Rare photographs from 1891 capture the Armenian communities living near the city of Arak during Naser al-Din Shah Qajar’s journey from Tehran. The Shah noted at the time: “All the men and women of this village are Armenian Christians, and they wear strange clothes unlike anything I have seen in these lands.”

Axar.az informs Historian Zaur Aliyev shared the images, noting that some are preserved at the Chahar Fasl Museum in Arak.

Aliyev said the photographs provide historical context for the community, showing tents, yurts, household items, utensils, clothing, and living spaces of the Armenian settlements. He added that these groups were relocated from India to the Qajar state with Russian assistance and later moved to Azerbaijan, where an artificial state was eventually established with support from the Russian Empire.