Naxçıvan

Naxçıvan

Naxçıvan, also called Nakhichevan, capital of the Naxçıvan autonomous republic, Azerbaijan. It lies along the Naxçıvan River about 170 miles (270 km) south-southeast of Tbilisi, Georgia. Naxçıvan is extremely old, dated by some archaeologists to about 1500 bce. Armenian tradition ascribes the founding of the city to Noah. Until 1828 it was capital of the khanate of Nakhichevan, and it became capital of the autonomous republic in 1924. Historically a trade and handicrafts centre, it now has varied industries, in particular food processing, furniture, leather, and building materials. There is a museum of local culture and technical colleges. Pop. (2007 est.) 70,400.