Since our ancient history is expressed in the foreign written sources, in some cases we have to come across with its distorted versions. However, no one is able to raze the truth from the pages of the history. We well know that in the antique sources the south part of Azerbaijan is introduced as Atropatena and the north part of Azerbaijan as Albania. Therefore, there is no need to give a detailed explanation.

However, since our aim is to view our past, it would be reasonable to go back to the past and to throw light upon some moments of the history.

In the last stage of the Kur-Araz culture settlement of all mountainous regions of Azerbaijan (Khoshbulag barrow, settlements in Istisu plateau, which is proved by the on-rock drawings) had already finished.

The Middle Bronze Age is the age of the flowering of art in Azerbaijan, which is proved by the tracery on pottery. In Gоbусtаn (Boyukdash, Yazilitapa), Galingаyа and other areas of Kalbajar (e.g. Gochdash, Sariyer Galin Gayasi, Jeyran Bulaghi, etc.) on-rock drawings describe the fauna, everyday life and hunting, as well as entertainment and magic (shamanism).

 

***

…Albans and Aderbaigans, who preserved old religious beliefs after Arabian occupations, had to adopt Islam. In Albania, political influence of Christianity was limited to the territory of Arsakh. Christians of Arsakh spoke in various languages such as Turkic and Iranian (Persian).

The fact that the ancestors of Armenians, who, today, “defy the world” with the help of their chauvinist supporters, were not among the nations settled in Caucasus is proved by such historical evidences.

Karabakh, as a historical and ethnographical province, first belonged to Alban nation, then it was under the bondage of Arab Caliphate, after the collapse of the Arabian empire it belonged to Salaries in the X century, to Sajies in the XI century, to Shaddadies in the XI-XII centuries, to Atabay-Eldagizes in the XII-XIII centuries, to Hulakies (Elkhanies) from the first half of the XIII till XIV century, and to Garaguyunlu and Aghgoyunlu nations in the XV century.

Safavies nation established Karabakh baylarbayate covering the territory of Karabakh historical and ethnographical province, the centre of which was Ganja. The northern border of the baylarbayate reached the Samket mountains. In 1736, Nаdir Shаh, in order to punish Ziydoghullari – Ganja khan dynasty, who supposedly opposed him (It also was a provocation of Armenians aimed at making two neighboring khanates enemies or inveigle them not to support each-other at hard times. That was the dirtiest policy used by the Armenians at all times. Unfortunately, today such policy is carried out internationally and in most cases it is even supported), took Gazakh and Borchali regions and gave them to Georgia. According to the sources, Shaddadies nation covered all of the territory of Karabakh Baylarbayate. It seems that though the state and administrative provincial borders of Azerbaijan were changed at those times, Karabakh, characterized for its specific material, economic and moral culture, uninterruptedly continued its development as an ethnographic province.

When Azerbaijan was divided into feudal states – khanates during the period from late XVII to mid XVIII, Karabakh and Ganja khanates were established in the territory of Karabakh Baylarbayate.

Notwithstanding that the borders of Karabakh sometimes partially changed within the administrative territorial division of that periods while it belonged to several states (khanates) of Azerbaijan, its traditional economy, material and moral cultures were established and developed.

The establishment of independent feudal state – Karabakh Khanate, economic, political and cultural measures taken for protection of its independence lead to comprehensive growth and progress in the socio-economic life of Karabakh historical and ethnographic province.

The khanate reached Kur-Araz rivers in the south-east, Araz river in the south, Karabakh mountains - Koshbak, Salvarti and Arikli mountains and Goycha lake in the west and bordered on Goran-Kur rivers in the north.

