Cities and regions

Nakhchivan city – The capital of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The territory is 191,57 km², the population is 131 thousand (01.01.2016).

There is 1 settlement and 5 villages in Nakhchivan. It is one of the oldest cities of Azerbaijan. The distance from Nakhchivan to Baki is 536 km. The climate is continental. The average temperature is – 3,8⁰C in January, 26,9⁰C in July, and the annual precipitation is 236 mm.

It is situated on the junction of a big industrial, scientific and cultural center, an important railway and automobile transport. There is an International Airport.

There is a military cadet school named after Heydar Aliyev, 3 High Schools, 3 secondary professional schools, 21 secondary schools, 7 out of school institutions and 9 preschool educational institutions, 8 libraries, 4 club institutions, 12 museums, 7 musical schools, the Nakhchivan branch of ANAS, Nakhchivan State Musical Drama Theatre named after J.Mammadguluzadeh, Nakhchivan State Puppet Theatre named after Mohammad Taghi Sidgi, Nakhchivan State Children’s Theatre, Nakhchivan State Philarmonic, Nakhchivan State Children Philharmonic, Nakhchivan State Picture Gallery, The Olympic Sport Complex named after Ilham Aliyev, The Swimming Center, the Chess Center, Nakhchivan Tourism Information Center, "Nakhchivan cuisine" Culinary Center, Nakhchivan center, 3 cultural and rest parks, “Ganjlik” Center, the Diagnostics Treatment Center, Maternity Center, 14 hospitals, State organs, and other service infrastructures in Nakhchivan.

State Television and Radio Broadcasting Committee of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republicat the Center for Radio and Television Transmission and "Canal 35" TV function in the city of Nakhchivan.

"Voice of Nakhchivan", which started operating on September 19, 2001, broadcast on the radio station 100.3 FM, eighteen hours a day in all regions of the republic.

"Sherg gapisi" is published as a public-political newspaper since 1921. The founder is the Supreme Council and the Council of Ministers of the  Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The newspaper named "Land of Noah", which is the organ of Executive Power of Nakhchivan City,  has been publishing since 1996. The newspaper plays an important role in the political life of the city.

The highway, passing through the city of Nakhchivan and being a first-class way, is 7 km in length. The railway, which is 1,6 km long, is a second-class way.

Sharur region - It was established as a region on August 08, 1930. It borders on Armenia in the North-East and Iran in the South-West. The territory is 872,26 km², population is 113,4 thousand (01.01.2016).

The center is the city of Sharur. There are  65 villages in the region.

The territory of the region consists of mountains and sloping plains. It has a dry cold half desert dry step in summer and a cold dry climate in winter.

The Araz and the Arpachay rivers flow through the territory of the region. Arpachay water reservoir is situated in the region. It is mainly an agricultural region.

There are 57 secondary schools, a professional trade school, 6 out of class schools, 2 professional institutions, 60 libraries, 67 club institutions, 2 museum, the Arpachay History – Cultural reservation, 6 children musical schools, “Bahar” cinema, central hospital, 1 field hospitals, 1 out patient’s clinics, 32 medical midwife stations, 28 doctor’s assistant stations, the center of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and other organizations in the region.

Sharur region is rich in archaeological and historical monuments. Monuments, which belong to all periods of history starting from Stone Age, exist here. The cave Gazma, monument Oglangala, Garasu Tower, Giz Tower, Parchi Imamzadesi, Tomb of Piri-Suleyman, bath of Yengidje have special importance among the archealogical monuments in Sharur region.

A monument to national leader Heydar Aliyev is erected in the center of the district..

Babak region – It was established as a region on October 23, 1978. It borders on Armenia in the North-West and Iran in the South. The territory is 828,42 km², population is 73,3 thousand  (01.01.2016).

The center is the Babak settlement. There are 36 villages in the region.

The territory of the region consists of the Zangazur, Daralayaz mountain chains hills, the plains of Nakhchivan and Gulustan. The highest peak of the region is the Buzgov mountain (2475 m). Its climate is dry cold half desert type in summer, dry cold type climate in winter.

