This world heritage site of Walled City of Baku in Azerbaijan is anther historic monument that shows how academic world and modern Islamic scholarship have utterly failed to trace out the ancient geographical identity of the Quran. And again there is no doubt at all that ancient migration of people belonging to Islamic faith happened only after 8the c A.D.

According to Unesco, location of this world heritage site comes alive with its ‘Rising from the south shore of the Apsheron Peninsular at the western edge of the Caspian Sea’ ; the Walled City of Baku reveals the evidence of Zoroastrian, Sassanian, Arabic, Persian, Shirvani, Ottoman, and Russian presence in cultural life of its local communities. It is very interesting to see the absence of name of India in making of the history of human civilization.

Scholars believe that the 12^th c Maiden Tower(Giz Galasy) is built over an earlier structures dating from the 7^th to 6^th c B.C; This is the most ancient monument known as Icherisheher and it is the symbol of the city of Baku.

On this world heritage site Unesco observes, ‘Another monument of universal value, one of the pearls of Azerbaijan’s architecture is the 12th- to 15th-century Shirvanshahs’ Palace, located at the highest point of Icherisheher. Within the Palace complex are the Divankhana (reception hall) or, as some researchers believe, the Tomb of Shah, the residential building of Shirvanshahs, the remains of Key-Kubad Mosque, the Tomb of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, Murad’s Gate (the only monument of the 16th century), the Tomb of Shirvanshahs’ Family, the Shah Mosque and the Palace bath-house. Earlier monuments of Icherisheher include the Mohammed Mosque, together with the adjacent minaret built in 1078, and remains of the 9th- to 10th-century mosque near the Maiden Tower….’.

Name Azerbaijan finds its root in ‘Ajjapiya pitru-gana’ of Indian puranic traditions whose inhabitants were known to later historians as Arjjuneyas. They were the Trojans of the divine city of Troy, or Toya of Indian puranas and Tyre of Alexander’s historians. Classical writers also knew this City of Gods in the name of Tyre which was a part of Ojha-dvipa of Pali literature. They were called ‘Fathers’ or the ‘Pitrus’ (Peter) of the ancient world and were enjoying a status at par with ‘Gods’ and according to puranic literature, were dwellers of the ‘Heaven’.

It is a country locked in the Southern Caucasian region att he crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The exclave of Nakhechivan is bounded by Armenia to the north and Turkey in the northwest.

Etymologists find this term Azerbaijan in the Persian Atropates which was a satrap under the Achaemenid Empire; Atropatene of the Avesta identifies itself with Atharvan of Inidan puranas; it points to the geographical origin of the Atharva-Veda of Indian puranic traditions. Medea or Midian or Medina was its neighbour. Adhar-badhagan, Adhar-bayagan, and Azar-baydjan do not represent Azerbaijan though ‘adhar’ here means ‘bhudhar’ means ‘mountain’. Even Atur-patakan does not identify the Arjjuneyas of Troy. Arran and Sirvan are as same as the ancient ‘Aruna’ and ‘Sri-vana’; they may be seen as one and the same place or were neighbourly to each other. In the name of Aruna/Aruneh, modern Iran like biblical Aaron, find their roots.

The Stone Age culture which scholars assign to Azerbaijan through Guru-chav of Azokh is a misleading term like Bronze Age’s Tagilar Damcih Zar. Other place-names attached with them are Yataq-yeri, Leyla-tepe and Saray-tepe.

Guru-chav—Sage Chyavan

Azokh—Jericho/Jakha/Jarikana/Jaktana

Tagilar—Tagarr

Damcih—Daan settlement/Damodar

Zar—Jara/Zarudhira/land of the Zoroastrians/ Birthplace os Ahura Mazda(Sri)

Yataq-yeri—Attik-Ori(neighbourly to each other)

Leylatepe—Stupa at Lori.Lorrain/El-stupa/Lohapur Stupa

Saraytepe—Stupa at Saray/Sur/Surya/Souri

Achaemenid—Land of Achaeans of Homer/Agni people linked with ‘Fire’

Identification of Mt Caucasus is vital to the ancient history which identifies Coptos or Kapotika monastery with it. It marks the biblical volcano and the seat of Baal. But it never identifies ancient Alaba or Alavi from which name of Albania has been derived. Term Sasanian finds its origin in ‘sasana’ means ‘rule’ or an ‘authority’ who is identified with power ‘to punish’. Misunderstanding of Sasanian Empire along with Coptos Decrees has misled academic scholarship where instead of the foot of the ancient world an imaginary historical landscape has been grown out of the secondary identity of the ancient migration who are not the ‘hereditary’ owner of the ‘history’ historians are pouring on them. Term Coptos itself has been derived from Caucasus.