At that times, Karabakh was divided into seventeen regions - mahals: Sisian, Damirchi-Aslanli, Gupara, Bargushad, Vahabyurd, Kabirli, Tаlish, Javanshir, Khаchin, Chilabird, Khirda-para, Dizzkh, Otuziki, Iyirmidord, Gаrachoplu, Varand and Ajan-turk. The population of twelwe mahals wholly consisted of azeri turks (there were mixed nations in some villages).*

 The territory of Karabakh covers the area between the rivers Kur-Araz starting from the Little Caucasus mountain chain, rises towards the west and finally lies down to the crest of the Muravdagh Mountain (at the top of Djamishdagh from 3724 m from the sea level). Summoning the history written to the fortune of Karabakh gloomy moments are lightened up. Just here we tried even partly to elucidate the date of stretching black hands towards Karabakh exposed over and again to severe material and moral blow of aliens.

The relation of Armenians with Karabakh and crave for settling down here was straightly concerned with “historical services” and sureness of Armenians provided for invaders within the occupation of Azerbaijan by aliens in various periods. When the Arabs occupied Azerbaijan the diophyzit sect of Christian religion existed as in Albania, the Byzantine Empire. But the Armenians belonged to monophyzit-gregorian sect. At that time the Arabian caliphate was the sole and main opponent of the Byzantine Empire. The Arabs made use of them, i.e. discontented forces for holding the countries being under the influence of the Byzantine Empire, and one of those discontented forces were namely the Armenians. Giving religious independence to Armenians the Arabs made use of them both against the Byzantine Empire and the Albania as well. The main duty of the Armenians was preventing the relationship between the Albania and the Byzantine Empire concerned with each other due to the religious sect. Thus as soon as Ilya, the Armenian Catholics informed about the Alban church being of Byzantine bias owing to the Caliphate (nearly in 704) the Alban church made dependent upon the Armenian Gregorian church. So the Armenian Church commenced to gregorianize the Alban church. Nevertheless, it came across a serious counteraction of the population. As Albania was under the government of the Arabs, the population admitting the Islam religion gained the opportunity of free activity in the Muslim countries together being set free from some taxes.

To the end of X century Islam religion gained a victory in Azerbaijan. And the nation preserving the faith of Christian religion assembled in the mountainous part of the present Karabakh and formed Khachin Princedom.

Still in XVIII century during the period of Hasan Djalal, the duke of Khachin Princedom Gandzasar cloister was built and made the center of Alban Catholics and diophyzit sect conquered again. The mentioned center acting independently started disagreeing with the Armenian Church. This priority of the Alban church was kept on even after Azerbaijan being occupied by the kingdom, i.e. till 1836 year. The historians speaking about Alban diophyzit and Armenian monophyzit sects in the territory of Arsakh-Khachin either keep apart the ethnic belonging of Khachin kin of the Albans living namely in this territory, relation of the territory with which ethnographic province and state from the economic-cultural point of view or consider it second-class fact. Generally, according to historical sources the historical ethnographic researches conducted in Zangazur and Karabakh prove that the Karabakh population consists of one root – the Albans in 1723 the Karabakh kings named themselves as the Albans (aghvan) in the letter sent to Peter I, as well as showed the population being the Muslim Albans (aghvan) living with them by neighborhood. This fact either proves the Karabakh population being of the same origin for ethnical structure. From the other side, the kingdom notion used in the administrative division of Karabakh is the administrative territory division system belonging only to Azerbaijan.

The mixture of king-feudal notion of Azerbaijan is nakhar. The very term was noted neither in Karabakh nor in other regions of Azerbaijan. Toponymy scientists are of unanimous conception that Karabakh, Arsakh, Khachin, Alban terms are of Turkish origin.

The Alban ethnography discovers his parallel only among Turkish nations – Kazakh, Kirghiz, Turkman, Turkish and Altai nations. The Chinese translate the word “Alban” as “Azerbaijan”. Nagorno-Karabakh Arsakh (ar-sak) name being taken from the name of Scythians formed their kingdom between the rivers Kur-Araz even in the forth millennium is one of the facts grounding on historical sources.

It’s noted as ashguza ishguza in the Assur sources. In the district forming the mountainous part of Karabakh when the Khachin stock superseded owing to consolidation of stocks was named Khachin district, and when the Djavanshir kith became lading force in the political life the district was called Djavanshir district and the surroundings became under its command.

