The territory of Northern Azerbaijan is one of the ancient hearths of civilization. The results of well- known archeological expeditions which were carried out on the territory of the republic during different periods of time confirm that human beings inhabited this place back in the Stone Age. 350- 450 thousand years ago ancestors of Azeri people living within the territory of Azerbaijan did not have permanent settlements. They used to wander in small groups (communities) over rich virgin lands, settling down for short periods of time in fertile valleys. They gathered fruits and roots of various plants, fished and hunted while migrating depending on the time of year and the migration of animals. During winter time they hid in caves, a great number of which can be found in the mountainous parts of the Caucasus.

A considerable number of settlements of primitive men exist on the territory of the Republic, and many caves still have paintings on the walls remaining from ancient times. The most famous and unique among them is Azykh, a cave located in the southern part of the Karabakh region. Numerous ancient items were found in Azykh, such as pieces of stone tools and the tools themselves, made for digging, cutting, etc. These items demonstrate the evolution of our ancestors into intelligent human beings. The settlements of ancient people, found on the territory of Azerbaijan belong to a different period of the Stone Age. Archeological items found in the western part of the country in Taglar, Damjyly and the Dashsalakhly caves in the Kazakh region give us information about the people who were living here 180 thousand years ago. Drawings on rocks at Gobustan, located near the capital of the Republic, belong to the end of the Stone Age and date back to the 8th century B.C. Drawings on rocks in Gobustan and other petrographs which can be found on the territory of the Apsheron peninsula, Nakhichevan, Kelbajar and other regions of the Republic are evidence of the life and activities of ancient people and their world outlook. The petrographs with pictures of boats carrying the Sun allow scientists to presume that the inhabitants of these places knew how to navigate ships and even then could navigate by the Sun and stars and had direct contact with the Shumers who belong to the most ancient culture on the continent.

Fireplaces were found in the Azykh and Aveydaga caves, which is evidence that during the Stone Age people could make fires. Evidence of fire-worship can also be found in pictures carved in stone. Since ancient times, fire worship has influenced the culture and everyday life of Azeri people. It is natural that the most authoritative researchers identify the name of the country - Azerbaijan - with "The Land of Fire".

Different tribes, such as Loulloubey, Cuties, Mannas, Caspians, Uties, etc. populated the territory of Azerbaijan during different periods of time. After the 3rd - 2nd centuries B.C. the first primitive territorial settlements started to form with their own economic structures. Atropatena is the most ancient name of Azerbaijan known to scientists. Persians used to call this country "Aturpatan",

and Arabs - "Azerbaygan", which literally means "a country of fire keepers". The process of uniting the tribes in the territory of Azerbaijan later resulted in the formation of a new Albanian state, historically known as Caucasian Albania with its capital located at Kabala. This existed for several centuries. Albania was a country with favorable natural and geographical conditions, and had an active economical life, a well-developed agriculture, numerous crafts, scientific and cultural activities.

Starting from the 7th century A.D. the present territory of Azerbaijan became a battleground for foreign invaders. The Arabic march to the East during the first half of the 7th century resulted in the start of Azerbaijan's conversion to Islam, which became the state religion during the caliph's reign. Much later, when the caliph's regime weakened, several independent and semi-independent states ruled by different feudal families were formed in Azerbaijan.

In the 18th century 14 khanates (feudal states) were formed on the territory of Azerbaijan. The lack of economic union, and their dependence on big powers located to the North and South did not allow the establishment of a centralized and powerful state. Another reason was that the strongest feudal rulers of Azerbaijan claimed the Shah's throne in Iran, therefore the unification of Azeri khanates into an independent state was difficult.

At the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, the attempted invasions of the Caucasus by Tsarist Russia, the Ottoman Empire and Persia increased, and this led to several wars among these states, the aim of which was to become firmly established in this territory.

Feudal fragmentation and the economic weakness of the Azeri khanates facilitated their invasion and from the beginning of the 19th century Azerbaijan was divided into northern and southern parts. The northern part (current territory of Azerbaijan) was obtained by Russia, and the southern part remained under Persian rule. In fact, Azerbaijan lost its sovereignty for a long time.

Azerbaijan declared its independence only in 1918 when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed. It existed for less than two years. In 1920 the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was invaded by the 21st Red Army and further became one of the republics of the Soviet Union. Only in 1991 did the movement of patriotic forces for freedom bring independence to the Azeri people and restore their sovereignty.