Pepi is a short form for Praja-pati who was the primordial ruler of the ‘creation’ or the ‘inhabited world’ ; out of this term have been originated words like : parameswar or paramartha or parama-pujya; there was a dynasty in this name in the ancient world. Egypt is not the rights holder of this term or of this dynasty which is linked to whole of the ‘living world’. Neferkare and Nubkheperre were names related to nabakhanda or the nine-division of the ‘inhabited world’. From the term ‘kheperre’ has originated the ‘kshetrapal’ or the ruler of the ‘kshetra’, a dynasty name as well as name of a ‘god’. temple of Min at Coptos…Dynasty of Coptos does not identify Egyptian dynasty but a dynasty linked with Troy and Persepolis.

Eranshahr were inhabitants ‘Aruna-Shri’, which identifies Sri-kshetra or Sri-van(Shir-vanshah); this means the inhabitants were anciently the ‘Iranians’;  House of Sasan means the Seat of the ‘King of Four Quarters’ who with help of ‘Eight Judges’ was then ruling the ‘inhabited world’. This marks the ‘Heaven’ at Shechem of the Bible or the Seat of Indra of Indian puranas. Avesta sees it as the birthplace of Ahura Mazda. Seat of Parthian Empire recognises itself with Ahura Mazda only. Rhadamanthys of the Greeks , or the younger brother of Mino, is identified with Radha of Indian puranic tradition and his name is associated with this Parthian Empire. Partha of the epic the Mahabharata means he hailed from this community. It is completely wrong, both historically and geographically, to put the present Iran, Iraq, Eastern Arabia, the Levant, the Caucasus, Egypt, Turkey, Central Asia, Yemen and Pakistan under the Sasanian kings whose founder was Arda-shir I(means Rudra/Arada Sri or Arada Siha) when historians are yet to identify the royal seat of the Parthian Kings. There was no Empire in the name of Iran which historians called Iranian Empire; either it was Arabina or the Persian Empire whose royal seat was at Sir-kshetra/City of Sun.   Iran’s origin is in Aruna, or the City of Sun that identifies ancient Sun Dynasty which historians call as same as Ikshyaku Dynasty. Sasanian Empire at Estakhr identifies Asta-Sri means the ‘Eight Villages’ one of which is ‘-khr’ or  ‘Sri-(kanth)’. Radha as a place-name is also one of the Eight-Villages.

Descendants of Sasanian rulers reflect the real geographical picture of the ‘inhabited world’ where most of the names of royal families have been included.

Dabuyid Dynasty finds Jamasp as the founder of this dynasty; while Jamsp is as same as Jama or Yama of Indian puranas, identifying the King of Death, Dubuyid is identical with the name of Drupad, a king whose kingdom was at Drupad. His daughter was Drupadi, wife of the Pandavas of the epic the Mahabharata.

The Paduspanids Dynasty of Mazandaran were the descendants of Jamasp but were named Padu-spanids. The dynasty identifies the Paudra country or Poda country. Mazandaran is as same as the land of the Magians or the Meghas.

Shahs of Shirwan are identified with Sihas of Sri-vana who were the descendants of Hor-Mizd IV or the Mauryas of Zered or/at Mt Hor.

Banu Munajjhim refers to Benu country near Sri-vana and Mahra or Mihr; and Gushnasp is as same as Ghosha or Ghoshen dynasty of history.