 

***

At the beginning of the XX century occupation of Azerbaijan by Russia was systematically and consistently provided. Upon occupying Gandja Sisiyanov, Commander-in-Chief of Caucasus troops wrote in the report number 19 dated from May 22, 1805: “Karabakh is considered the door of Azerbaijan, as well as Iran thanks to its geographical position, thus we should keep it under obedience and try more to strengthen our position”.

The plain aim of this character was soon realized and on 24th of May, 1805 subject to the agreement concluded between Ibrahim khan, the Karabakh khan and Sisiyanov on the bank of the Kurakchay the Karabakh khanate (historical Karabakh) included to the Russian subordination.

In 1822 the Karabakh khanate was liquidated and instead of it new province of the same name was founded and overturned to Shusha uyezd and included to Caspi (Caspian) district. In 1868 upon formation of Elizavetpol (Gandja) province Shusha uyezd was included to the very province and new Zangazur uyezd was established in the structure. In 1883, new Djavanshir and Djabrayil uyezds were formed in the structure of Shusha uyezd. Kalbadjar was included to the structure of Djavanshir uyezd.

We would like to note that, the mentioned administrative division of Karabakh was kept on till 1921, i.e. got shattered from time to time, according to the purposes of the aliens either was wrecked or becoming the province was the victim of political plays.

Necessity of forming a state under the name of Armenia was the idea of the realm and his follower the soviet government. Upon establishing the Armenian SSR the big part of Karabakh Zangazur uyezd was given to it in 1921 and in 1923 the Armenians got autonomy in the mountainous part of Karabakh (entirely the Djavanshir uyezd and the mountainous part of Shusha and Djabrayil uyezds). So, NGAR was established and the expression of “Nagorno-Karabakh” was included to our lexicon.

Consequently Karabakh and either its mountainous or low-lying lands was exposed to the occupation of the invaders. At the end of the last century thanks to the military-political, economic-social support of the Russian chauvinism the Armenians reinvaded the territories of Azerbaijan, and exposed not only the mountainous part of Karabakh but also our low-lying Karabakh. Our banished residents from Zangazur, Iravan and twelve provinces existed formerly there together with more than a million wanderers from Lachin, Shusha, Kalbadjar, Aghdam, Fizuli, Djabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan were driven out of their native goods and chattels.

***

To tell the truth, I was both rejoiced and suffocated with rage when wet some article concerning the toponymy, ethnography, physical and economic geography, natural underground and surface resources published in the press. I was rejoiced because eventually the mysteries, exchequers are on the eve of discover, a cognate peoples are found. I was suffocated with rage as the province staying closed fro centuries stood far. Even the region was tried to be liquidated as an administrative territory “subject to not justifying itself, taking state subsidy”.

One of the authors of the very investigation is Musa Kazimov, candidate of technical sciences, assistant professor of Azerbaijan Oil Academy. As there are resplendent facts concerning the history, ethnography, natural resources of Kalbadjar unknown to us, I consider my duty to give some moments of the result of the investigation of Mr.Musa for by the way.

“…the territory of Kalbadjar region being in the structure of Karabakh khanate within the existence and the regress of Albanian state is indicated as Tartar territory”. The base of Karabakh khanate is composed of joined Turkish ethnos and speaks in Azerbaijan language. The territory of Kalbadjar regions is rich in natural resources and for many years the very land was away of investigations. Fortunately, gold deposits have been discovered by geologist-scientists and explorers like G.I.Allahverdiyev, Z.M.Atakishiyev, academician V.M.Vahabzade, J.A.Bektashi, T.G.Hadjiyev, O.D.Hamzayev, A.S.Heydarov, G.M.Guliyev, N.E.Gurkhman, N.A.Zeynalov, academician M.A.Gashgay, M.M.Konstantinov, T.N.Nasibov, V.R.Ramazanov, I.N.Sitkovski, S.M.Suleymanov, E.S.Suleymanov, Kh.Kh.Farzullayev, A.Sh.Shikhalibeyli etc.

