Note 6:" This Αποβατηριον, or Place of Descent, is the proper rendering of the Armenian name of this very city. It is called in Ptolemy Naxuana, and by Moses Chorenensis, the Armenian historian, Idsheuan; but at the place itself Nachidsheuan, which signifies The first place of descent, and is a lasting monument of the preservation of Noah in the ark, upon the top of that mountain, at whose foot it was built, as the first city or town after the flood.«
According to the Armenian language scholar, Heinrich Hubschmann, the city of Nakhichavan, which does mean “Place of First Descent” in Armenian, was not known by that name in antiquity. Rather, he says the present-day name evolved to “Nakhichavan” from “Naxcavan”. The prefix “Naxc” was a name and “avan” is Armenian for “town” » // See the work of Heinrich Hubschmann in "Armeniaca, " Strassburger Festschrift zur XLVI Versammlung Deutscher Philologen und Schulmanner (Strassburg: Verlag von Karl Tauberner, 1901), Section V. cited in Lloyd R. Bailey, Noah (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1989) p. 190ff.
The large land of the Mardpetakan lay in the midst of these other principalities and probably comprised the districts of Mardastan, Bun (Main or Original) Mardastan, Chuash-rot, Tornavan, Arjishakovit, Khunghanovit, Aghand-rot, Krchunik, and, across Araxes River, the district of Nakhchavan. A royal land by the fourth century, the Mardpetakan may have been originally a part of Artaz. Its center was apparently the city of Nakhchavan (Greek: Naxouana or Apobaterion, the latter a translation of the Armenian folk etymology Nakhichevan “place of the descent”)
The office of Grand Chamberlain was, moreover, conjoined with the dignity of mardpet, so that the terms hayrut’iwn (Grand Chamberlainship) and mardpetut’iwn (Mardpet-dom) became synonymous. The dignity in question was originally a gentilitial title which was denoted by the dynastic princes of the tribe of the Mardians. These represented a Caspio-Median or Ma(n)tianian-Mannaean enclave in Armenia, south of the Araxes and east of lake Van, with Mardastan, on the eastern shore of that lake, as their territory and as the nucleus of Mardpetakan, or the generality of the Mardpet's dominions that stretched from Van to Atropatene.
Original text (English)
In 610 Heraclius, who may perhaps have been of Armenian origin, seized the throne at Constantinople. In 623 he began a stubborn campaign, indeed a veritable crusade, to reconquer Byzantine Armenia. After passing through Armenia by way of Karin, Dvin, and Naḵčevān, he entered Atropatene, where he destroyed the great fire-temple of Ādur Gušnāsp.
The catholicos promptly excommunicated Ashot, and the prince died one year later, in 904. Gagik Artsruni succeeded his brother as prince of Vaspuarakan. Smbat, unsure of Artsrunik" loyalty, took Nakhchavan from them and restored it to the prince of Siunik".
Nakhchuvan. This is a large, well-maintained city in Azerbaijan, located on a hill, and is heavily fortified. Many palaces, castles and ivans were built in it. A citadel was built on the stones near the city. Madrasahs, mosques and minarets were built in the fortress, and there is a pleasant spring. They say that there is no city on earth more comfortable than this one. All buildings are made of burnt brick and alabaster. Most of the castles are three and four stories high, like fortresses. [Around the city] - pleasant surroundings, running water, many gardens and meadows. The Araks River flows within the city; nice fruits. They say that there are no better and healthier grapes in the whole world than Nakhchuvan grapes.
In the most august time, Ildegiz [the city] achieved full greatness, [there] they made a royal residence and a house of government.
[Somehow] the front leg of his (Ildegiz - L.S.) horse fell into some kind of crevice. He considered this a good sign and said: “Here I will build a house!”, and did so.
The inhabitants of [Nakhchuvan] are beautiful and pleasant in character, [adhering to] Sunni and Shafi'i interpretations. They are [people] brave, fighters for the faith, archers, hospitable, eloquent. Nakhchuvan people can speak all languages, but no one can speak their language.
Products: Chinese-made fabrics, elegant bedspreads, felt, chukha, futa, bowls, small wooden dishes, very beautifully painted, so that they are sent as gifts all over the world. There are also goods from Armenia and Rum.
They know good crafts and live in [complete] prosperity.
