By Esmira VAHABOVA, PhD in History
One of Azerbaijan’s most interesting architectural structures was the palace of the Iravan Khan (“the Palace of Sardar”). Built by Iravan khans, the palace faithfully served these Azerbaijani rulers for centuries (1, p. 111). After the city was occupied by Russia, the Iravan temporary administration was placed in the palace. In 1849, it was replaced by the administration of the so-called Armenian region, which was renamed into the Iravan province.
The description of Sardar’s palace, especially its Hall of Mirrors, can be found from foreign travelers and writers who visited Northern Azerbaijan and, in particular, the Iravan Khanate. These included the French travelers Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and Jean-Baptiste Chardin, who visited it in the second half of the 17th century, military officer of German origin Moritz von Kotzebue in 1817, Russian writer and diplomat Alexander Griboyedov, and French traveler, geologist and artist Frederic DuBois de Montpereux in 1833. In 1837, Russian Emperor Nicholas I visited the palace, leaving his name on the wall of the Hall of Mirrors where he received representatives of various classes of Iravan.
In 1843, a Prussian official, Baron August von Haxthausen visited Iravan and its fortress with the financial support of the Russian government. Pointing to the ruined state of the palace, he said that one mosque had been turned into a church and another into an arsenal, while the khan’s harem had become a hospital. At the same time, von Haxthausen emphasized that “architecturally, the palace does not represent anything majestic; its small courtyards and gardens, fountains and ponds – all this is quite small and does not have a definite character, but for all that, individual decorations, windows, doors and arcades are absolutely beautiful” (2, p. 230-231). He was also very impressed by the Hall of Mirrors, which was decorated with picturesque portraits of the Khan himself, his son and brother. The following statement of his is quite interesting: “Russian officials have a rare sympathy for the inviolability of historical buildings and monuments.” However, the palace gradually fell into disrepair. Increasingly “miserable adobe walls with small windows at the top” appeared before the visitor’s sights (3, p. 75-81).
In 1864, the Iravan fortress ceased to exist as a military fortification. Abandoned by the military, the fortress was not used for any civilian purpose either.
The description of the Khan’s palace in Iravan was left by the English traveler, geographer and public figure Henry Lynch, who visited the South Caucasus twice (in 1893-1894 and 1898). By the time Lynch visited the palace of Sardar, as well as the fortress, they fell into decay, wall paintings deteriorated and mirrors crumbled (4, p. 216-217). Therefore, in 1867, at the request of the Iravan governor, the Caucasian vicegerency allocated funds for the restoration of the destroyed parts of the palace by 1880. Mirza Gadim Iravani (1826-1875) was offered the opportunity to restore the wall paintings. The paintings he restored are considered the first examples of realistic monumental painting, “the best example of Asian painting” (5, p.114-115; 6). Therefore, M. G. Iravani is rightly considered the founder of easel painting in Azerbaijan.
At the end of the 19th century, V. Zhelikhovskaya visited the Sardar Palace and described the splendor of the Khan’s mosque: “It is all in carvings, colored glass of patterned windows (shabaka) and mosaic walls” (7). But already at the beginning of the 20th century, neither the mosque nor the palace was guarded by anyone. “Access to any barbarian was open, and only those who are too lazy pass by the preserved part of the ceramics, leaving it for more enterprising hands” (8, p. 6). Therefore, as V. Zhelikhovskaya noted, “the decision was made to enclose the mosque with a fence, put a watchman..., and then think about restoration.” Experts have expressed varying opinions on the issue of the preservation of the Khan’s palace. The issue was also discussed on the pages of the periodical press.
After a number of petitions for the repair of the palace, which was badly damaged in the aftermath of an earthquake of 1850 and a terrible hurricane in 1865, the palace was transferred to the jurisdiction of the city police department in 1868. A total amount of 1,200 rubles was spent on restoring the plaster, curtains and earthen roof of the building. In 1886, after a series of new petitions to the Caucasian governor, Sardar’s palace was repaired at the expense of the city (9, pp. 286-288).