The region is rich in mineral water resources. Sirab and Vaykhir mineral water springs are popular all over the world. The Araz, the Nakhchivanchay, and other rivers flow through its territory. There are Uzunoba, Nehram, Sirab, Jahri, Gahab reservoirs and irrigation canals in the region. It is mainly an agricultural region.

There are 36 secondary schools, 6 out of school institutions, 1 preschool educational institution, 38 libraries, 13 club institutions, 17 house of Culture, 1 the Folk theater, 2 museums, 5 children’s musical schools, a central hospital, a maternity house, 2 field hospitals, 14 out patients’ clinics, 18 medical midwife stations, 4 doctor’s assistant stations, the center of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and other organizations in the region.

The territory of the region Babek is rich in minerals, such as stone, salt, and building materials. The mineral springs Sirab, Vaykhir, Jahri, Gahab, and others are also found in this region.

The region is also rich in its fauna and flora. There are varieties of fish in the reservoir of Araz water station.

The territory of region Babek is also rich in historical archaeological monuments. I Kultepe and II Kultepe, which have the world importance, are in the area of Babek. In addition to these, Chalkhangala archaeological monument and Abbasabad is are also located here.

The statue of Babek in the center of the region , monumental complex of martyrs, martyrs memorial complex Nehram, Cheshmebasar Martyr spring, Tumbul the memorial monument of the Great Patriotic War are erected in the region.

Recently, the historical and architectural monuments in the region were carried out to repair and restore. A monument to national leader Heydar Aliyev was erected in the center of the region.

Ordubad region –It was established as a region on August 8, 1930. In 1963, the activity of the region was canceled and given under the administration of Julfa region, and on January 6, 1965, it was reestablished.

It borders on Iran in the South, on Armenia in the North and East. The territory of the region is 978.99km², and the population is 49.2 thousand (01.01.2016). The center of the region is the city of Ordubad. There are 3 settlements and 43 villages in the region.

The territory of the region consists of the Zangazur mountain chain and the plains along the Araz river . The highest top is the Gapijig (3904 m) mountain. The climate type is dry in summer and cold in winter. The rivers Araz, Ordubad, Vanand, and others flow in the territory of the region. It is mainly an agricultural region.

39 secondary schools, a professional school, 5 out of class schools and 2 professional institutions, 47 libraries, 42 club institutions, 5 museums, the popular “Gamigaya” historical monuments complex, the National park named after Hasan Aliyev, the Ordubad Historical-Agricultural reservation, 2 children musical schools, the “Araz” cinema, a central hospital, 4 field hospitals, 7 out patient’s clinics, 17 midwife stations, 14 doctor’s assistant stations, the center of Hygiene and Epidemiology and other organizations serve the people in the region.

Historical and architectural monuments

There are more than 100 historical, architectural, and archaeological monuments in the region. Over 30 of them are protected by the state. "Sarshahar mosque", "Ambaras mosque", "Jame mosque", "Mingis mosque", "Takeshiyi Mosque", which belong to Medieval history, 48 underground water sources, the bath building - the remembrance of the sixteenth century, "Nusnus sacred place", "Vanand mosque",  the bridge of "Aza" - which belongs to the eighteenth century and is situated on the ancient "Silk Way";  the archaeological remains of the sixteenth century - "Kharabagilan" reserves, academic Y. Mammadaliyev's, a great writer M.S Ordubadi's, and M.T.Sidgi's home-museums, Ordubad region local History museum, and Gamigaya museum are among them. The territory of Ordubad region, the old inhabitance place of Nakhchivan, is rich in monuments belonging to Stone Age-Middle Age period.

