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| The oldest material culture artifacts found in Nakhichevan date back to the ]. The region was part of the states of ], ] and ] in 8 – 7 BCE, ] state in 6 BCE, and later became part of the state of ], before which it was part of ]'s Armenian Empire. In the 3rd century, Nakhichevan was conquered by ], in 623 by the ], and in the middle 7th century by Arabs. In 8th century this area was the arena of ] uprising. Nakhichevan was part of feudal states of Sajids and Salarids in 9–10 century, and fell under control of ] in 11th century. | The oldest material culture artifacts found in Nakhichevan date back to the ]. The region was part of the states of ], ] and ] in 8 – 7 BCE, ] state in 6 BCE, and later became part of the state of ], before which it was part of ]'s Armenian Empire. In the 3rd century, Nakhichevan was conquered by ], in 623 by the ], and in the middle 7th century by Arabs. In 8th century this area was the arena of ] uprising. Nakhichevan was part of feudal states of Sajids and Salarids in 9–10 century, and fell under control of ] in 11th century. | ||
| In 12th century the city of Nakhichevan became the capital of the Ildegezid ]s of Azerbaijan state<ref>, Saljuq rulers of Azerbaijan, 12th–13th, Luther, K. pp. 890-894.</ref>. The magnificent 12th century ], the wife of Ildegizid ruler, Great Atabek Jahan Pehlevan, is the main attraction of modern Nakhichevan. In 13 – 14 centuries the region was invaded by ]s and ]. In the 15th century, the territory of Nakhichevan became part of the states of ] and ]. In the 16th century control of the region passed to the Turkic-speaking ] dynasty of ]. Because of its geographic position, it frequently suffered during the wars between ] and the ] in 14th – 18th centuries. In 1604, ] Safavi, concerned that the lands of Nakhichevan and the surrounding areas would pass into Ottoman hands, decided to institute a ] policy. He forced most of the local population, including skilled ] workers, to leave their homes and move deeper into ]. <ref>.</ref> Many settled in a neighborhood of ] that was named New Julfa since most of the residents were from the original Julfa (a very rich Armenian town which was looted and burned). The Nakhichevan khanate emerged in the region in 1747 after the death of ] Afshar, the ruler of ]. After the two Russo-Iranian wars and the ], Nakhichevan khanate passed into Russian possession in 1828. With the onset of Russian rule, the ] authorities encouraged |
In 12th century the city of Nakhichevan became the capital of the Ildegezid ]s of Azerbaijan state<ref>, Saljuq rulers of Azerbaijan, 12th–13th, Luther, K. pp. 890-894.</ref>. The magnificent 12th century ], the wife of Ildegizid ruler, Great Atabek Jahan Pehlevan, is the main attraction of modern Nakhichevan. In 13 – 14 centuries the region was invaded by ]s and ]. In the 15th century, the territory of Nakhichevan became part of the states of ] and ]. In the 16th century control of the region passed to the Turkic-speaking ] dynasty of ]. Because of its geographic position, it frequently suffered during the wars between ] and the ] in 14th – 18th centuries. In 1604, ] Safavi, concerned that the lands of Nakhichevan and the surrounding areas would pass into Ottoman hands, decided to institute a ] policy. He forced most of the local population, which was predominantly Muslim, and including skilled ] workers and other Christians, to leave their homes and move deeper into ]. <ref>.</ref> Many settled in a neighborhood of ] that was named New Julfa since most of the residents were from the original Julfa (a very rich Armenian town which was looted and burned). The Nakhichevan khanate emerged in the region in 1747 after the death of ] Afshar, the ruler of ]. After the two Russo-Iranian wars and the ], Nakhichevan khanate passed into Russian possession in 1828. With the onset of Russian rule, the ] authorities encouraged massive settlement of Armenians from ] and ] to Nakhichevan and other areas of the ]. Special clauses of the ] and ] treaties allowed for this.<ref></ref> According to Russian envoy to Persia ], the number of Armenian population settled to Nakhichevan in 1828 exceeded all reasonable limits, and this resulted in tensions between the newcomers and local population. Griboyedov requested Russian army commander count ] to give orders on resettlement of some of the arriving people further to the region of Daralayaz to quiet the tensions.<ref>. (In Russian)</ref> Nakhichevan khanate was dissolved in 1828, its territory was merged with the territory of the Erivan khanate and the area became part of the new Armenian oblast (region), which in 1849 was renamed the ] ] of the ]. Nakhichevan became the Nakhichevan ] of the ].