by the Nakhichevan ruler Hakim Ziya ad-Din at the beginning of the 14th century were discovered.

Nakhichevan has a university, a scientific center of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, theaters, literary and historical museums, and an art gallery.

Healing waters

The resort attractiveness of the city of Nakhichevan is also determined by the presence of several mineral springs, which give almost all varieties of carbonate, carbonate-chloride, and hydrogen sulfide-sulfate waters. In terms of the variety of mineral springs, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic is literally a geochemical museum.

Five groups of springs - Darrydag, Sirab, Nagadzhir, Badamli and Gyzylvang are extremely valuable hydro-mineral resources for balneological drinking resorts.

Darrydag springs are the highest debit arsenic mineral springs. The valuable medicinal qualities of this water are due to the fact that, along with a sufficient amount of arsenic, it contains boric acid, lithium, a large amount of carbon dioxide, iodine, bromine, iron and other components.

Sirabian sources are analogous to Borjomi. The Sirabian waters are of great importance as a hydro-mineral base.

Nagadzhir springs are of the same type as Essentuki No. 17

Badamli springs belong to the category of waters of the Narzan type. They have a complex hydrocarbonate composition, contain a large amount of carbon dioxide, have a favorable temperature and a large flow rate.

Gyzylvan bitter-salt and mineral water, which is rarely found in nature, is a laxative water (sulfate-chloride-calcium-sodium-magnesium).

Nakhichevan is considered a traditional center of tourism. A trip there is included in the programs of most travel agencies in Azerbaijan.

How to get there

Citizens of Russia and some CIS countries do not need a visa to stay in Azerbaijan for up to 90 days. At the border, it is enough to present a passport.

You can get to Nakhichevan from Russia only by plane (flights from Moscow three times a week). From the rest of Azerbaijan - by plane or by land transport through the territory of Iran (a visa is required).

The border between Azerbaijan and Armenia is closed along its entire length.

I visited one of the least visited regions of the former Soviet Union by tourists - the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. This is an exclave of Azerbaijan. Geographically, Nakhichevan is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by the territory of Armenia, and now the border between the countries is completely closed. It is possible to get from Baku to Nakhichevan by land only through Iran. Or through Georgia and Turkey (but it is very long). I passed through Nakhichevan in transit from the Turkish city of Ygdir to Iranian Tabriz with a stopover for the night. I have not received so much attention to my modest person from officials for a long time. I read a little about the Nakhichevan border on the Internet, there are very few tourists going there, incl. each is of genuine interest. Some travelers are suspected of espionage, so searches and lengthy interrogations are not uncommon. However, in order.

I celebrated the New Year in the Turkish city of Ygdir. There are no sights in it, except for the two letters "s" in the name. It is also the closest city to the sacred Armenian Mount Ararat. Most of the time, from anywhere in the city, it offers gorgeous views. But not January 1, 2016. It snowed all night and all morning. Everything fell asleep. The bus to Nakhichevan, fortunately, was not cancelled. All passengers on the bus were either Azerbaijanis or Turks - I was the only foreigner. I got into a conversation with one Azerbaijani who spoke good Russian. Word for word, and he invited me to spend the night at his house. Especially for a long time I did not hesitate, everything is better than in a hotel.

A huge border checkpoint has been built on the Turkish border. It's completely empty right now. Plenty of parking lots, security checkpoints, lots of rooms. It looks like it was built for the future - do they really expect such a large increase in border traffic? And why through Nakhichevan, which has a second open border only with Iran, while Turkey has its own border with Iran, and the border checkpoint is literally 50 km away. Azerbaijanis are also building a lot of things on their border, but so far they have not completed it yet. My "legend" (it's true) - transit from Turkey to Iran, quite fit into the worldview of the border guards. Again, I also had an Iranian visa, so they asked me only a dozen questions (in Russian) and did not even inspect. Then a brave officer came up, who wanted to practice his English and asked the same questions about the same. I got my stamp and welcome.

In Nakhichevan, I went to my new acquaintance from the bus. He lived near the center in the private sector. Before we had time to arrive and go into the house, he had a conversation with someone on the street, I thought at first - his neighbors. An no. He said that it was the local state security from the bus station who was following me - where did I soap myself. Probably, my hospitable host was warned that now he is responsible for the unlucky tourist whom he sheltered. The man dreamed of drinking all the way, it seems that he called me as a drinking companion. True, I immediately warned him that I did not drink temporarily, but probably did not convince him - "you will drink a little beer." After a conversation with the local KGB, he changed his mind about drinking with me. However, we still had a very heartfelt conversation.

In the morning, under escort (of course, under the pretext "I'll show you everything"), they took me to see the city. And then they called him and urgently called him to work at the water utility, because of the frost, something broke through there. He wanted to put me in a taxi to the border, but I refused, saying that I wanted to see the city a little. This fact often surprises the locals in many places, not only in Nakhichevan. We don't have any attractions. I had to call him somewhere and report my unlucky behavior. A "relative" appeared, as he was introduced to me, who will now show me everything in the city. To be honest, I didn’t care, I wasn’t going to photograph military fortifications anyway. Unfortunately, the "relative" did not speak Russian, and this fact also upset him, incl. 10 minutes later and a couple of calls somewhere, a "friend" appeared who happened to be walking around here and was also not averse to showing me the city. The "friend" spoke Russian quite decently, besides, he also knew English and French. In general, a cool dude turned out to be an interesting conversationalist. And as a guide is not bad :)

Having examined Nakhichevan, I was put in a taxi towards the Iranian border, to the border town of Julfa. Buses do not go there, but taxi drivers collect 4 people in a car and take them to Julfa for a couple of dollars. The taxi driver was also ordered to follow me, they called a couple of times on the way, they checked how I was there. The taxi driver handed me over to one of his passengers, who was on his way to Iran, with an order to take me across the border and take me to Tabriz. Which is basically what happened. Of course, I would have done it myself, but not so fast. And here everything turned out quite simply - and at the border I had a personal translator and the money was changed for me at an excellent rate and they took a very small amount in a taxi to Tabriz. Everything is for locals.

Come to Nakhichevan! Individual attention - to each traveler :) For some reason, I really had the feeling that I was a bag of potatoes, which was always being dragged somewhere. The main thing is to drag it to the fence, throw it over and then it’s not our problem anymore.
But everything I wanted - I saw and did not lose too much time. There will be no photos yet - the Internet is completely dead now.

Portal for the student. Self-training