Nakhichevan… a biblical land. It was here that Noah descended from the Ararat mountains after the Flood. “… on the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. However, only on the first day of the tenth month did the mountain peaks appear.
Noah waited another 40 days, then sent out a raven which, finding no land, kept returning. Then Noah released a dove three times (with seven-day intervals). The first time the dove returned empty-handed; the second time, it returned with a fresh olive leaf in its beak, signaling that land had appeared.
The third time, the dove did not return. Then Noah was able to leave the ark, and his descendants repopulated the Earth” (Genesis 7:1 – 8:17).
Nakhichevan is one of the ancient cities of Armenia, built on the site of one of the oldest settlements—Kul-Tapa. The name Nakhichevan translates as “the place of first descent” (“nakh idjevan” in Armenian).
According to legend, right near the village of Tmbul was a mausoleum and a church built over it, where Noah was buried. The mausoleum has been completely destroyed.
Eyewitness accounts describe Noah’s tomb as an octagonal vaulted dome hall, 10 paces in diameter, with one supporting column in the center and a low entrance. Noah’s tomb was destroyed several decades ago.
Situated at the crossroads of major trade routes of the ancient world, Nakhichevan has long been a significant cultural, economic, and administrative center in Armenia.
At the beginning of our era, besides Armenians, Jews and Greeks lived in the city—whose ancestors had been captured during the campaigns of Tigranes II (Tigranes the Great). The city also had a fortress, the ruins of which are still visible on the outskirts of the city today.
A ring of city walls, stretching 3-4 km, was reinforced at strategically important points by watchtowers and towers, the ruins of which still exist.
When talking about Nakhichevan, one must often say: ruins remain, destroyed by Caucasian Turks, namely Azerbaijanis. In Nakhichevan, Azerbaijanis have managed to accomplish what could not be done in Artsakh—almost no traces of Armenians who lived here for millennia are left.
The provinces (gavars) of Nakhichevan—Gokhtn, Vaspurakan, Erndzak, Shaaponk, and Jauk Syunik, as well as parts of the Sharur province of the Ayrarat region of Greater Armenia—all of these are now part of the Nakhichevan Republic, which was given to Azerbaijan by the Treaty of Moscow in 1921 between Russia and Turkey.
After the conclusion of the Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828, they became part of the “Armenian Region” created by Russia in 1828 and 1840. After its abolition, from 1849 to 1918, they were part of the Erivan Governorate. From the end of 1919, the modern territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic was part of the First Republic of Armenia.
On February 9, 1924, Nakhchivan was proclaimed an Autonomous Republic within Azerbaijan. Starting from 1921, Azerbaijan pursued a policy of suppressing the human and national dignity of the Armenian population of Nakhchivan, expelling them from their native land.
As a result, from 1921 to 1989, the indigenous inhabitants of the region—Armenians—were forcibly expelled from their homeland. However, until the 1960s, a significant portion of the population of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic was Armenian.
According to statistical data from the population census, as early as 1897, 34,672 Armenians (34.4%) lived in Nakhchivan. In 1926, there were 11,276 (10.8%), and by 1979, due to the anti-Armenian policies carried out by the Azerbaijani authorities, only 3,406 (1.4%) Armenians lived in Nakhchivan. At present, there are no Armenians left in Nakhchivan.
The cultural heritage created over millennia by Armenians in Nakhchivan and other areas of their historical homeland has universal significance, but alas, not for Azerbaijan.
During Soviet times, Nakhchivan was a closed border zone, and it was difficult to travel there, especially with an Armenian surname. Photography was also prohibited—the area is located at the junction of three borders: Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Yet there were people who managed to photograph what remained.
The territory of Nakhchivan in the 8th century BCE was part of the Urartu kingdom; in the 7th–2nd centuries BCE, an Armenian establishment existed in the region, part of the Armenian kingdom of the Yervandids. Later, until the end of the 9th century, it was part of the Vaspurakan region and from the 10th century became part of Syunik.
One of the most famous cities of Nakhchivan is Agulis. Historical documents mention two- and three-story mansions, artisan workshops, religious scriptoria schools, a rich library-reading room, caravanserais, and 12 magnificent monasteries and churches. Only ruins remain of this splendor.
Nakhchivan is also home to Mesropavan, as Mesrop Mashtots lived here for a long time.
Another famous city in the region is Ordubad, known for its history, silk, numerous palaces, churches, monasteries, and caravanserais. And again, almost nothing remains…
Before the adoption of Christianity, Ordubad was a major pagan center. To this day, dozens of trees from the sacred plane tree alley have survived, with ages ranging from 1,000 to 1,200 years. The oldest tree—a mighty plane tree—is believed by experts to be over 2,500 years old.
And, of course, Old Jugha in the province of Erndjak, which has become a symbol of Azerbaijani barbarism. We will talk about the destroyed khachkars in the next article, but we should add that not only khachkars have been destroyed, but also numerous Armenian temples and schools. The city of Nakhchivan itself was known for its monasteries and churches.
According to 13th-century travelers, there were 80 Armenian churches in the city. Unfortunately, none of the early medieval architectural monuments have survived to this day.
Today, the city has several mausoleums from the 12th to 15th centuries and the Armenian Church of St. George, built on the site of a previously existing church.
In Nakhchivan, there were 219 Armenian monasteries and churches, and today there is not a single Christian religious monument left in the region, which would be valuable not only for Armenian but also for universal culture. When comparing this list chronologically with the list of Armenian churches, it becomes clear that over 90% of Muslim monuments date from the early 20th century.
Karine Ter-Saakyan
Translated Vigen Avetisyan
THE NEW TEARS OF ARAXES
