The Place and Significance of Cyclopean Structures in Nakhchivan Within Azerbaijani Archaeology

The article examines, on the basis of a comparative study, the place and scientific significance of Cyclopean structures located within the territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in the context of Azerbaijani archaeology. The research focuses on the distribution area, chronology, and architectural features of these monuments in Nakhchivan. It has been determined that the fortress-type Cyclopean structures of Nakhchivan are monuments of great scientific and historical importance in Azerbaijani archaeology. These constructions reflect the formation and development of defensive architecture in the region and make it possible to study their chronology and evolutionary processes. The study demonstrates that these fortresses, built of large unworked stones without the use of mortar, reveal the military–strategic thinking of ancient tribes, their level of social organization, and the importance they attached to the protection of residential spaces. Their wide distribution across the territory of Nakhchivan proves that the region was located on important trade and migration routes and functioned as an active political and economic center. These monuments serve as invaluable sources for the study of early urbanization processes, cultural interactions, and stages of regional development within the territory of Azerbaijan. Keywords: Nakhchivan, Cyclopean structures, fortress, defensive fortification, architectural structure.