Kamakarian family who were also called as dehqan family and descended from Yazde-gerd offers wonderful information to study most of the royal families of the ancient world. Kama-karian is exactly the same as Kamarup or the Qumran of the dehqan means ‘Dakshina’ or the ‘south’ means ‘Negev’. This is Canaan of the Bible and Yazde as usual identifies the ancient Zered or the Zarudhira region near Jericho and Jerusalem.

Descendants of Bahram V Gur identify themselves as Brahma-followers in Gur or the Gouri country; they were the relics-worshippers of the ancient world like the Israelites who worships Rachel’s relics in his Tomb. ancient Sagdian rulers were considered as Zoroastrians; Sagada was a country on the bank of the river Indus. Mikalids refers to Zoroastrians of Makka; here ‘ –lids’ seems to mean an inhabitant of Makka but not a follower of Zoroastrianism.

Ethnic composition of the population of Azerbaijan provides an insight into the ancient world’s geographical situations where different social groups known by their country-names were living together as neighbours ; Azerbaijais, Lezgians, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, Russians, Talysh, Avars, Turks, Tatars, Tats, Ukrainians, Tsakhurs, Georgians, Jews, Kurds and Iranians.

Azerbaijais—Ajjapiyas

Lezgians—Lus/Lanji

Armenians—Aram/Arad

Nagorno-Karabakh—Nagara(means ‘city’)-Karabira/Charubaki/Kabandha

Russians—Ros/Santa Ros

Dagestan—Dorji/Durgas

Yiqy—Yenki/Yakni/Agni-people

Talysh—Tailla/Tellis/Talasua

Avars—Avanti/Avadhan.Bhurs

Budukh—Baudhas

Turks—Tihula/T’chi

Tatars—Turintara/Tarquin

Tats—T’chin/Tatha/Tagar

Tsuketi—Saketa/Romanians of the ancient Rome(birthplace of Rama)

Ukrainians—Uruk/Arka/Ugra

Tsakhurs—Thakuras/Succoth/Ikshyus/Sikhi

Caxur—Chakshus/Ek-chakshu/Chakar

Georgians—Gargis/Gargs

Juhuri—Jarapidhi/Johar/Zara

Khinalug—Kunal/Khilar/Khira

Kryts—Kiti/Kirita/Kirat

Udi—Uda/Oda/Ada/Udaka/Uddiyan/Arada

Jews—Jadus

Kurds—Chedis/Chodas identified with Kedar/Kundus

Iranians—Aruna

Zaqatala—Zaqa-tala/Zokh/Takkola/Jujuntara

Djaro-Belokani—Dvija/Jara(priest) at Belakoni/bBeluva/Bellor/Bel

Sakhi-Khanate—Sakya-Khuntias/Kantha/Kanth/Kinhi/Khana/Khan

Dynastic history behind Papak, Ardashir, Shapur I and Narseh are not related to the present geographical identity of places which have gone into making of the narratives of their respective ancient empires. Present name-forms of the places identify ancient migrants’ second homelands; whether it is Sasanian Empire, or the Parthanians or the Byzantine Empire, the story of their time speaks of the  time prior to the Flood story of the Bible and Indian puranas.