<ref></ref> <ref></ref> According to an 1900 estimate, 57% of the population of Nakhichevan were Azerbaijanis (then labeled Aderbeijan Tatars by the Czarist government), and 42% were Armenians<ref name="brokgauz-1"></ref>. According to the last official Russian Imperial Census of 1897, in Nakhjiran uezd the total population was 100,771, of which Azerbaijanis made up 64,151, Armenians 34,672 and Russians 1,014. Likewise, in the Sharur-Daralagez uezd, which is part of both modern and historic Nakhichevan, the total population was 76,538, of which Azerbaijanis made up 51,560, Armenians 20,726, and Russians 122. Azerbaijanis were also majority in the Erevan and Surmalinsk uezds of the Erivan governorate (see Altstadt A. "The Azerbaijani Turks: Power and Identity under Russian Rule", Hoover Institution Press, 1992, p. 30 <ref></ref>). | ||
| After the ] the region was under the authority of Special Transcaucasian Committee of the ]. ] Party proclaimed in Nakhichevan the Republic of Araks, while the ] claimed Nakhichevan for itself. In late 1918 Nakhichevan was occupied by British troops. After withdrawal of British troops Nakhichevan was occupied by 11th ] troops and Soviet Socialist Republic of Nakhichevan was proclaimed on 28 July 1920. In 1920, Transcaucasia was taken over by the Bolsheviks who, in order to attract public support, promised they would allot Nakhchivan to Armenia, along with Karabakh and Zangezur (a strip separating Nakhichevan from Azerbaijan proper). However, Moscow also had far-reaching plans concerning Turkey |
After the ] the region was under the authority of Special Transcaucasian Committee of the ]. ] Party proclaimed in Nakhichevan the Republic of Araks, while the ] claimed Nakhichevan for itself. In late 1918 Nakhichevan was occupied by British troops. After withdrawal of British troops Nakhichevan was occupied by 11th ] troops and Soviet Socialist Republic of Nakhichevan was proclaimed on 28 July 1920. In 1920, Transcaucasia was taken over by the Bolsheviks who, in order to attract public support, promised they would allot Nakhchivan to Armenia, along with Karabakh and Zangezur (a strip separating Nakhichevan from Azerbaijan proper). However, Moscow also had far-reaching plans concerning Turkey -- hoping that it would, with a little help from Russia, develop along Communist lines. Needing to appease Turkey, Moscow agreed to a division that left Zangezur to Armenia, while leaving Karabakh and Nakhichevan in Azerbaijan. As a result, on February 9th 1924 Nakhichevan Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic was formed within the ]. Most of the decisions on the transfer of the territories, and the establishment of new autonomous entities, were made under pressure from ], who is still blamed by both Armenians and Azeri's for arbitrary decisions made against their national interests, as well as Anastas Mikoyan, one of the first leaders of Soviet Azerbaijan and top member of Politburo. | ||
| In January 1990, Nakhichevan declared independence from USSR to protest suppression of national movement in ], and became Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic within newly independent Republic of ] a year later. It now exists and is internationally recognized as a part of ] governed by its own elected ]. | In January 1990, Nakhichevan declared independence from USSR to protest suppression of national movement in ], and became Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic within newly independent Republic of ] a year later. It now exists and is internationally recognized as a part of ] governed by its own elected ]. | ||
| ==Geography== | |||
| Nakhichevan is an atmospheric, semi-desert region that is separated from the main portion of Azerbaijan by Armenia. A range of arid mountains make up the border with Armenia and Iran. | |||
| ==Demographics== | ==Demographics== | ||
| As of 1990, Nakhichevan's population was estimated to be 350,000. 98% of the population are ]. Ethnic Russians constituted the remaining population. |
