Nakhchivan, the ancient land of Azerbaijan, is one of the first human settlements on Earth where life began. The people of Azerbaijan have created an ancient and rich culture in this land. Nakhchivan is also one of the oldest cultural centers in the world. The rich historical, scientific and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people has been formed in this land. Scholars explain the origin of the word "Nakhchivan" in different ways. According to folk etymology and historical sources, "Nakhchivan" is derived from the words "Naqshi-jahan", i.e. "pattern of the world", "decoration of the world". According to another popular legend, the toponym "Nakhchivan" is connected with the prophet Noah, or rather, "the flood of the world", and "Nuhchuvan" means "the abode of Noah's followers", "Noah's land". The grave of Prophet Noah is also in the city of Nakhchivan. The word Nakhchivan is also explained as "Nakhchuana/Nakhchuan" - "the land of wonderful and good waters" or "the land of healing mineral waters". Nakhchivan is one of the oldest urban settlements in the world. It is considered one of the oldest cities in the East and in the whole world. The medieval historian Stefan Orbelyani says that the foundation of the city of Nakhchivan was founded in B.C. He reported that it was built in 1539. Systematized written sources, archaeological materials obtained during archaeological excavations in the area of Nakhchivan, the famous Gamigaya rock inscriptions and other monuments in this area once again prove that the city of Nakhchivan is almost 5 thousand years old.