Page 6 - DIVA_No.24_2006

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Roots deeper than oil

The land that has unique of UNESCO sites as special-
natural beauty and wealth of ly protected monuments of
climatic features; the space nature.
where European modernity
and Asian wisdom merge The Caspian Sea washing
and where ancient trade besides Azerbaijan the coasts
routes had crossed; the land of four other littoral states-the
Federation,
that defied the Romans and Russian
Alexander the Great, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
Mongol and Arab invasions; and Iran, softens the climate,
serves as the important trans-
of
the
birthplace
Zoroastrianism where cur- port channel, is rich with oil
rently Islam, Christianity and fish and supports health
and Judaism harmoniously resorts and recreational facil-
co-exist; the land that gave ities on the coast. The territo-
birth to such geniuses as ry of Azerbaijan is rich with
Nizami Ganjavi, Nasimi, underwater, thermal and min-
Fuzuli and where unique eral springs, like well-known
style of music known as Sirab, Istisu and Badamli.
Mughain was born and Sea subtropics of Lankaran, Maiden Tower (Qiz Qalasi), XII century
where jazz-mughain and alpine meadows of the
symphonic nugham were woody mountains of and century. Albania (not to be confused
invented; country where the canyons of Garabagh, Shaki, with present day Albania
Zagatala and Gakh, spacious
first-ever Beginning of civilization located in the Balkans)
Democratic
Republic in the Orient steppes of Mil and Shirvan, in Azerbaijan included a number of differ-
almost a century ago was opulent fruit gardens of ent nationalities, most of
established; the land of Shamakhi and Ordubad, Azerbaijans rich and long which spoke Turkic lan-
peace, tolerance and con- foothills of Guba and Alpine guages. Christianity was
history dates back to the third
science, from where rich meadows of Gusar -all of this adopted in Caucasian
millennium BC. The ancient
culture, traditions, history is Azerbaijan. Albania since 313 AD. The
states of Azerbaijan, which
and civilization derive; the territory of Albania also
maintained political, eco-
"Land f' Fire", the land The historical heritage of the nomic and cultural ties with included the mountainous
that is called Azerbaijan. country is strewn with thou- Sumer and Akkad and part of Garabagh, known at
sand-year monuments. A formed part of the wider civ- that time as Artsakh.
Covering a relatively small vivid example: rock figures ilization of Mesopotamia,
territory and hugging the of the prehistoric epoch of were governed at times by Over the period from the first
shores of the Caspian Sea, neolithic cave paintings in dynasties of Turkic descent. to the fourth centuries when
Azerbaijan has unique natu- Gobustan (50 km south of the The Turkic-speaking peoples the entire Caucasus area was
ral features, with nine of capital Baku, spelled Baki in under the yoke of the Roman
who have inhabited the area
eleven existing climatic Azerbaijani), brought in lists of Azerbaijan since ancient empire, Caucasian Albania
zones from subtropics to of protected monuments of times were fire-worshippers remained the only independ-
Alpine mountains. Part of the UNESCO. Among numerous ent state and with its political
and adherents of one of the
South Caucasus, Azerbaijan monuments of culture, it is worlds oldest religions- independence came a flower-
is known as a mountain coun- possible to see Roman Zoroastrianism. A vital role ing of Albanian culture, lan-
try: the peaks of the Greater fortresses and numerous guage and literature. This
was played in Azerbaijani
and Lesser Caucasus, and the remains of medieval fortress- same period saw the growing
history by the kingdom of
Talish Mountains surrounds es, caravanserais, mau- Atropaten, which came into strength and influence of the
the Kur-Araz plains, with the soleums of the Islamic epoch existence in the southern part autocephalous Albanian
highest peak at Bazarduzu of and early Christian monu- Catholicos and of the
of the country in the 520s BC
4,466 meters. ments of the Caucasian and which was heavily influ- Albanian Church, in general,
Albania period. The architec- enced by Hellenism. which was independent of
Mud volcanoes, erupting a tural monuments of Baku, other Christian churches and
mixture of mud, water and Azerbaijan's capital are also The Caucasian Albanian state even propagated Christianity
gas, is another peculiar phe- worth visiting-with a popula- among the north Caucasian
was created in the northern
nomenon in the territory of tion of 2.5 million people. region of Azerbaijan during and Turkic-speaking peoples.
Azerbaijan with nearly 400 Baku was connected to the
the early years of the 3rdmil-
among 800 world mud volca- medieval East, and boasts an lennium BC, with the river Following the invasion by the
noes located in the country, architectural Arabs, the dominant religion
eclecticism
Araz as its southern frontier.
some of which are in the list beginning in the end of 19th
The people of Caucasian from the early 8th century in
42 2006 Diva