Karabakh Healers
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Karabakh Farid ALAKBARLI Doctor of History KARABAKH HEALERS KARABAKH IS ONE OF THE OLDEST HISTORICAL REGIONS OF AZERBAIJAN AND IS DI VIDED INTO TWO GEOGRAPHIC ZONES HIGHLAND AND LOWLAND KARABAKH. THE CITY OF SHUSHA WAS THE CULTURAL CENTER OF NAGORNO KARABAKH FROM THE 18TH CENTURY, WHILE THE LARGEST ECONOMIC, ADMINISTRATIVE AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THE LOWLAND PART OF THE REGION WAS THE CITY OF BARDA, WHICH WAS CONSIDERED AS POPULOUS AND IMPORTANT IN THE EAST IN THE 10TH 11TH CENTURIES AS BAGHDAD. Incense flask, 1st-3rd centuries, Caucasian Albania he famous historian al-Istakhri (10th century AD) writes about TBarda (or Berdaa): «Berdaa is the main city, and it is large, square and laid out on a plain; it has an enormous fortification; its markets are under close drawn awnings; out- side the market there is the main mosque. This city is the Baghdad of this region, the houses are magnifi- cent, made of fired bricks and stucco. It is a beautiful, pleasant and rich city! Some of the columns of the main mosque are made from stucco and brick, and others from wood.» [5] 24 Vessels for ritual drinks and medicines, 4th century BC, Caucasian Albania www.irs-az.com Starting from the 4th century BC, times, Karabakh was part of the they can equip 60,000 infantrymen the State of Caucasian Albania took Albanian state, which was men- and 22,000 horsemen; with such shape on the territory of Karabakh tioned by ancient Greek and Ro- a force, they offered resistance and retained its independence un- man authors. Strabo writes in his to Pompey ... They use javelins til the end of the 7th century. De- Geographica: “The Albanians pur- and bows, and wear breastplates, scribing Karabakh, the 8th century sue a rather shepherd life, and re- shields, and coverings for the head, Albanian historian Moses Kalankat- semble more the nomadic tribes, made of the hides of wild animals, uatsi enthusiastically exclaims: except that they are not savages, like the Iberians.» [12] «How beautiful this country is!» [6]. and hence they are little disposed It is reported that even in the Indeed, the land of Karabakh is fa- to war. They inhabit the country first century AD, Caucasian Albania mous for its beauty and rich natural between the Iberians and the Cas- exported medicinal plants to Rome resources, including lush forests, pian Sea, approaching close to the in special jars and boxes. The exis- mountain meadows and orchards tence of a well-developed medical abundant in medicinal plants. In science in Caucasian Albania is also total, there are about 4,500 species proved by the local historian Mo- of top plants in Azerbaijan - trees, ses Kalankatuatsi, who writes in his shrubs and grasses, many of which famous essay «The History of the are used in folk medicine [4]. Caucasian Albanians»: «Perfection Exploring ancient Azerbaijani is achieved by one who indulges manuscripts of the 12th-18th cen- in sciences such as mathematics, turies, it proved possible to estab- agronomy and medicine» [7]. lish the specific belonging of more During the first century AD, than 700 medicinal plants used by Christianity began to spread in Cau- residents of Karabakh in the Middle casian Albania, due to which Syrian Ages [2]. and Greek medicine came to the Incidentally, it was because region. At the time, there were Al- of such rich vegetation, includ- banian church schools in Karabakh, ing horticultural and medicinal where students could get acquaint- plants, that the region was named ed with the works of such great Karabakh, which means a «large antique physicians as Hippocrates garden»: «gara» means «black» or and Galen. A great role in the devel- «big» and «bag» means a garden opment of medicine in Karabakh in in Azerbaijani. Many plants grow- the 4th-5th centuries was played by ing in Karabakh not only have me- Nestorian doctors, who fled to Cau- dicinal properties, but are endemic, Medieval Eastern pharmacy, casian Albania due to persecution that is they are not found anywhere 16th century miniature by the Byzantine Empire in Syria, but in the blessed land of Karabakh. sea in the east, and in the west, Greece and Iran and practised the Among them is the legendary flow- they border on the Iberians. Of the ancient Greek school of medicine. er «Khari Bulbul», the symbol of the remaining sides, the north is pro- In Iran, the Nestorians created the city of Shusha - the historical center tected by the Caucasus Mountains, famous Jundishapur medical acad- of Karabakh. The famous red Kara- for these overhang the plains ... emy [6], whose representatives re- bakh tulips covering the Jidir-duzu The men are distinguished for their peatedly visited Karabakh, provid- plateau near this city not only gave beauty and size ... they are improvi- ing medical services to the local indescribable beauty to