Authors
Rahilya Geybullayeva1; 1 Azerbaijan, Discussion
The starting point of a modern nation's history can be contentious because it involves selecting which historical periods, events, figures, and myths are emphasized in shaping national identity. One key factor in this process is often the name of the nation itself. A nation's name usually reflects both its historical disruptions and its sense of unity. It represents the links between periods of division—such as foreign influence or colonization—and the efforts to reclaim, unify, or preserve cultural identity. Through endonyms (self-given names) or exonyms (externally imposed names), the name of a nation becomes a symbol of both its fragmented past and its collective present.
Maurice Halbwachs (On collective memory University of Chicago press, 2020.) argued that collective memory is shaped within a social group, preserving a shared understanding of the past. This contrasts with history, which strives for an objective and comprehensive recounting of events.
According to the neurobiology of collective memory, it reflects the values, narratives, and biases of specific groups, making it selective depending on the ideals of the historical period in which the memory is recalled or referenced. The same historical event may be remembered or interpreted differently by various groups, depending on their interests and perspectives. From this viewpoint, we will explore how the renaming of nations, along with the use of endonyms and exonyms, influences the modern interpretation of cultural heritage. 