As of 1990, Nakhichevan's population was estimated to be 350,000. 98% of the population are ]. Ethnic Russians constituted the remaining population. Prior to this, ethnic Armenians once comprised a sizeable minority of the population in Nakhichevan at the turn of the 20th century, but their numbers slowly began to descrease due to emigration. Nevertheless, according to all relevant censuses and surveys, Muslim (Azerbaijani) population has been in majority and also often decreased due to wars and emmigration with simultaneous influx of ethnic Armenians from Persia and Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Indeed, writing in middle of the 19th century, a British intelligence officer, diplomat and prominent researcher notes: "The Armenian population of Erivan and Nakhshevan, although numerically unimportant, deserves a brief notice." <ref>Sir Henry Rawlinson, 14 Nov 1859, "Georgia and Caucasus", Report #838, from: British documents on foreign affairs - reports and papers from the Foreign Office confidential print, Part I, from the mid-nineteenth century to the First World War. Series A, Russia, 1859-1914, General editors Kenneth Bourne and D. Cameron Watt, University Publications of America, 1983, p. 11.</ref> By 1987, only two Armenian villages remained in the area. <ref>http://www.nato.int/acad/fellow/97-99/menteshashvili.pdf</ref> The Armenians remaining were expelled by Azerbaijani forces during the ] as part of the forceful exchange of population between Armenia and Azerbaijan. | ||
| ==Disputes== | ==Disputes== | ||
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| * In defiance of ] resolutions, Nakhichevan issued a declaration in the late 1990's recognizing the sovereignty of the ] (TRNC) and calling upon Azerbaijan to do so. While sympathetic to the TRNC, ] has not followed suit because of Greek Cypriot threats to recognize the self-proclaimed ] Republic (Armenian-controlled Azeri territory).<ref></ref> | * In defiance of ] resolutions, Nakhichevan issued a declaration in the late 1990's recognizing the sovereignty of the ] (TRNC) and calling upon Azerbaijan to do so. While sympathetic to the TRNC, ] has not followed suit because of Greek Cypriot threats to recognize the self-proclaimed ] Republic (Armenian-controlled Azeri territory).<ref></ref> | ||
| * Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of embarking on campaign between ] and ] ] to completely demolish the cemetery of finely carved Armenian ]s in ]. <ref></ref> Numerous Armenian organizations and authorities, including the Foreign Ministry, have sent official protests to the ] and the United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan, ] <ref></ref>. Azerbaijan denies there has been destruction despite a confirmation by the ].<ref></ref> According to the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US ], the videos and photographs that have surfaced show some unknown people destroying some mid-size stones and is not clear of what ethnicity those people are. Instead, the ambassador asserts that the Armenian side started a propaganda campaign against Azerbaijan to divert attention from the destruction of Azerbaijani monuments in Armenia. <ref></ref> According to Scottish traveler ] who visited Nakhchivan recently, there has been going on a state policy of destruction of Armenian monuments in general <ref></ref>. On ], ], Azerbaijan barred the ] from inspecting and examining the ancient burial site. ], British ] foreign affairs spokesman in the European parliament, stated: "This is very similar to the Buddha statues destroyed by the ]. They have concreted the area over and turned it into a military camp. If they have nothing to hide then we should be allowed to inspect the terrain." ], an Austrian socialist MEP and member of the committee barred from examining the site, said he hopes a visit can be arranged in the autumn. He stated that "if they do not allow us to go, we have a clear hint that something bad has happened. If something is hidden we want to ask why. It can only be because some of the allegations are true." He also warned: "One of the major elements of any country that wants to come close to Europe is that the cultural heritage of neighbors is respected." <ref></ref> | * Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of embarking on campaign between ] and ] ] to completely demolish the cemetery of finely carved Armenian ]s in ]. <ref></ref> Numerous Armenian organizations and authorities, including the Foreign Ministry, have sent official protests to the ] and the United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan, ] <ref></ref>. Azerbaijan denies there has been destruction despite a confirmation by the ].