Unesco’s world heritage site at Baku of Azerbaijan dispels many doubts relating to geographical origin of the Quran. How Islamic scholars failed to understand the relation between Baku and Mecca needs to be studied and re-looked at it again. Places like Baky, Badr, Nysa and Salanga existed at the foot of the Mt Sumeru; latter’s name is also reflected in Islamic Commentaries of the Quran which means ‘height’. This refers to a primordial mountain of unimaginable height. While Baku is name of the ‘place’, Makka(or Makkah) or ‘Mecca’ refers to name of a deity in Baku. Both cannot be separated from each other. But at present, Baku is in Azerbaijan, and Mecca is in Arab. The official name is Makkah al-Mukarramah or Makkatu l-Mukarramah; this signifies its coining with ‘-ramah’ and this adds certain geographical identity to the origin of the name that was not studied properly. When Baku took different name forms like, Bakkah, Baka, Bakah, Bakka, Becca, and Bekka etc., it historical origin as preserved in Tibetan and Buddhist texts was not referred to. Baku’s  geographical situation along with Badr, or Badarika of other ancient literature, was not looked into seriously. Kabah is totally a different name and a different word; this erroneous finding erupted because of the reason that ‘ancient Arab’ is not represented by the present Arab peninsula. Arab’s root is in ‘rabi’ means ‘sun’; and this meaning was never approached with significant academic effort to find out the meaning of Mandhir(Manadhata king) and the empire relating to Minos. Quran’s reference to Umm al-Qura(6.92 & 42.5), as scholars think, does not mean Mecca(‘Mother of All Settlements’). Similarly, Tihamah is not Mecca. Both Umm al-Qura and Tihamah were two different places near the same geographical situation of Baku. Islamic tradition looks forward to Faran as Desert of Paran(Gen 21-21). But both Pharan or Faran and Desert of Paran are different places and they never mean either Tihamah or Mecca. Here Faran identifies itself with ancient Varan/or Bharan and Tihamah is as same as Tahia/Tihula, or the ancient Turkistan; both are two different places near Faran, Badr, Baku(Makka) and Mt Sumeru. Desert of Paran refers to Bam region and this desert region spreading more than 12 miles has been reported by Chinese pilgrims of 5^th and 7^th c A.D. All ancient texts’ narratives revolve around this primordial geography only. Ishmael settled in a place that identifies a place in his name Asi/Ash, and Alisha. Torah finds its root in Troy or Toya as same as Tyre of other texts.

Keeping this ancient geographical situation of the ancient world, Shirvanshah Dynasy’s ancient history should be traced whose capital was previously at Shemakha and later he transferred it to Baku. Name Shirvanshah is identical with Shir(Sri)-vanshah(Vamsa means ‘clan’) which means Dynasty of ‘Sri’. Sri as birthplace of Ahura Mazda marks this as a Persian Dynasty which flourished anciently on the bank of the river Ganges or Gaga. Safavid Dynasty refers to its geographical base in Safany(means ‘lotus’). This name is found in all ancient texts. The Bible, Indian puranas, and the Quran commonly refer to a group of wandering ascetics in this name in the Lotus region which means the region of Ptolemais(‘Blue Lotus’). Shir-van(means ‘Sri-Forest’) is exactly the same as Sri Mountain or Sri-kshetra of other texts that identifies the Sheez or the birthplace of Ahura Mazda. The interesting part of the Shirvan is that it is connected with Badr or Badarika where Wife of Ahura Mazda known as Sri Mata resides. So family of Halilullah identifies the Bhikshuni or a priestess family whose temple duty finds them attached to the Seat of Worship of Sri Mata. Halilullah is as same as either Hullahulli or Huluhullah; while the former means a ‘female-   voice’ the latter is connected with name of a ‘fire goddess’. The etymology of ‘pahlevan’ has not been checked to reach at the history of the ancient migrants who were directly related to the ancient Sri-kshetra; pahlevan means a ‘muscleman’(in Odiya language) or a combater.

According to scholars, ’Near the shah’s mosque in the lower courtyard, in the wall separating the lower platform from the upper one, is located the building of the Shirvanshahs burial vault, the so-called “Turbe”. …, no niches, and only tympanum of the arches, a number of inscriptions in the font “nash” – Koranic (Surah XII, verse 92nd) and hadith….During the archaeological excavations in the tomb were found fragments of architectural details of tombstones in the hall, as well as a number of burials of members of the family of Halilullah…’. The terms ‘Turbe’, ‘nash’ and ‘hadith’ collectively own a history which cannot be separated from the story of the homelands of ancient migrants. Shirvanshahs’s dynasty, it is said, was a ‘vassal state’ of Timur’s Empire; in a war against Golden Horde Tokhtamvsh, Shirvanshah people assisted Timur kingdom which is indicative of the neighbourly position of the three kingdoms(or five places): Timur, Shir and Golden Horde Tokhtam-vsh. Again it is said that following Timur’s death, two rival states emerged: Kara Koyunlu and Aq Qoyunlu. This is a wonderful tip for historians to explore the ancient world.

Name of ancient Mosques marks the Islamic origin of its sacred institutions; their names hold the truth of their original history.