They say that there is no cemetery similar to Nakhchuvan in any place. There are frogs croaking in the trees, and this is [one of] the wonders. Neither in the city nor in the village are there as many buildings as in the Nakhchuvan cemetery: [here] there are mosques, madrassas, mausoleums, and many gardens. Caretakers live at the cemetery.
It was contained at one time eight hundred Armenian churches, but now there are no more than two tiny ones, as they have been demolished by the Saracens: in one of them I celebrated the Christmas feast.
Armenians were uprooted during these wars, and, in 1604, some 250,000 Armenians were forcibly transferred by Shah "Abbas to Iran. By the seventeenth century, the Armenian had become a minority in parts of their historic lands
Primary sources estimate that between 1604 and 1605 some 250 to 300,000 Armenians were removed from Armenia for settlement in Iran.
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. turned into the capital of the Seljuk state. Today Nakhichevan and its surroundings are rightfully proud not only of their ancient history, but also the richest underground mineral water resources.
Attractions
The main attractions of Nakhichevan are considered monuments of medieval architecture: the mausoleums of Yusuf ibn Kuseyir (XI century) and Momine Khatun (XII century), the Gyaur-Kala fortress (Shakhtakhty, 2nd millennium BC), as well as the unique Khudaferin bridges across the Araks .
Not far from Nakhichevan there is the Alinja-Kala mausoleum (XI-XIII centuries), popularly known as “Atababa”.
The main diamond in the crown of Nakhichevan monuments is the Gulistan Mausoleum. This is a stunningly beautiful building. The mausoleum is made of red sandstone in the form of a dodecahedron, where each face 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, lies the city of Julfa. Not far from it, on the bare peak of a mountain rising in the middle of a wide plain, is the ancient fortress of Alinja-Kala (XI-XIII centuries), located on the right bank of the Alinja River.
West of Julfa, right on the banks of the Araks, a caravanserai was found - one of the largest caravanserais in Azerbaijan. The remains of this caravanserai were discovered in 1974. Subsequently, entire structures were excavated.
Near the Kavaran Sarai, the remains of a bridge built by the Nakhichevan ruler Hakim Zia ad-Din at the beginning of the 14th century were discovered.
Nakhchivan is home to a university, a scientific center of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, 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 provide almost all varieties of carbonic-carbonate, carbonic-chloride, and hydrogen sulfate-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 hydromineral resources for balneological drinking resorts.
Darrydag springs are the highest yielding 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 carbon dioxide, iodine, bromine, iron and other components.
Sirab springs are an analogue of Borjomi. Sirab waters are of great importance as a hydromineral base.
Nagadzhir springs are of the same type as Essentuki No. 17
Badamly springs belong to the category of Narzan type waters. They have a complex hydrocarbonate composition, contain a large amount of carbon dioxide, have a favorable temperature and high flow rate.
Gyzylvan bitter-salt and mineral water, which is rarely found in nature, is a laxative water (sulfate-chloride-calcium-sodium-magnesium).
Nakhchivan is considered a traditional tourism center. 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 require a visa to stay in Azerbaijan for up to 90 days. At the border it is enough to present your passport.
You can only get to Nakhichevan from Russia 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 Azerbaijan-Armenia border is closed along its entire length.
Much has been said about the fact that recently there has been a serious concentration of not only Azerbaijani, but also Turkish troops in Nakhichevan. The reaction of the Azerbaijani mass media, which tries as much as possible not to react or respond to such information that appears from time to time in the publications of their colleagues in the region, once again proves that the situation there is really dirty.
Some experts cite specific figures and claim that today an entire army corps is stationed and entrenched in Nakhichevan. And that the number of Turkish soldiers in this area is three times greater than Azerbaijani ones.
Quite often this figure is mentioned by the leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA) Aram Gasparovich Sargsyan and the former Minister of Defense of Armenia Vagharshak Harutyunyan. They are sure that Turkey is now carrying out a kind of creeping, unspoken army expansion in Nakhichevan. Moreover, this is done not simply with the tacit consent of Baku, but due to specific agreements with it.
Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Ruben Safrastyan believes that Ankara is purposefully strengthening its influence and increasing the number of its army contingent in the autonomous region, since Turkey’s plans in the medium term are to increase its influence and increase pressure on geopolitical processes in the South Caucasus region.