Mercury deposits in the territory of Kalbadjar are as below: Aghyatag, Eyvan, Levchay, Shorbulag.

The information concerning the above mentioned deposits you can find out in the monographs of S.M.Suleymanov, V.M.Vahabzade, T.N.Nasibov published in 1974 and 2001 years. The below mentioned scientists have worked in Kalbadjar (See: V.E.Poyarkov, 1995; N.M.Sinitsin, 1959; V.I.Smirnov, 1958 and the others).

At the same time industry, defense technology, aviation, chromite, serpantenite for rocket engineering, construction (kechaldash) materials, saw stones, coating stones etc. materials have been investigated by the above specified world wide Azerbaijani and foreign scientists and efficient fields established.

Istisu springs in Kalbadjar are analogues of world wide Karlovi-Vari in Czechoslovakia and Jeleznovodsk hot water springs in Russia. The data concerning the hot water springs belongs to XIX AD. Up to 1933 information concerning the hot water springs are met in the books of Groom (1855), Q.Abikh (1867), V.Meller, Z.Getman (1909) and M.Denisov. The chemical analysis of Upper Istisu springs was conducted in 1927. Its treatment significance was confirmed by M.E.Afandiyev. In the following years the expedition founded under the guidance of academician Mirali Gashgay investigated Istisu springs.

Besides geological-hydrological and physical-chemical investigations, the study of treatment features of Istisu mineral waters has been commenced that M.E.Afandiyev, H.F.Afonski, V.Aghalarov, V.Olenov, A.I.Garayev, S.Hasanov, T.Gadimova, M.Huseynov and others participated closely.

In 1951 itinerant scientific session devoted to Istisu by Azerbaijan SSR Academy of Sciences and Azerbaijan SSR Ministry of Health, afterwards conference for mastering Istisu health resort in Baku was provided.

At Former Soviet period the sanatorium of union scale had been constructed and the number of people visiting in these sanatoriums from foreign and allied republics for treatment and rest purposes increased year after year. Certainly, among the notable visitors – writers, poets, scholars, statesmen were of special importance. The permanent guests of Istisu were people’s writers Ali Valiyev, Suleyman Rahimov, people’s poets Mammad Araz, Mammad Rahim, R.Rza, Osman Sarivalli, Gabil, Gasham Aslan, Z.Yagub and others.

In scientific symposium conducted in Moscow in 1977 the on-rock images of Kalbadjar were evaluated as the most valuable discovery of the year for its subject profundity, historical and artistic value. World-famed scientist, Russian Archeological Society The Eastern Department, the president of Azerbaijan bureau, the member of the international academic council of cultural inheritance institute of Turkmenistan, Central Asia and eastern peoples, the member of the International Carpet Association, the professor of Baku State University Hidayat Djafarov, professor Ajdar Farzali, the late poet-scientist, the director of the Kalbadjar history-ethnography museum Shamil Asgar Dalidagh are among the peoples acknowledging Kalbadjar on-rock images, pictures.

The mentioned pictures and marks, Gamigaya and Ghobustan on-rock picture and marks reproved to the world that this written history belongs only to Azerbaijan. It is the symbolic copy of eternal Turkish Goodness belief – the same mythic mentality, the same material-moral faith transferred to the rocks.

Scientific research of on-rock images, pictographic scripts taken by G.Ismayilov, Sh.A.Dalidagh in Kalbadjar and Dalidagh, as well as in other lands of the regions grounds to come to the below mentioned conclusion:

As its known, one of the territories of the first human camps, carst caves is Kalbadjar, the healing and picturesque nooks of Azerbaijan. Within 1981-1987 Tartar, Shordara, Gamishli, Gosha kaha, Dahna, Istisu, Orta Shurtan, Zar caves in the territory of Kalbadjar regions were investigated by the professor Asadulla Djafarov, M.Huseynov, V.Aliyev, M.Mansurov etc., the members of paleolith archeological expedition of Archeology and Ethnography Institute of Azerbaijan Republic and discovered that peoples lived in these territories starting from even in the Paleolithic period.

