The Treaty of Zuhab: How Armenia Was Split Between Ottoman and Safavid Empires

The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History · Jun 1, 2026 · 11m · transcript

In 1639, the Treaty of Zuhab (also known as the Treaty of Qasr-e Shirin) formalized the division of historic Armenia between the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Persia—a border that largely persists today. This episode explores the brutal war that led to the treaty, Shah Safi's desperate negotiations, Sultan Murad IV's conquest of Yerevan, and how ordinary Armenians endured forced relocations, heavy taxes, and cultural erasure. We examine the treaty's terms, the fate of Nakhichevan and Artsakh, and the long-term demographic shifts that created distinct Eastern and Western Armenian…