All this can really lead to anxious thoughts, especially in the sense that the border with Nakhichevan passes only some 80-100 kilometers from the capital of Armenia. That is, Yerevan is within the range of Turkish missile systems, of which the Azerbaijani army has a lot in service.
If we add to all of the above the factor that Baku has recently been quite often conducting military exercises (staff, tank, infantry) in Nakhichevan, then we can say with confidence that military strength is being pumped up in the autonomous region.
In the latest combined arms exercises alone, up to 25 thousand military personnel, up to 250 units of tanks and armored vehicles, and up to 50 units of army and front-line aviation took part there. Moreover, our army intelligence has data that not only Azerbaijani armored vehicles and infantry units participated in the exercises.
The latest information coming from Nakhichevan indicates that a new full-fledged military unit was opened there recently. Or rather, even a whole training and educational center. Soldiers' barracks, an army welfare complex, a headquarters building, and a hospital were built there. An observation deck, a sports town, a shooting range - in a word, a complete set - have been created.
Rumor has it that the main teaching staff at the training and educational center are specialists from Turkey who have undergone NATO training.
It is noteworthy that the commissioning ceremony of the entire complex was attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who these days came to Nakhichevan in connection with events dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the birth of his father Heydar Aliyev.
There, during his speech, Aliyev said that soon (in the next three years) that part will be put into operation railway, which will connect the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic with “mainland” Azerbaijan through the territory of Iran.
The President of Azerbaijan called this a “breaking of the blockade” in which, it turns out, Nakhichevan had been under all these years.
According to the constitution, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic is considered an independent state within Azerbaijan, from the main territory of which it is separated by occupied territory and
Ancient history of the region
People have been living in the territory of Transcaucasia since ancient times, which means that Nakhichevan has rich history. The first mention of this region appears in Ptolemy's story about the city of Naxuan, known today as Nakhichevan and the capital of the autonomous republic.
For many generations, the life of the region has been inextricably linked with the biblical story of Noah and his ark.
The German philological tradition traces the name of the city to the ancient Armenian prefix “nakh” and the word “idjevan”, which translates as “landing place”. For many centuries, local residents showed travelers the remains of Noah's Ark. And although the existence of the ark does not find material evidence, the antiquity of the city is considered proven. According to archaeological data and philological sources, it can be assumed that the history of the city of Nakhichevan dates back about three and a half millennia.
The territory in which the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic is located was under the rule of many states, among which were Urartu, the Empire of Alexander the Great and the Achaemenid Empire. Also in this territory there were several Armenian states, such as the country of Tigran the Great and the Kingdom of Ani. Even the Mongols reached these places and left behind incredible destruction, documented by Europeans, among whom was the papal ambassador Rubruk, a Franciscan monk who, at the insistence of King Louis lX, visited the Mongol Empire.
Azerbaijan: Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
When Nakhichevan and the surrounding lands came under the control of the Russian Empire, active migration of Armenian families began to the region, who, as it seemed to them, were returning to their historical homeland after their forced relocation to the central part of Persia on the initiative of Shah Abbas l, who conquered the country in the 15th century.
For the first time, the growing tension became known from the words of Griboedov, who visited Nakhichevan on his way to Persia. Since then, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Region, which today consists of Azerbaijanis, has experienced many difficult years of conflicts on religious and ethnic grounds.
Current state of affairs
The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, whose national composition had changed over several centuries, came to the end of the twentieth century with disappointing results. Ethnic diversity has always been distinctive feature these regions, but as a result of numerous conflicts that shook the region with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the composition of the population changed beyond recognition and representatives of almost all nationalities living in the republic left it. By 2009, more than 99% of the population were Azerbaijanis and 0.3% Kurds, who traditionally lived in Transcaucasia.
The Azerbaijani authorities are trying in every possible way to erase the memory of the Armenian presence in this republic, not even stopping at physical destruction architectural monuments Armenian culture. One of the most bright examples The destruction of the Armenian cemetery in Julfa is considered, which was destroyed despite protests from the world community and UNESCO.
Administrative division and self-government
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is part of Azerbaijan as a self-governing territory, the status of which is determined by the constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
From an administrative point of view, the autonomous republic consists of seven districts and one city - the capital Nakhchivan. In addition to historical reasons, the autonomy of the republic also finds its basis in geographical isolation.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic became the scene of struggle between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 1992, when the Azerbaijani military was fired upon. The situation was then so acute that Turkey had to open artillery fire on the Armenian troops to prevent the capture of Nakhichevan by the Armenian army, at the same time Iran began near the border with the Nakhichevan Republic to warn Armenia against the undesirability of a new offensive.
