Historical Development Stages of Religious Architecture in Nakhchivan

The article studies religious architectural monuments of Nakhchivan dated on the basis of inscriptions and architectural elements. Religious architectural monuments, which are important for the study of medieval Azerbaijani architecture, are not properly involved in the study. However, since many of these monuments have medieval architectural elements, and some have inscriptions relating to the date of construction, these monuments make it possible to study the development stages of medieval architectural history. It is shown that the religious architecture in Nakhchivan is an integral part of Azerbaijan architecture and develops in interaction with neighboring countries of the Middle East. However, traditionalists and changes in the development of monuments of religious architecture have not been sufficiently studied, which sometimes does not allow to correctly date architectural monuments. Purpose: The study of religious architectural monuments to trace the sequence in their architecture and correctly date them using information given in the inscriptions. Methodology: Comparative and analytical analyses are used to determine the traditionalism and similarity between architectural elements of medieval religious architectural monuments in Nakhchivan. Special attention is paid to inscriptions, three-dimensional structure and structural elements. Research findings: Religious architectural monuments in Nakhchivan are divided according to two periods. The first period dates back to the 11–15th centuries and the second period includes the 16–18th centuries. Based on the results, the sequence and change of architectural elements in the development of religious monuments is traced.