Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic

An exclave of Azerbaijan bordered by Armenia, Iran, and Turkey, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic occupies a semi-arid plateau between the Zangezur and Sharur mountain ranges. The Momine Khatun Mausoleum in Nakhchivan city — a twelve-sided conical tomb built in 1186 CE — is considered one of the finest examples of medieval Islamic funerary architecture in the South Caucasus, notable for the precision of its geometric terracotta tile decoration. The exclave's historical isolation has preserved a distinct architectural and material culture that includes dozens of ancient underground water channels called kəhriz.