Seyyid—Sada Nagar/Sarada

Yahya–Yahweh

Bakuvi—Bhikshunis of Baku

Kei—goddess ‘Ka’ /Kohi/Kohathites

Kubad–Kubja

Mihrab—Mihra/Mihr/Mahala/Mahali/

Murad–Madra

Tabriz—Tabiz

Turbe—Tribeni. Meeting place of three rivers

Nash—Nysa/Naimisha

Hadith—Hade

Golden Horde—The River connected with Gold carrying Ants/Suna Muhin

Ottoman—Mt Ita/Wu-tu/Ota

Absheron—Basileon/Bashon/Bason/ Basa-Haran

Ovdon has been named as a ‘bathhouse’ , a reservoir ; it is written that ‘Not far from the bathhouse is located the ovdan – a reservoir, which was one of the largest in the Fortress of the Ovdans. This ovdan supplied drinking water not only to the palace, but also to the entire surrounding area. This assumption is confirmed by the nearby small, built in the XIV century Chin Mosque, which is believed to have served the residents of the nearby area. Ovdan supplied water to the palace bathhouse.’. This is where academic scholarship has never attempted to understand the meaning of such a historic word ‘ovdon’ which is seen in most of the ancient literature whose meaning in Odiya language is ‘dictionary’ as well as a ‘teacher’. Pali sources like Asokan history and the Bible (Obdah)find this word with a meaningfully explanation on its typical geography. And it was also a place-name.

Historians say that ‘the Maiden Tower presents the story of historic evolution of the Baku city’. But such is the historic base of the modern evolved mind that it does not see, believe and know that there existed in the ancient world a ‘Women’s Country’, the ‘Fair Haven’ of the Bible and the Women’ Haven of Alexander’s historians in spite of the fact that Prophet Mohammad faced a tough resistance from the ‘women’ of this country when he moved through this country on his way to Medina from Baku(Mecca). People observe Novruz festival; but the geographical meaning of all the associated names with Maiden Tower have been discarded unmindfully where history lamentably lives without a kindred touch of academic scholarship. Mohammed Mosque in the heritage site is a pointer which should be considered seriously by one and all.While Azerbaijan is historically well connected with Ajjapiya ‘Fathers’ of the ‘Heave’, Maiden Tower is geographically associated with ‘Mothers’ of Comari(Sisters/Virgins/Bhaginees/Daughters of Zion of the Bible) islands.

Baku fortress inscription written in Kufic Arabic reads, ‘City Tower building was ordered by magnificent melik, scientist, fair triumphant, prosaic, mujahid(fighter), and the state f religion, the stronghold of Islam and Muslims, the largest Khagan, the Shirvanshah Abulhija Manouchehr bin’. (Founded in 1954; Museum of History of Azerbaijan; 12^th c Stone Inscription).

History of Baku is to some extent is the geographical history of not only the ‘inhabited world’ but also of the Quran itself that vividly points out the fact that ancient migration took place after proclamation of the Islamic faith by Prophet Mohammad. This is the indication of a time period, and scholars talking about Bronze Age, Palaeolithic or Iran Age theories are all wrong and imaginary. Humans’ habitation invaded the ‘unknown world’ of Ptolemy only after 8^th c A.D.

Name of Icheri identifies itself with ancient Inchera country which was then a settlement of Chera people; inscription which carries the name of Qubbeye Masud ibn Davud and Kubey Masud ibn Da’ud is similarly is very interesting that holds the name of Qubbeye and Kubey, and Davud and Da’ud. While Kubey and Qubbeye both identify the Kubera of Indian puranas, God of Wealth and Trade, it is exactly the same as Cyprus of ancient history. Kubera is one of the Eight Gods of the Astarte whose central deity is Jama, God of Death in Jerusalem.  Davud and Da’ud both mark the country of Da- Vud and Da-Ud; neighbouring to this country was Madra(Marda-kan means Medina and kantha) or Medina as same as Medea country which was again neighbourly to both Jerusalem , Women’s country and Cyprus. Kalasi was neighbourly to Baku where King Milinda was born. Here the castle is called Sikhi, and names of ruler as found in the inscriptions throw much light in understanding the ancient world before the time of Prophet.