Petroglyphs of Gamigaya are in the territory of Nabiyurdu, Djamysholen and Garangush plateaus, in the southern and western slopes of the summit Gapijig (3904m). The main area, where the rock carvings are located, is the Garangush flat. Residence places and necropolises, which are rich in old culture remains and are the memory of b.c. II-I millennia, such as Sabirkend, Plovdağ, Kharaba Gilan, Şomudere, Khalı-Kashan, Mərdangol, and etc., are existing here. These territories were the upland places of ancient farmer-breeder tribes who lived in the valleys of the river Araz, Gilanchay, Nakhchivanchay, and Alinjachay. The artifacts of ancient period, Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as medieval times, exist in the villages of Ordubad region, such as Gilan, Bilav, Paraga, Tivi, Nasirvaz, Khurs and others.

While the monument, which is located on the left shore of Gilanchay, near the village of Bilav, is called as Babek Tower among local people, the graveyard, which is situated in the Garangush plateau, in Gamigaya, is known as the graves of Babek peopl

Geysariyya architectural museum, in which The History and Ethnography Museum is located, is one the rare gems. With its special architecural characteristics, ornaments, composition, and construction, Geysariyya has always attracted the attention of bystanders.

Ordubad Bath House, the remembrance of the XVI century, is one of the precious art-architectural monuments in the city.

Afgan Tower attracts people with its appearance and consturction method.

Nusnus Sacred Place (XVI cent.), located in the village of Nusnus, has been improved greatly in recent years. The roads to the sacred place have been straightened. Tourists coming to this place from other regions of Republic and even from some foreign countries are impressed positively.

Mosques located in the villages of Dasta, Vanand, Aylis, Nusnus, and others are not only notable for being sanctuaries, but also for their architecture characteristics. Some spring monuments, which are in the city of Ordubad and in the village of Aylis, are also included in the list of the objects protected by state.

Girkhayag, Nahar, Khan wellspring, Meydan wellspring, and Bazar wellspring are also included in this row.

The wellspring discovered in the depth of 50 meters, in front of Mingis, in the city, was also included in the row of these monuments.

The plane trees, which are more than 600 years old, impress the comers of Ordubad. Recently, historical and architectural monuments of the region have been restored and repaired

A monument to national leader Heydar Aliyev was erected in the center of the region.

Julfa region – It was established as a region on August 8, 1930. It borders on Armenia in the North-East and Iran in the South. The territory of the region is 926.3 km², and the population is 45.6 thousand (01.01.2016).

The center is the city of Julfa. There are 22 villages in the region.

The territory of the region consists of Zangazur mountain chain, along the Araz river and Julfa plains. The highest top is the Damirlidagh (3364m). The Daridagh, the Nahajir and other mineral water resources are extracted. The climate type is dry hot in summerç but cold in winter. The Araz, the Alinja and other rivers flow in the territory. The Bananiyar reservoir is situated in the region.

27 secondary schools, a professional school, 6 out of class schools and 2 preschool educational institutions, 30 libraries, 37 club institutions, 2 museum, 2 children’s musical schools, a central hospital, 1 field hospital, 15 out patient’s clinics, 8 medical midwife stations, the center of Hygiene and Epidemiology and other organizations serve the people of the region.

The organ of Julfa Region Executive Power, the newspaper "Voice of Araz" is published since 1935.

The length of railway passing through Julfa is 85km while the highway is 273km long.

Historical-architectural monuments as Gulustan tomb, Stone Bridge, Arafsa Sacred Place, Khanegah architectural complex, Kırna mosque, Ashabi-Kahf Sanctuary, Gazanchi Tower, Gazanchi Bridge, Sheikh Khorasan Khanegah, and Alinjagala are located in the territory of Julfa.

Recently, the monuments of Julfa have been restored and repaired.

A monument to national leader Heydar Aliyev is erected in the center of the region.

Kangarli region - It was established as a region on March 19, 2004. It borders on Iran in the South and South-West and on Armenia in the North and North-East . The territory of the region is 704.89km² while the population is 31.4 thousand (01.01.2016). The center of the region is Givrag settlement. There are 10 villages in the region.

The territory of the region consists of the Daralayaz mountain chain and the Kangarli plain land. The highest top is the Kechaltapa (2744 m) mountain. A continental climate type exists in the region.