<ref></ref> According to the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US ], the videos and photographs that have surfaced show some unknown people destroying some mid-size stones and is not clear of what ethnicity those people are. Instead, the ambassador asserts that the Armenian side started a propaganda campaign against Azerbaijan to divert attention from the destruction of Azerbaijani monuments in Armenia. <ref></ref> According to Scottish traveler ] who visited Nakhchivan recently, there has been going on a state policy of destruction of Armenian monuments in general <ref></ref>. On ], ], Azerbaijan barred the ] from inspecting and examining the ancient burial site. ], British ] foreign affairs spokesman in the European parliament, stated: "This is very similar to the Buddha statues destroyed by the ]. They have concreted the area over and turned it into a military camp. If they have nothing to hide then we should be allowed to inspect the terrain." ], an Austrian socialist MEP and member of the committee barred from examining the site, said he hopes a visit can be arranged in the autumn. He stated that "if they do not allow us to go, we have a clear hint that something bad has happened. If something is hidden we want to ask why. It can only be because some of the allegations are true." He also warned: "One of the major elements of any country that wants to come close to Europe is that the cultural heritage of neighbors is respected." <ref></ref> However, according to a report and photo-evidence by the HETQ investigative journalists of Armenia publication, many destroyed khachkars have appeared in Yerevan itself, but brought from other parts of the country. The fact that demolished khachkars have appeared on Armenian soil implies that the destruction was done by Armenians themselves. "Apparently they had been in someone's way, and he or she “liberated” the territory and decided to use them as building materials. No one had tried to prevent the dislocation, the carnage of headstones", writes HETQ report's author, Edik Baghdasaryan. "Armenians everywhere have closed ranks to protest against the barbarous destruction of Armenian khachkars by Azerbaijanis in Nakhidjevan," Baghdasaryan said. "But who will protest, who will fight against us, here at home? Perhaps we should appeal to various international organizations and ask them to come and protect our treasures from ourselves?" <ref></ref> | ||
| == Footnotes == | == Footnotes == | ||
Revision as of 23:29, 10 June 2006
- This article is about the autonomous region; for the city see Nakhichevan (city)
The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan Muxtar Respublikası, Armenian: Նախիջեվան, Turkish: Nahcivan Özerk Cumhuriyeti, Russian: Нахичеванская Автономная Республика), known simply as Nakhichevan, Naxçivan, Nakhchivan, Nakhijevan or Nakhidjevan, is an exclave of Azerbaijan. The 5,500 km² region borders Armenia (221 km), Turkey (9 km) and Iran (179 km) and consists of 7 rayons: Babak, Julfa, Kangarli, Ordubad, Sadarak, Shahbuz and Sharur. The main city is Nakhichevan, home to the Nakhichevan State University.
Geography and Resources
Nakhichevan is an atmospheric, semi-desert region that is separated from the main portion of Azerbaijan by Armenia. A range of mountains and the Araks River make up the border with Armenia and Iran. It is extremely arid and mountainous and contains large salt deposits. Major industries in the region include: the mining of minerals such as salt, molybdenum, and lead, cotton ginning/cleaning, silk spinning, fruit canning, meat packing, tobacco producing, growing of grain and market garden produce, and, in the dryer regions, sheep farming. The Republic contains very basic facilities and lacks heating fuel during the winter.
History
The city of Nakhichevan was first mentioned in Ptolemy's "Geography" as Naksuana and was said to be established in 4400 BCE. Naksuana is ancient Greek for "the land of sweet water". Since it frequently changed empires, sultanates, and khanates, the name of Nakhichevan was altered many times, changing to: Nakshijahan, Nuhchikhan (the place where Noah landed), Nesheva and etc. Throughout history Nakhichevan land brought up prominent persons such as Hindushah ibn Nakhchivani, Abdurrakhman en Neshevi, Ekmouladdin Nakhchivani, Ajami Nakhchivani, Generals Ehsan, Kelbali, Ismail, Hussein, Jamshid khan Nakhichevanski, Presidents of Azerbaijan Republic Heydar Aliyev and Abulfaz Elchibey and others.
The oldest material culture artifacts found in Nakhichevan date back to the Neolithic Age. The region was part of the states of Mannae, Urartu and Media in 8 – 7 BCE, Achaemenid state in 6 BCE, and later became part of the state of Atropatene, before which it was part of Tigranes the Great's Armenian Empire. In the 3rd century, Nakhichevan was conquered by Persia, in 623 by the Byzantine Empire, and in the middle 7th century by Arabs. In 8th century this area was the arena of Babak uprising. Nakhichevan was part of feudal states of Sajids and Salarids in 9–10 century, and fell under control of Seljuks in 11th century.
