President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili have viewed the “Heritage of Karabakh Khanate” exhibition at Château Mukhrani, Mtskheta Municipality.

The event featured a presentation of the “Karabakh Khanate. Historical and cultural identity” book.

Photos displayed at the exhibition were selected from the book “Karabakh Khanate. Historical and cultural identity” on the basis of artifacts. These include the first known image of the flag belonging to the Karabakh Khanate, the shield of Shah Ismayil preserved in the Karabakh Khanate dynasty, ancient carpets, decorative tiles of the Sardar Mosque and its façade, as well as images of the 19th century Shusha, photos depicting the interior and façade of the Sardar Khan palace of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a horse saddle from the 19th century, two tars and a three-stringed kamancha, portraits of Hasan Gulu Khan Qajar and Fatali Shah Qajar authored by Mirza Gadim Iravani.

The book “Karabakh Khanate. Historical and cultural identity” by the head of the group of authors, Professor Eldar Nadiradze, contains more than 300 artifacts belonging to the Karabakh khanate. These were collected during the military and scientific expeditions by Tsarist Russia in Karabakh in the 19th century and are currently stored in the Georgian National Museum. After being handed over to the museum’s archive, the artifacts were never opened for some reason and remained uncatalogued for more than 100 years.

This collection, cataloged in the form of a publication and serving is an indicator of rare cultural heritage, will contribute to increasing international interest in the Karabakh Khanate, an integral part of Azerbaijan’s history, and its rich cultural heritage.

The book was published in Azerbaijani, Russian, English, French and Arabic.