Ancient maps found in Egypt show Armenia was too far from its present territory

Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Govhar Bakhshaliyeva has found out valuable maps important for Azerbaijan’s history in Dar Al-Kutub library of Egypt. Spokesman for the Institute Vugar Mammadov said Bakhshaliyeva found out five maps important for Azerbaijan’s history, took their photos and brought them to Baku.

Mammadov said that the maps show that Armenia was too far from its present territory, in the south.

He said one of the maps was published by A.Tarid in Boulevard Saint Denis early in the past century. The map was developed to show the railways and navigation lines of the European and Asian countries.

The territory of the state described on the west coasts of the Caspian Sea and presented as Azerbaijan on the map coincides with the territory of Azerbaijan People’s Republic (1918-1920). The disputable areas are also presented as Azerbaijan’s territory on Tarid’s map. The map confirms that Nagorno-Karabakh, including Shusha belong to Azerbaijan and also shows Derbent, Gasimkend and other upper territories as Azerbaijan’s territory.

The country’s western border passes through the Goycha Lake. The regions of modern Armenia – Mehri, Gafan, Gorus, Sisyan, Vardenis, Krasnoselsk, as well as part of Berd region, are shown as the Azerbaijani territory. Another map shows Iranian territory after the Gulustan and Turkmenchay treaties. The map was drawn up in Farsi.

The toponym of Azerbaijan is shown as covering an area from the banks of Araz River until the Iraqi borders. The mountains of Ahar, Marand, Savalan, Lake of Urmia, cities of Maraga, Mahabad, Maku, Khoy, Ardabil, Miyana, Tebriz and others are shown as territory of Azerbaijan.

The third map was drawn up in 1785 in Venice, Italy. It was called as “Empire of Alexander the Great”, which covers Europe, Africa and Asia. The map was drawn up in Italian by Antonio Zatta and his sons. Albania was shown in the western coast of Caspian Sea.

Armenia was shown not as a state, but only as geographic territory in very south of Araz River, in neighborhood with Assyria and Mesopotamia.

The next two maps were drawn up in Amsterdam, the Netherlands during the Ottoman Emperor Mehmet III’s rule. (1595-1603). It was drawn up by the artist Jydykus, Hindius. Another map was drawn up and printed by the artist Friedrich de Wit in 1775. The maps show Armenian territories far from their present location in the south and having no relation to the territory of modern Armenia.

/APA/