Nakhchivan or Naxçivan [key], city (1989 pop. 59,754), capital of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Azerbaijan. Its industries include food processing, wine making, and the production of furniture, leather, and building materials. The ancient Naxuana, the city was ruled by Armenians, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, and Turks, became a flourishing Armenian trade center in the 15th cent., and was ceded by Persia to Russia by the Treaty of Turkmanchai (1828). In the 19th cent. it was an important trading post between Persia and Russia. Nakhchivan has Greek and Roman remains and two 12th-century mausoleums.
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