In 12th century the city of Nakhichevan became the capital of the Ildegezid Atabeks of Azerbaijan state. The magnificent 12th century mausoleum of Momine khatun, the wife of Ildegizid ruler, Great Atabek Jahan Pehlevan, is the main attraction of modern Nakhichevan. In 13 – 14 centuries the region was invaded by Mongols and Tamerlane. In the 15th century, the territory of Nakhichevan became part of the states of Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu. In the 16th century control of the region passed to the Turkic-speaking Safavid dynasty of Persia. Because of its geographic position, it frequently suffered during the wars between Persia and the Ottoman Empire in 14th – 18th centuries. In 1604, Shah Abbas I Safavi, concerned that the lands of Nakhichevan and the surrounding areas would pass into Ottoman hands, decided to institute a scorched earth policy. He forced most of the local population, which was predominantly Muslim, and including skilled Armenian workers and other Christians, to leave their homes and move deeper into Persia. Many settled in a neighborhood of Isfahan that was named New Julfa since most of the residents were from the original Julfa (a very rich Armenian town which was looted and burned). The Nakhichevan khanate emerged in the region in 1747 after the death of Nadir Shah Afshar, the ruler of Persia. After the two Russo-Iranian wars and the Treaty of Turkmenchay, Nakhichevan khanate passed into Russian possession in 1828. With the onset of Russian rule, the tsarist authorities encouraged massive settlement of Armenians from Persia and Turkey to Nakhichevan and other areas of the Caucasus. Special clauses of the Turkmenchay and Adrianople treaties allowed for this. According to Russian envoy to Persia Alexandr Griboyedov, the number of Armenian population settled to Nakhichevan in 1828 exceeded all reasonable limits, and this resulted in tensions between the newcomers and local population. Griboyedov requested Russian army commander count Ivan Paskevich to give orders on resettlement of some of the arriving people further to the region of Daralayaz to quiet the tensions. Nakhichevan khanate was dissolved in 1828, its territory was merged with the territory of the Erivan khanate and the area became part of the new Armenian oblast (region), which in 1849 was renamed the Erivan governorate of the Russian Empire. Nakhichevan became the Nakhichevan uyezd of the governorate. According to an 1900 estimate, 57% of the population of Nakhichevan were Azerbaijanis (then labeled Aderbeijan Tatars by the Czarist government), and 42% were Armenians. According to the last official Russian Imperial Census of 1897, in Nakhjiran uezd the total population was 100,771, of which Azerbaijanis made up 64,151, Armenians 34,672 and Russians 1,014. Likewise, in the Sharur-Daralagez uezd, which is part of both modern and historic Nakhichevan, the total population was 76,538, of which Azerbaijanis made up 51,560, Armenians 20,726, and Russians 122. Azerbaijanis were also majority in the Erevan and Surmalinsk uezds of the Erivan governorate (see Altstadt A. "The Azerbaijani Turks: Power and Identity under Russian Rule", Hoover Institution Press, 1992, p. 30 ).
After the February Revolution the region was under the authority of Special Transcaucasian Committee of the Russian Provisional Government. Musavat Party proclaimed in Nakhichevan the Republic of Araks, while the Armenian Republic claimed Nakhichevan for itself. In late 1918 Nakhichevan was occupied by British troops. After withdrawal of British troops Nakhichevan was occupied by 11th Red Army troops and Soviet Socialist Republic of Nakhichevan was proclaimed on 28 July 1920. In 1920, Transcaucasia was taken over by the Bolsheviks who, in order to attract public support, promised they would allot Nakhchivan to Armenia, along with Karabakh and Zangezur (a strip separating Nakhichevan from Azerbaijan proper). However, Moscow also had far-reaching plans concerning Turkey -- hoping that it would, with a little help from Russia, develop along Communist lines. Needing to appease Turkey, Moscow agreed to a division that left Zangezur to Armenia, while leaving Karabakh and Nakhichevan in Azerbaijan. As a result, on February 9th 1924 Nakhichevan Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic was formed within the Azerbaijan SSR. Most of the decisions on the transfer of the territories, and the establishment of new autonomous entities, were made under pressure from Stalin, who is still blamed by both Armenians and Azeri's for arbitrary decisions made against their national interests, as well as Anastas Mikoyan, one of the first leaders of Soviet Azerbaijan and top member of Politburo.
In January 1990, Nakhichevan declared independence from USSR to protest suppression of national movement in Azerbaijan, and became Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic within newly independent Republic of Azerbaijan a year later. It now exists and is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan governed by its own elected parliament.
Demographics
As of 1990, Nakhichevan's population was estimated to be 350,000. 98% of the population are Azeris. Ethnic Russians constituted the remaining population. Prior to this, ethnic Armenians once comprised a sizeable minority of the population in Nakhichevan at the turn of the 20th century, but their numbers slowly began to descrease due to emigration. Nevertheless, according to all relevant censuses and surveys, Muslim (Azerbaijani) population has been in majority and also often decreased due to wars and emmigration with simultaneous influx of ethnic Armenians from Persia and Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Indeed, writing in middle of the 19th century, a British intelligence officer, diplomat and prominent researcher notes: "The Armenian population of Erivan and Nakhshevan, although numerically unimportant, deserves a brief notice." By 1987, only two Armenian villages remained in the area. The Armenians remaining were expelled by Azerbaijani forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh war as part of the forceful exchange of population between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Disputes
- Armenian minor governing coalition partner ARF claims that Nakhichevan belongs to Armenia. The programme of the party states: The borders of United Armenia shall include all territories designated as Armenia by the Treaty of Sevres as well as the regions of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Javakhk, and Nakhichevan.
