British citizen Paul Fisher wrote about Nakhchivan in social networks

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Published on Tuesday, 04 September 2018 09:46

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On August 29, British citizen Paul Fisher paid a visit to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. He posted information about Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on “Facebook” and “Instagram” social networks when he returned his country. Paul Fisher mentions Nakhchivan is the homeland of the Prophet Noah: “As legend has it, when Noah’s Ark passed through these lands on the way to Ararat (now in modern day Turkey), it struck  the mountain of Hachadag so hard that it made a notch in the rocky peak of the mountain. Nakhchivan purports to be ‘the land of Noah - a claim that gives it its very name. One of the many tombs in the world testifying to the death of the father of Shem was built here”.

The foreigner later notes about the history of Nakhchivan: “Nakhchivan was once one of the independent Khanates of Transcaucasia. Khan palace was built in Nakhchivan city. Similar structures can be found in Sheki, Crimea and at Bakhchiserai.

The treaty of Turkmenchay finally settled the borders between Persia and the Russian Empire at the banks of the River Araz. Subsequently, the Bolsheviks split Nakhchivan from the mainland of Azerbaijan to ensure that the latter did not share a border with Turkey. The region between the mainland and its exclave known to Azeris as ‘Zangezur’ was given to Armenia by the Bolsheviks in 1920 - a fact that causes great resentment to this day.

Nakhchivan suffered terribly under blockade. Its geographical location - cut off from the mainland - meant that it was denied electricity, suffered scarcity of water and lacked basic goods. Today the story is very different. Well-built roads, new buildings and restored monuments testify to a developing infrastructure. Despite that, the way of life for many remains simple - here, fruit sellers of Nakhchivan sell their produce by the side of the road, not far from Hachadag”.

Then British citizen notes in his next post: “This year, Azerbaijan celebrated 100 years of independence: independence not from the USSR, of course, but from its predecessor the Russian empire. Between1918-1920 there existed the first parliamentary democracy in the Islamic east. It provided universal suffrage before the US or the U.K. This government is highly respected within Azerbaijan as an example of a trailblazing, secular administration - it was brought to an unceremonious end in April 1920 by the Bolsheviks”.

The guest who visited Garabaghlar village shares photos from this village: “The image here is of the mausoleum of Garabaghlar in the quiet village bearing its name. The minarets, fashioned like the ones in Samarkand’s Bibi Khanym, have recently been restored to their former glory”.

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