The United States, Washington, Aug. 17 / Trend , N.Bogdanova/
A number of facts about Azerbaijani history were rigged on an exhibition "The Tsar and East gifts from Turkey and Iran in the Moscow, Kremlin" in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Institution.
The exhibition represents items of 15th-17-th centuries that were given as a present by Safavid and Ottoman kings to Russian tsars.
Both on the information booklet and explanations under some items the presents given to tsars by Safavid kings, (especially by Shah Ismail 1) are represented as "Iranian Safavid king's presents given with the help of ruling New Julfa Armenians".
The information also doesn't state where exactly New Julfa belongs to. It is just mention that in those years Armenian merchants were a dominating the region of New Julfa and they had there trade centers. The book published on the occasion of the exhibition says that Armenians contained the majority of Safavid Imperia. There is no any reminder about Azerbaijan in the book and at the exhibition.
Julfa is a city in the Eastern Azerbaijan Province of the north-western Iran which is located in the border with Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. Its administrative centre is the Julfa city. Population numbers about 56,000 people (2006).
Julfa as the entire Nakhchivan-Zangazur region is a subject of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenians claim to Julfa, seeking to present this city to the world as an Armenian city.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Sponsors of the exhibition are the LUKoil company, US-Russia business Council and Russian-American Chamber of Trade. The exhibition is organized by the Moscow Kremlin museums and the Arthur M.Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian institute. The exhibition will last till September 13th.
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