When we hear the surname "Mehmandarov", the first person that comes to our mind is, of course, General Samed Bey Mehmandarov, who passed glorious way in Russian tsar army and became the Minister for War of ADR, and Karim Mehmandarov who was an Azerbaijani physician, M.D. of Medical-Surgical Academy, one of the first Azerbaijanis who had graduated from the Medico-Surgical Academy in St. Petersburg, one of the leaders of the Shusha educational society "Neshr Maarif" and branch of "Difai" organization, founder of the first Russian-Azerbaijani Shusha school for girls. But most people don't know the fact that the Mehmandarovs have close relation with Lankaran. 

According to researchers' viewpoint, this family is closely attached to Qarabagh Khanate. There was such a position in the khanate called "mehmandar" - whose duty was to meet honourable guests.  During Ibrahimkhalil Khan Javanshir's ruling period (1762-1806) Mirza Ali Bey held this post. Then members of this family bore the surname Mehmandarov. Some researchers state that the Mehmandarovs came from the other side of the river Aras, and later the family moved to Qarabagh. In both cases, the family's ties with Qarabagh are beyond doubt. The branch of this large family settled in Lankaran.

Mirza Sadig Bey Mehmandarov was born in Shusha. When he studied at law department of the university in Petersburg, he got acquainted with Haji Mir Abbas Bey  Talishinski. Haji Mir Abbas Bey  Talishinski invited him to be his chief lawyer at his palace. And later on, Mirza Sadig Bey got married with Bika Khanum, general-lieutenant Mir Mustafa Khan Talishinski's grand-daughter. His well-educated son Naghi Bey (Samed Bey Mehmandarov's brother) was the gradonachalnik - chief of Lankaran city

 Became wanderer because of her beauty...

Sona Khanum Mehmandarova was born in the middle of 90s of the XIX century (the exact date of her birth is unknown, supposed in the years of 1894-1896) in Naghi Bey's family. She was well brought and educated. After graduating from the gymnasium, she wished to get higher education, but completely different fate had been written for her by God ...

When Sona khanum was a juvenile, she was famous for her incomparable beauty. Everybody was astonished not only at her outward appearance, but also at her nobility and aristocracy. Therefore  when she came of age, match-makers knocked at Naghi Bey's door without a stop. But her parents and teenager Sona turned down the match-makers because the young girl had very bright plans for future. And their rejection made some pretendants more stubborn.  And the results became incredibly tragic. In order to win Sona Kanum's heart by all means, and to take vengeance on her father, one of the young pretendants killed her father.

And this accident hurt Sona very deeply. For protection measures, her mother decided to send her away from Lankaran to one of her relatives in Baku. So, new pages in young Sona's life were open. She couldn't imagine that the city where she could find a shelter would be an open window to the world...

A girl from province... becomes the winner of a beauty contest...

Attention and care of her relatives, love of her newly acquired girl-friends and a seething life of Baku calmed her.  But it didn't last too long. Very soon, the beauty of the provincial girl reached the city nobility; the number of people who wanted to see her and propose marriage unceasingly increased.     

But Sona Khanum didn't even want to think about marriage...

In the second decade of the past century Baku developed rapidly; very interesting events took place in a cultural life of the city one after another. One of such attractive events - beauty contest was held in the so called "Obşestvennoye sobraniye" building (nowadays the Azerbaijan State Philharmonia) in 1912.  When Sona Mehmandarova decided to take part in the contest by request of her girl-friends, she didn't believe in her successful result. Of course, it wasn't easy to keep up with girls of her age that had been  grown up in big cities like Baku. But completely contrary happened: judges announced her - the girl from province who saved her natural beauty, nobility and elegance- the winner of the contest.   Of course, that time she didn't understand the essence of this victory, its role in her future life. She thought that people would talk about her for a while and then forget about her. And she would continue her life as it was...

But the fate was preparing other more unbelievable successes for her...

Imagine, it was Sona Mehmandarova's first step into the world of beauty and fashion...

Victories in Tiflis, St. Petersburg and Paris...

Beauty contest with ancient traditions became part of life of nobilities at the beginning of the XX century.

The same contest was held in the cultural centre of Zagafgaziya of that time in Tiflis.  The winner of Baku contest directly became the participant of this contest. 

It seemed as if the doors of fate were opening for her one after another: Sona Mehmandarova relived the feeling of the victory in Tiflis contest...

After Tiflis contest she was the first in Miss Russia in St. Petersburg and she was awarded with high-priced crown.

All that had happened seemed as a dream; as if she had fallen into a deep sweetie sleep, from which she didn't want to wake up. 

In 1912, Sona Mehmandarova travelled to Paris to take part in Miss World contest. She had already had enough confidence in herself; she had understood that beauty of a woman was measured not only by outward appearance, but also by moral nobleness. She felt that she would also be the first in this contest. Her feelings didn't mislead her: the Azerbaijani girl was crowned Miss World 1912. The world had already known Sona Mehmandarova as the Caucasus Pearl.  

The victory in Paris fully changed her life; there wasn't any return to the past...

End of magic dream

Then Sona Mehmandarova wasn't able to return not only to Lankaran, but to Baku and Tiflis. She had already become the honour of the empire; she had a prestige even in Tsar's family; she had become rich enough, and she had to live in the capital city of the Empire.  

 She purchased a luxurious house in the centre of St. Petersburg, occupied honourable place among aristocrats of the city. But all these didn't replace the necessity of family peace.  According to the rules, the winner of a beauty contest wasn't allowed to get married within a year after the contest. Therefore, Sona Khanum turned down proposals of marriage that had come from her young, handsome, rich and noble admirers.

Start of the First World War destroyed everything. Seeking ways to overcome the difficulties of life Sona Khanum Mehmandarova married to one of his rich admirers - Uruzov by surname, originally from Dagestan. Her relatives were against this marriageç but she persisted in her decision...  Marriage with Uruzov brought tranquillity, but not the expected happiness. The first reason was that they didn't have any children; the second, the coup of 1917 bankrupted the family. When the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established and Samed Bey Mehmandarov became the Minister for War of ADR even then Sona Khanum didn't think to return to her motherland.

 She died in the motherland...

According to the researches, Sona Khanum Mehmandarova had settled in Moscow since 20s of the past century. It is supposed that in her changing the place of living Anatoly Lunacharsky, the minister of education of Russian Federation (up to 1929)  played the main role, as they were in a very close relationship. Because it was great trouble to belong to the Mehmandarovs' that had been included in the 'black list'. The general's wife was late, his son had been sent to exile. The tomb of Samed Bey Mehmandarov was displaced from Chambarakand cemetery late in 30s, and none of his relatives participated in this action. From mother's side the Talishinskis had the same trouble. As her relatives state, Sona Khanum had burnt down all her documents and photos of those years, therefore it was impossible to say something concrete about her life during the Soviet period.

Sona Khanum Mehmandarova returned to Baku only half a century later, in 1966. She looked run-down and very ill. Of course, she had gone through much trouble during the Soviet Government that changed her completely; nothing remained of her incomparable beauty. But she didn't forget her nobility. And even when her health was very poor and the first aid was called, she asked for her mirror and cosmetics, as she didn't want the doctor to see her unkempt appearance.     

Sona Khanum died some years after her arrival in Baku. She was buried in one of Baku graveyards. Even her relatives don't remember where her grave is.

Nariman ABDULRƏAHMANLY