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*[http://www.nkrusa.org/country_profile/history.shtml Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)] (Office of Artsakh in the USA)
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{{orientalchurches}}
The '''Church of Arran''' (Azeri. 'Land of Warriors', Ar/Ər - 'warrior/man', An - 'land') , also known as Church of Caucasian Albania, is one of the oldest churches in the world. It is an [[Autocephaly|Autocephalous Orthodox Church]] and was first established by the Holy [[Apostle Bartholomew]] in Baku, and then by St. [[Elisha of Arran|Elisha]] in the village of Kish, north of Azerbaijan. It was amalgamated with the [[Church of Armenia|Armenian Orthodox Church]] in 1836, when Tsar Nicolas I of Russia signed "The Decree on managing the affairs of the Armenian-Gregorian Church in Russia" ("Положение о управлении делами Армяно-Григорианской церкви в России"). The Church of Arran was re-established in Azerbaijan in 2003 as the Church of Caucasian Albania-Udi. In 2013 during 1700th anniversary of establishing Christianity in Azerbaijan, the grand opening of the Church of Arran took place in the village of Nij.
==Early history==
The original name of Azerbaijan (for both North and South) was Caspiane according to Strabo (book 11, chapter 2, section 15), which is also referred to Caspian Mountains (Caucasian Mountains) and Caspian Sea : "According to Eratosthenes, the Caucasus is called "Caspius" by the natives, the name being derived perhaps from the 'Caspii'". Subsequent invasions, split Caspiane into two distinctive entities Atropatene in south, and later Arran in north. Then Caspiane became a little province along the Caspian shores, which later was incorporated into Arran.
The kingdom of Arran, better known in English as 'Caucasian Albania' (Latin - Albānia, Greek - Αλβανεια), is said to have been first evangelized by the Holy [[Apostle Bartholomew]] and a [[disciple]] of St. [[Apostle Jude|Thaddeus]], St. [[Elisha of Arran|Elisha]], who is called the 'Apostle of Arran.' The nation as a whole did convert into Christianity when the Arsacid King [[Urnayr]] of Arran was [[baptism|baptized]] by St. [[Gregory the Enlightener|Gregory the Illuminator]] in 313.
*[http://www.gandzasar.com/ Gandzasar Monastery of St. John the Baptist] (Official Website)
*[http://baku.eparhia.ru/history/albania/ The History of Christianity in Caucasian Albania] (Eparchy of Baku)
*[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/070126150112.htm Orthodoxy in Azerbaijan] (Pravoslavie)
*[http://en.trend.az/news/society/2176682.html Azerbaijan celebrates 1700th anniversary] (Trend.az)
*[http://www.korpu.net/BibleNorth.html The Holy Bible in Azerbaijani] Korpu.net
*[http://udi.az The Udis in Azerbaijan] Udi.az
*[httphttps://crossofarrancaspianrepublic.blogspot.co.uk/20132015/1205/ancient-caspian-cross-ofand-arrancaspians.html The Ancient Caspian Cross of Arran] History
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
[[Category:Oriental Orthodox]]
