Debunking the myth: Experts analyze Vardanyan's misleading "Nakhchivan atlas"

The "Nakhchivan atlas," discovered in Ruben Vardanyan's office in Khankandi, is currently being analyzed, according to Mugabil Bayramov, chairman of the Azerbaijani Cartographers Public Union.

Published in 2012 by the Armenian Architectural Fund, the atlas is riddled with falsifications. It claims that Nakhchivan has always been a province within Armenian states and principalities, thereby constituting territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

"The first map in the atlas is supposedly based on the 'Geography' work written by the Greek thinker Ptolemy in the 2nd century, and place names in 'Greater Armenia' are given with Armenian toponyms. However, it has long been known to the scientific community that Ptolemy's 'Geography' has not survived to the present day; the original work was lost in the 4th century, and only one version was found 1000 years later, which was then translated into Latin twice in forms that did not fully match each other," Bayramov said.

Bayramov noted that several falsified maps in the atlas arbitrarily mark Nakhchivan's territory with red lines, serving as cheap propaganda to legitimize territorial claims against Azerbaijan through fabrications.

"Cartography is a serious field and cannot be turned into a tool for political manipulation," he stressed. "It is thought-provoking why Vardanyan was so interested in Nakhchivan. Apparently, the Azerbaijani Army's anti-terror operation in September 2023 left many of his desires unfulfilled."