In July 1902, the palace was visited by Alexander Kolchitsky, who wrote that “there are already very few traces left of this once interesting monument to the greatness of the Tatar (i.e. Azerbaijani) khans; the usual Russian negligence and drowsiness dooms even these miserable remnants of an interesting monument to complete destruction. From the entire fortress spread over a rather vast territory, there remains a dilapidated mosque and a part of the Sardar Palace – the hall of mirrors”. The hall of mirrors made a “magical impression” on everyone. Its walls “were full of all sorts of names, surnames and indecent inscriptions.” The author emphasized that “disrespect for historical monuments and the inertia of our society manifested themselves fully here: a precious stone was found among the stinking garbage” (10, pp. 7-8). In addition, a poem dated 20 March 1895 was discovered on the palace grounds. According to the watchman, the poems were written by some lady who had arrived from Persia (probably this was Countess Praskovya Sergeyevna Uvarova, nee Princess Shcherbatova, a Russian scientist, historian, archaeologist from the Shcherbatov family, wife of famous archaeologist Aleksey Uvarov; see also: Uvarova P.S. Caucasus, Travel Notes, M., 1887-1904, vols. 1-3):
So here it is, a monument to past greatness - The colorful mirror hall, the place people were judged in. Now you wander in the realm of shadows, But many years ago your mighty voice and the song of young wives Could be heard here. Magically reflected on the mirror walls Were the fires lit, as if from all sides. The marble fountain was bursting with a cold stream, Falling down in a cascade crushed by silver. Murmuring mysteriously, it crumbled magnificently, Sparkling with its bewitching fire. Now everything is dead here, no loud voices are heard. The marvelous spring does not flow like a life-giving stream. Death has closed its mouth singing a song, And the palace reeks of grave silence. Formidable portraits of centuries past Are looking thoughtfully from the ruined walls. Only at midnight their shadows are like the shadows of air nymphs Wander on the marble slabs in silence… It still curls like a wide ribbon Sparkling like a snake with silvery scales, And forever young and playful It rushes to a distant country with a brilliant wave. And he, Sardar, the great son of Islam, He is the king of Iravan, he is a formidable scourge of people Is now the mute spirit of dwellings, graves without glory, A wandering shadow in the silence of the nights.
Back in 1845, according to the watchman, “the entire back side of the hall was framed with whimsical patterns and multi-colored glass, the same as on the marble platform. But due to dilapidation, all the remnants of these frames were destroyed, and ordinary frames painted with red paint were inserted instead, which spoil theappearance of the hall with their barrack-type clumsy appearance.” In the time of Sardar, this entire side of the hall was covered with a golden curtain so heavy that it took eight people to pull it back” (10, p. 7).
According to A. Kolchitsky, “the hall of mirrors was administered by the military engineer of Alexandropol and there are no special concerns over the guarding the hall. The mirrors between the walls, once made of once excellent glass, have now been replaced with some kind of plates. In addition, every year the walls of the hall are damaged by the inscriptions of visitors. The marble pool is now destroyed. The author notes that a watchman looked after the hall, who wiped the portraits with kerosene once a year in order to prevent damage. It is necessary to restore the hall and protect it in a more reliable way. The author further notes with some sadness that it is not known what is to be expected of the “possible repairs”, and asks: “is it possible that the official style will touch the unfortunate mirror hall again?” (10, p. 9). The issue of restoring the palace, which “following a strong earthquake represented ruins dangerous for people swimming under the mountain” (11, pp. 29-32), was discussed more than once at meetings of the Imperial Archaeological Commission (6 October 1910, 17 May 1912).
On 28 February 1910, the head of the engineering district offered to the Moscow Archaeological Society to take the ruins of the palace into its own disposal. Otherwise, he undertook to provide an explanation for the dismantling of the building. This prompted the question of the need for making copies of the plans of the palace and sending them to the archaeological society. And this was done – on 13 August 1910, the drawings of the palace were sent to the society (11, pp. 29-32).