There are 12 secondary schools, 4 out of school educational institutions, 12 libraries, 13 club institutions, 1 museum, 2 children’s musical schools, a central hospital, 5 out patient’s clinics, 5 midwife stations, the center of Hygiene and Epidemiology and other organizations in the region.

The organ of Kangarli region Executive Power, the newspaper "New Life" is published.

The length of the highways existing in the region is 148.5km. In addition to this, while the roads of national importance are 71km long, the length of local roads is 77.5km.

The historical and architectural monuments, such as Garabaghlar tomb, Givrag mosque and bath, Chalkhangala memorial walls, Chalkhangala tomb, Shahtakhti Govur Tower, are in the territory of the region.

The monument to the national leader Heydar Aliyev is erected in the center of the region.

Shahbuz region - It was established as a region on August 8, 1930. On January 4, 1969, its authority was canceled and joined the Nakhchivan (present Babak region) region, and on January 6, 1965 it was reestablished. It borders on Armenia in the North and East. The territory of the region is 836.58 km², and the population is 24.8 thousand (01.01.2016).

The center of region is the city of Shahbuz. There is one city and 22 villages in the region.

The most part of the area of the region is situated on the feet of the Zangazur and Daralayaz mountain chains. The highest top is the Salvarti (3160m) mountain. It has a cold climate type, and summer is dry here.

The Nakhchivanchay and its branches (Kuku, Shahbuz, Salvarti) flow through the territory of the region. There are the Ganligol and the Batabat lakes in the region. It is mainly an agricultural region.

23 secondary schools, 6 out of school and one preschool educational institutions, 29 libraries, 26 club institutions, 1 museum, the Shahbuz State Nature Reservation, 2 children’s musical schools, the “Araz” cinema, a central hospital, 2 field hospitals, 10 out patient’s clinics, 11 medical midwife stations, 1 doctor’s assistant station, the center of Hygiene and Epidemiology and other organizations are at the service of people.

The newspaper "'Voice of Oghuz", the organ of Shahbuz Region Executive Power, is published here.

The length of highways passing through the region is 282km. The length of the roads of national importance is 109km while the local roads are 173km long.

Settlements and sepulchral monuments belonging to Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age, ancient period and medieval period were registered and investigated. Settlements of the third millennium BC exist on the bank of Kuku river. Ancient residence places Saridere, Aghbulag, Kolani, Kuku, Kulus, Shamlar have been investigated. Investigated culture examples, graves, and coin examples prove that there was a great civilization in this territory at the beginning of our era.

There are historical and architectural monuments as Farhad house, Shapur Tower, Galin gaya in the region

The monument to national leader Heydar Aliyev was erected in the center of the region..

Sadarak region - It was established as a region on August 28, 1990. It borders on Turkey in the South-West and Armenia in the North-West. The territory of the region is 163.74km² while the population is 15.6 thousand (01.01.2016). The center of region is the Heydarabad settlement. There are 3 villages in the region.
The territory of the region consists of mountains and plain lands. There are Dahna and Validagh heights.
The Araz, the Garachay and the Chapan rivers flow in the region. It is mainly an agricultural region.

There are 3 secondary schools, 4 out of school and one preschool educational institutions, 5 libraries, 4 club institutions, 1 museum, 1 children’s musical school, a central hospital, 1 out patient’s clinic, 1 doctors assistant midwife station, the center of Hygiene and Epidemiology and other organizations in the region.

The organ of Sadarak Region Executive power, the newspaper "Land of Oghuz" is published since 2000.

The length of the railway till Validagh railway station is 15km.

The old settlement, belonging to early Eniolithic and Bronze Age, is located in the south part of Sadarak.

Aghoglan Tomb is a sanctuary locating in the north of Sadarak. Furthermore, there are historical and architectural monuments as Sadarak settlement (Medieval Times), Sadarak Tower (Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age), Girmizitepe settlement, Sadarak mosque, Chapachaq mound (burial monument) (VI-VIII cent.) in the territory of the region.

The monument to national leader Heydar Aliyev is erected in the center of the region.