Ancient castle, temple, cloister remaining, ruins are met in the territory of Kalbadjar region. Near Istisu in the place called Yazyurdu the ruins of the castle with approximately 20 metr diameter, consisting of 12 rooms, temple remaining in Keshtak village, on the highway of Kalbadjar-Istisu, temple in Zar village, Bulanigsu, Khotavand, Chapli, Lev temples can be bright samples of it. The names of prominent scientists like Arif Mammadov and others occupied with finding, investigation, structure, architectural peculiarities of the mentioned temples should be noted. It became known according to the excavations provided under his guidance that owing to their structure, architectural peculiarities these temples were constructed in VI-XII centuries. It is interesting that, the scripts on one of the stones found in Keshtak temple consisted of 7 lines written with big litters and without interval. In the second line of the script “of Hasan” word can be read that this is the name of one of the four Hasan kings during the Khachin kingdom in XII-XIII centuries.

Scientists M.Khalilov and S.Nematov were engaged with the investigation of on-tomb monuments, statues in the territory of Kalbadjar region. They defined belonging to khazaries lived before 250 years, the kin that the horse monument on the tomb of Orudj Farahganli buried in 1870 in Kalbadjar urban cemetery concerned to. Such stone statues can be found in the whole territories of Kalbadjar.

In our interview with academician Budag Budagov, the director of Geographical Institute of National Scientific Academy of Azerbaijan Republic I learned his departure for Kalbadjar in 1948 purposely for engagement with the investigation of intensive rocks in Little Caucasus. The academician remembers those years as follows:

“…In the summer of 1948 we were climbing to Gochdash – summer pasture in mountains of Shapilar village of Kalbadjar. Each imprudent step made on sub alpine grasslands could be considered a crime from the ecological point of view, as the under of each imprudent made step crumpled natural flowers of various colors, died out different insects, hundreds microorganisms, wrinkled soil fauna.

I looked attentively at the color of grassland flowers, and red, yellow, white, black, blue, violet and flowers of the mixture of the named colors are precious presents gifted by the God to us and generally to biosphere. I was astonished by them. Each root of the flower is a natural laboratory full of extracts. Each of them synthesize the substance from the soil of the color that it wants, splashes to flowers thanks to roots, trunks, leaves.

Besides, the root of each flower splash the aroma taken from the soil to its crown and the aroma originated from the mixture of fragrance enjoys you greatly….”

From the recollections of the academician Teymur Bunyadov: “Exact times, “tulip times of the mountains” the flower time of the garden I visited Kalbadjar related with some my scientific works. We traveled all over the mountains, met with the people. We collected very valuable materials about our customs and traditions, the history, historical monuments. Now destroyed, waiting for us, “where are you? Why you don’t come, when will you come”saying Kalbadjar was historical-ethnographic museum, treasury, and hoard under open air…”

In 1976 the academician Bakir Nabiyev was in Kalbadjar together with academician Kamal Talibzade, Vagif Samadoglu related with 70 year anniversary of S.Vurghun and met with region leadership and especially with Dada Shamshir.

Really I don’t feel need to write the words of hundreds statesmen, thousands of scientists, poets, writers etc. worked in Kalbadjar formerly. Kalbadjar district, the cradle of saz and word is known for its elders, scientist, mastered ashugs and talented poets. Historically neighboring with Goycha and Zangazur district, Karabakh and as well as Gandjabasar, conducting good-harm assemblies jointly the sameness in the mastery art of Kalbadjar land ashughs, as well as stylistic and moral proximity in the poetic of land poets living in these districts informs about literary environment standing on the same root. It’s not coincidently that famous saz and word masters like Ashug Ali, Ashug Alasgar, Bozalqanli Ashug Huseyn, Novras Iman were always in close relation with Kalbadjar, its hospitable and grateful peoples, founded new works of art by settling in this prettiness dwelling.

 

*  See. Kh.D.Khalilov, “National world of Karabakh”

Baku, “Azerneshr”-1992