At the request of the military assistant of the Caucasian governor, a member of the Imperial Military Historical Society, General A. Mishlayevsky, examined the palace in May 1910. According to his conclusion, the building allegedly “does not represent any historical value and is subject to destruction. Renovating it would require large and at the same time unnecessary costs” (11, pp. 29-32). A. Mishlayevsky recommended that some of the palace furnishings be handed over to the History Museum and portraits to the Caucasian Military History Museum.
Speaking at the discussions of this issue, B. Farmakovsky referred to the photographs of the palace he had seen, indicating that it is a very interesting monument of antiquity inside. Count A. Bobrinsky, in turn, noted that when he saw the palace in 1883, the building seemed curious to him and produced the impression of a very original structure. As a result of the discussions, the Imperial Archaeological Commission decided: 1) to draw up a technical inspection act of the palace; 2) to request that N. Y. Marr to inspect the palace on the spot (11, pp. 29-32).
On 17 May 1912, a meeting of the Imperial Archaeological Commission on the condition of the Sardar Palace in Iravan noted that the amount of 1,200 rubles allocated for the repair of the palace in 1909 should be doubled. According to the conclusion of academician N. Y. Marr, “although both time and earthquake have caused significant damage to the palace, nevertheless, there has not been the slightest attention to the remarkable monument of antiquity over the past two decades, and it is being destroyed by human hands.” This palace was the example of indifference towards preservation of all Muslim historical monuments of the South Caucasus (12, p. 75-81).
Back in 1892, N. Y. Marr wrote about the Sardar Palace: “... The authorities in Iravan found it necessary to blow up this rare monument of antiquity, and the implementation of this barbaric deed was commissioned in a contractor.” Unfortunately, his conclusion that “we are dealing with the systematic destruction of local antiquities” (meaning historical and architectural monuments of Azerbaijan) remains relevant to this day. At the end of his report, N. Y. Marr, speaking about the state of other buildings in the Iravan fortress, emphasized that “all these monuments could have been perfectly preserved, that what remains of them now should be preserved because ruins are of great importance in archeology...”
Marr drew attention to the fact that from the state point of view, the issues of preserving architectural monuments on national outskirts are of great and fundamental importance. “The authority of Russia as a Western civilized country requires that if it is impossible to do anything glorious in its name on the Eastern cultural outskirts in terms of cultural activities, then, at least, we should not dishonor it by destroying. This is only reinforced by the presence of monuments in places with a significant Muslim population” (12, p. 75-81).
The artistic and architectural group established under the Caucasian Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in 1912 was engaged in the protection of ancient monuments and their restoration (8). The group included both architects and artists who set themselves the task of studying the monuments of ancient art in the Caucasus in architectural and artistic terms. The artistic and architectural group was to prepare a detailed report on the state of these architectural monuments for Senator E. Vatatsi, who showed a keen interest in art. First of all, the question was raised about the palace and mosque of Sardar in Iravan – monuments on the verge of final destruction due to the negligence of the persons entrusted with their protection. A commission of five persons was delegated to Iravan – three architects, an artist and photographer D. Yermakov. The commission examined the palace and the mosque, and presented a detailed report, supplementing it with a large number of photographs and indicating a deplorable state of these architectural monuments (8). Unfortunately, there is no information about further work of this group.
The described situation creates a depressing picture of complete indifference to the preservation of Muslim historical monuments of the South Caucasus. The indifference of royal officials led to the fact that Sardar’s palace was systematically destroyed by Armenian vandals until it was completely wiped off the face of the earth. The Iravan fortress, together with the internal buildings, was destroyed already in the Soviet years and completely done away with in the 1960s, with the use of modern equipment. Prior to that, it was not possible to destroy the fortress by traditional methods, so powerful were its walls. Academician N. Y. Marr’s warning about the need to preserve what has survived because ruins are very important in archeology fell on deaf ears.
But contemporary vandals have forgotten one thing: what can be wiped off the face of the earth cannot be erased from history. Evidence of this is the preserved archival materials, memoirs, masterpieces of fine art, and even poetry.
Such is the sad fate of the Sardar Palace in Iravan.
References
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