Azerbaijan appropriates the tomb of Noah
The name Nakhijevan is associated with the Great Flood mentioned in the Bible, and the city of Nakhijevan is considered one of the ancient settlements in Armenia, founded by Patriarch Noah. According to legend, after the flood Noah descended from the summit of Mount Ararat to the nearby plain and settled in a place later called Nakhijevan. There are numerous stories suggesting that Noah was buried in Nakhijevan. The 13th-century Armenian historian Vardan Areveltsi wrote: “The great patriarch Noah is buried in Nakhijevan and Emzara in Marand.”
It is believed that Noah’s mausoleum was located on the southern side of the city of Nakhijevan, in an old Armenian cemetery. The tomb-chapel was two-storied. K. A. Nikitin, the inspector and educator of the Nakhijevan city school, mentioned that Noah’s grave was located south of the city near the remnants of an old fortress. In its current form, it was restored by the Persians. Previously, there had been a church on this site, which was later destroyed, but the chapel is a remnant of the former church. The interior of the chapel resembles a cave, with a stone column supported by arches in the center. According to Armenian legend, the relics of Noah are kept here.
The renowned Russian writer and traveler Yevgeny Markov noted that Nakhijevan is the place where, according to Armenian beliefs, Patriarch Noah settled after leaving the Ark and later passed away. The word “Nakhijevan” in Armenian literally means “the first settlement.” Historian and ethnographer Ivan Chopin also mentioned Noah’s tomb in his writings.
The Caucasian Calendar published in 1852, mentioned that Muslims destroyed many Armenian monuments. However, Noah’s tomb, an Armenian Christian structure, remained intact at the time.
During the 1930s, the Azerbaijani authorities in Nakhijevan demolished the chapel. However, in 2006, Azerbaijanis “revived” interest in this monument, restoring it in the style of Muslim monuments.
It is worth noting that Noah’s tomb, unlike many other Armenian monuments in Nakhijevan, was not razed to ground because Muslims also regard Noah as a great prophet. Additionally, the Azerbaijani propaganda today attempts to claim that the tomb is a Muslim cultural monument, denying the clear evidence and testimonies that it was originally an Armenian sacred site and pilgrimage destination, preserved for centuries thanks to the Armenians.