- Nakhichevan's border with Armenia has been closed since 1989; the border was closed by Armenia in retaliation to Azerbaijan's closure of the rest of its borders as part of a larger conflict the two countries were involved in (see Nagorno-Karabakh).
- Armenia has blockaded Nakhchevan since 1989.
- In defiance of United Nations resolutions, Nakhichevan issued a declaration in the late 1990's recognizing the sovereignty of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and calling upon Azerbaijan to do so. While sympathetic to the TRNC, Azerbaijan has not followed suit because of Greek Cypriot threats to recognize the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Armenian-controlled Azeri territory).
- Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of embarking on campaign between 1998 and December 2005 to completely demolish the cemetery of finely carved Armenian khachkars in Julfa. Numerous Armenian organizations and authorities, including the Foreign Ministry, have sent official protests to the UNESCO and the United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Reno Harnish . Azerbaijan denies there has been destruction despite a confirmation by the IWPR. According to the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US Khafiz Pashayev, the videos and photographs that have surfaced show some unknown people destroying some mid-size stones and is not clear of what ethnicity those people are. Instead, the ambassador asserts that the Armenian side started a propaganda campaign against Azerbaijan to divert attention from the destruction of Azerbaijani monuments in Armenia. According to Scottish traveler Steven Sim who visited Nakhchivan recently, there has been going on a state policy of destruction of Armenian monuments in general . On May 30, 2006, Azerbaijan barred the European Parliament from inspecting and examining the ancient burial site. Charles Tannock, British Conservative Party foreign affairs spokesman in the European parliament, stated: "This is very similar to the Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban. They have concreted the area over and turned it into a military camp. If they have nothing to hide then we should be allowed to inspect the terrain." Hannes Swoboda, an Austrian socialist MEP and member of the committee barred from examining the site, said he hopes a visit can be arranged in the autumn. He stated that "if they do not allow us to go, we have a clear hint that something bad has happened. If something is hidden we want to ask why. It can only be because some of the allegations are true." He also warned: "One of the major elements of any country that wants to come close to Europe is that the cultural heritage of neighbors is respected." However, according to a report and photo-evidence by the HETQ investigative journalists of Armenia publication, many destroyed khachkars have appeared in Yerevan itself, but brought from other parts of the country. The fact that demolished khachkars have appeared on Armenian soil implies that the destruction was done by Armenians themselves. "Apparently they had been in someone's way, and he or she “liberated” the territory and decided to use them as building materials. No one had tried to prevent the dislocation, the carnage of headstones", writes HETQ report's author, Edik Baghdasaryan. "Armenians everywhere have closed ranks to protest against the barbarous destruction of Armenian khachkars by Azerbaijanis in Nakhidjevan," Baghdasaryan said. "But who will protest, who will fight against us, here at home? Perhaps we should appeal to various international organizations and ask them to come and protect our treasures from ourselves?"
Footnotes
- Encyclopedia Iranica, "Atabakan-e Adarbayjan", Saljuq rulers of Azerbaijan, 12th–13th, Luther, K. pp. 890-894.
- Encyclopedia Iranica. Kangarlu.
- A.S. Griboyedov. Letter to count I.F.Paskevich. (In Russian)
- Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary. Nakhichevan. St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890-1907 (In Russian)
- Sir Henry Rawlinson, 14 Nov 1859, "Georgia and Caucasus", Report #838, from: British documents on foreign affairs - reports and papers from the Foreign Office confidential print, Part I, from the mid-nineteenth century to the First World War. Series A, Russia, 1859-1914, General editors Kenneth Bourne and D. Cameron Watt, University Publications of America, 1983, p. 11.
- http://www.nato.int/acad/fellow/97-99/menteshashvili.pdf
- A.R.F. Programme
- Nagorno Karabakh: A Straightforward Territorial Conflict
- Regnum News Agency report.
- HETQ Online (Armenia), "We Need to Defend Ourselves from Ourselves", by Edik Baghdasaryan, April 10, 2006
External links
- Official website of Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic
- History of Nakhchivan
- Nakhichevan Guide on Armeniapedia.org with Armenian history and monument information.