The region was kept from a major war by Russian peacekeepers and Heydar Aliyev’s desire to strengthen his political power through concluding peace with Armenia.
Economic problems and development prospects
Due to numerous ethnic conflicts, the Transcaucasian region is an almost impassable territory divided by closed borders. This state of affairs cannot but affect the economic life of countries. The Nakhichevan Republic is experiencing a protracted economic crisis caused by the energy and economic blockade by Armenia, which, in turn, is blocked by Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The situation, however, is mitigated by the fact that Iran, which is rightfully considered one of the most powerful states in the region, takes a neutral position in numerous disputes. This allows him to provide economic and humanitarian assistance to both Armenia and the Nakhchivan Republic.
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic managed to maintain its autonomy thanks to active shuttle trade with neighboring Turkey.
Nakhichevan is a city with a special flavor, which has absorbed several different cultures and characteristic features at once, and has become something of a kind of reconciliation of them. Here you can feel both the remnants of the once great Soviet state and the influence of neighboring Iran and China. Today's Nakhichevan is an Azerbaijani city with many Iranian names, stunning views of the Caucasus Mountains (especially Ararat) and merciless reconstruction that stubbornly seeks to disguise the Asian features of the streets and train stations as European ones.
Tourist side of Nakhchivan city
For tourists, Nakhichevan is a virtually unexplored chapter. The reasons for this unfortunate misunderstanding lie in the fact that entry into the city, along with many other points in Azerbaijan, was blocked due to hostilities during 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.
Given the overall picture, it is not at all surprising why there are so few entertainment places in the city aimed at tourists and travelers passing through here. There are critically few attractions in Nakhichevan, but, nevertheless, each of them is worthy of attention and interest.
Nakhchivan: how to get there
Since the “influx” of tourists to Nakhichevan, to put it mildly, is not full of excitement, there are a minimal number of flights and railway connections from Russia here. For example, a plane to Nakhichevan from Moscow flies only once a week. In this regard, tickets should be purchased in advance. Despite the fact that in reality there are not so many people on these flights, many often have luggage with them, which takes up 2-3 additional passenger seats! That's why planes are never empty.
Air travel is the most expedient way to get to Nakhichevan. But traveling within the country is much more convenient and easier by train. Built about a hundred years ago, but superbly renovated, the railway station looks grotesquely massive compared to the meager number of services 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 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 drawn up with the expectation that in the morning any resident of the NAR was able to arrive in the capital of the republic, and already at lunchtime 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 live? 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. You cannot earn extra money as a taxi driver in the NAR, as is often the case in Russia or Ukraine.
Each taxi driver must purchase a unique license - a special license plate. of blue color. Only with such a distinctive sign does the driver have the right to work as a taxi driver.
There are many taxis in the city - they are all mostly Chinese. Traveling around the city will cost no more than 2 euros. The center of Nakhichevan is surprisingly clean, despite the fact that there are no street cleaners scurrying around the streets and no visible work is being done to restore order. Tabriz is rightfully considered the most prestigious hotel.
Nearby there is a small complex that includes several shopping centers and an elegant park with a beautiful cascade of waterfalls. What is noteworthy is that 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 traders came. The cost of all goods here is truly low and incomparable, while their quality is always top level. Here you can find natural, natural products grown by the local people's own labor and efforts.
The train station area is low-lying, while the city center rises to higher ground. On the mountain slope there is a memorial complex honoring the memory of those killed in hostilities in the 90s. On a high hill stands the Kekhnya-Kala fortress, which should be climbed at least in order to see the stunning view from here of the southern part of the city and the river valley. Araks, flowing between Iran and Azerbaijan. Here . The main attraction in the fortress is the Mausoleum of Noah (yes, the same one that, according to biblical stories, built the ark and moored it near a mountain located 120 km from Nakhichevan).
Another mausoleum (open air) surpasses Noah's tomb in size and decoration. This is the mausoleum of Momine Khatun with decorative stones carved in stone. architectural elements, striking 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 note for tourists in the city. Of course, the views themselves, opening onto the mountain ranges and the rivers separating them, can without a doubt be called a priceless attraction and feature of this secretive city.