this beauti- dent with respect to war, govern- nobility. Along with professional ful corner of nature, but were also ment, and agriculture. They fight, medicine, Turkic folk healing was used in folk medicine as a natural however, on foot and on horse- widespread in Karabakh [1]. aphrodisiac and remedy that im- back, both in light and in heavy ar- Medieval Turkic medicine wide- proves appetite and digestion. mor ... They can send into the field ly used medicinal herbs, magic, and In ancient and early medieval a larger army than the Iberians, for surgery. Popular surgeons were www.irs-az.com 25 Karabakh to study medicine in such large during this period that many Azer- cities of Azerbaijan as Tabriz, Ganja baijani poets, philosophers and and Shamakhi. In Shamakhi, they physicians, fleeing the war and po- took lessons from Kafiyaddin Omar litical turmoil, went to Central Asia (12th century), the founder of the and India. One of them was Yusif Malham Academy of Medicine and Garabagi [3]. uncle of the famous poet Khagani In Samarkand, he wrote many Shirvani [8]. medical treatises and the «Expla- Azerbaijan’s most prominent nations and Interpretations of ‘The physician in the 16th century was Canon of Medicine’ by Ibn Sina». Yusif Garabagi, who was dubbed In order to eliminate depression «a great teacher» by his contempo- and treat and improve the mem- raries. He was born in Karabakh, but ory, Yusif Garabagi recommended conducted most of his clinical and regularly eating ginger mixed with Eastern bath-house research activities in Central Asia, honey, which was also considered a where he taught in a madrasah in great way to improve digestion. To called «sinigchi,» which means a Samarkand. How did Yusif Garabagi combat infectious diseases of the specialist in the treatment of frac- end up so far from home? The fact skin (scabs), they used sulfur pow- tures, and early otolaryngologists der mixed with fresh onion juice. - «chopchu» («chop» – rod, speck). The famous Azerbaijani scien- Treatment with koumiss, sour milk tist and physician, Mammadgulu and herbs was widely used. Worm- Gaibov Garabagi (1818-1879), a na- wood was used to improve appe- tive of Shusha - the capital of the tite, St. John’s wort - against infec- Karabakh Khanate, was the per- tions of internal organs, and violet sonal physician of the outstand- and rose - against the headache. ing Azerbaijani poetess Khurshud During excavations at the site of Banu Natavan, a descendant of the the capital of Caucasian Albania, Karabakh khan’s family. Garabagi the city of Gabala, the remains of had a large collection of more than a pharmaceutical laboratory of the 150 medieval Oriental manuscripts 8th -9th centuries were found. Sci- on medicine. He is the author of entists found a lot of clay and glass numerous recommendations on containers for storage of medi- medicine and cosmetology [9]. cines and cosmetics here. They For instance, in order to protect also found a distillation device for the skin from sunburn, he recom- distilling medicinal oils. Vessels for mended lubricating it with ordi- storage of medicines were also dis- Eastern bath-house nary egg white. To improve diges- covered during excavations in the tion and increase the secretion of city of Beylagan [9]. is that the 16th century was a time gastric juice and bile, Mammad- Medicine in Azerbaijan reached of hardship for the Azerbaijani peo- guliyev Garabagi advised taking a its highest peak after the spread of ple, their science, culture and state- spoonful of «iskanjabin» – a boiled Islam. In the 12th century, Karabakh hood. During this period, the whole mixture of vinegar and honey - be- was part of the Azerbaijani state of of Azerbaijan, including Karabakh, fore meals. the Atabay Ildegizids with its capi- became a scene of bloody wars be- By the beginning of the 19th tal in Tabriz. In such cities of Kara- tween the Azerbaijani Safavids and century, the capital of the Karabakh bakh as Barda and Beylagan, there Ottoman sultans. As a result, the Khanate, Shusha, became a major were medical schools, pharmacies, economy and culture of the region cultural center of Azerbaijan. This hospitals and well-known physi- were affected, and scientists tried city gave the country a great num- cians. Karabakh doctors were sent to leave the country [11]. It was ber of prominent musicians, poets 26 www.irs-az.com Vessels for ritual drinks and medicines, 5th century BC, Caucasian Albania and physicians [10]. thyme, St. John’s wort, medical (in Azeri) The famous doctor from Shu- honey and exotic means such as 4. Damirov I. A., Shukurov D. Z., sha, Akhund Mirza Sadig Latif oglu rhino horn, tiger bile, ambra , musk, Karimov Y. B., Medicinal plants Latifov, (died in 1901) studied med- bezoar stone and mummy [2]. of Azerbaijan, Baku, 1988 (in icine from the renowned healer, These pharmacies existed in Azeri) Abulhasan Hakimbashi, in Tabriz.