2017-12-09 Sat

Almost 150 coin denominations and fables of the 11th- 12th centuries have been found in the country’s southern region Lankaran recently. These ancient coins were accidentally found during farming and handed over to the stations collecting metals.

Mais Jafarov, the head of the archaeological department of the Lankaran Scientific Center of ANAS told the media that they stumbled upon the coins at a metal shop. After cleaning the money, it was clear that they were copper coins and belonged to the Atabeys era, a dynasty of Kipchak origin that controlled most of northwestern Persia including Arran, most of Azerbaijan, and Djibal.

On the dirhams, writing "La ilaha illallah, Muhammaden Rasulallah" and the names of four Caliphs were mentioned. In the reverse side, the names of the city and Atabey Elygaz's names were engraved. This proves that the coins belong to the state of Atabeys, ruling in the 12th-13th centuries in Azerbaijan.

Among the finds are the coins of Seljuk sultans, Atabeys, including their masters. The nation considers these objects of utmost importance as they want to study the history of its ancient statehood, and to investigate commodities and money relations of the Atabeys state.

The Azerbaijan became a significant cultural center of the Turkic people. Atabeys, usually Turkic slave-officers, were officially tutors and vice-regents to their princes, but in the political scenario, they were the actual rulers. The Atabey State fell in 1225 when it was added to the Great Mongol Empire created by Genghis Khan.

These recent findings proved once again that one of the branches of the Silk Road, the 11th-12th centuries trade network, crossed the Southeastern region.

From the new findings, Jafarov noted that the numismatic map of the Southeastern zone will be created for the first time. He added that the catalog of coins discovered will be created and submitted to the scientific community.

The head of the department also noted that a museum of numismatics will be created in the southern region to introduce foreign and local currency coins and coins to foreign tourists.

It should be noted that gold coins of Kirman Atabekov, discovered in the southern region in 2013, are kept in the numismatics and epigraphic department of the Azerbaijan History Museum.