Absheron

         

 

Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum Complex Gala (XVI century)

In 2008 with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation an open-air Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum Complex was created here. The complex includes cave paintings, gavaldash, pottery, household items and jewelry, weapons and coins, the preserved ruins of an ancient settlement dating from the III-II millennium BC until the Middle Ages. In 2010-2011 Absheron archaeological expedition of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan conducted excavations here, as a result of which various finds were discovered dating back to the 3rd-2nd millennium BC, as well as to the XIV-XVth centuries.. 

In Gala Memorial Complex, ancient man-made sites on the rocks and in caves, rock paintings, ancient foundations, ruins of the ancient wall dating back to the X-XIV and X-XV centuries, two underground passages in the direction of the Caspian Sea and the city of Baku are shown , a tendir dating back to the XVIIIth century. Images of man, animals, various fragments are carved on the rocks.

 

Ateshgah (Temple of the Eternal Flame of the XVII - XVIIIth centuries)

Ateshgah is a fire temple in Azerbaijan, on the Absheron peninsula, 30 km from the center of Baku, on the outskirts of the village of Surahani at various times revered by Zoroastrians, Hindus and Sikhs. It arose in the XVII - XVIII centuries in place of the "eternal" unquenchable fires - burning outlets of natural gas, which is why the temple is called "Ateshgah", which means "House of Fire", "Place of Fire". The architectural complex is a hexagon in plan, with a battlement external wall and an entrance portal, in the center of the courtyard of which rises the quadrangular main temple - the altar, which was a place of pilgrimage for fire-worshipers. Above the entrance portal, a guest room (hoodie), traditional in Absheron, is arranged. The altar of fire to some extent reflects the ancient tradition of building altars, common on the territory of Azerbaijan even in the Media period.

The first buildings of the Ateshgah Temple date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. At that time, Zoroastrianism spread in Azerbaijan, and therefore Zoroastrian temples began to be built in the regions. Ateshgah Temple operated until the VIIth century. However, in the XVI-XVII centuries, he received a second life. At that time, the famous Silk Road passed through Azerbaijan, which attracted the flow of people here. Pilgrims who came here from various countries, including from India, worshiped fire here. Zoroastrians making a pilgrimage settled in cells of 3-4 people.

Ateshgah consists of 26 cells and a central altar, which was considered the most sacred place here. The temple has 20 valuable stone inscriptions located on its cells. One of them was left by Zoroaster. Cells were used as living quarters, chapels and caravanserais. Over the past year, two new cells have been opened. In these cells are collected some samples of objects belonging to the period BC. A guest room, traditional for Absheron, is made above the main entrance. Near the temple there is a large funerary pit, where the bodies of dead Hindus were cremated on sacred fire. Ateshgah Temple is included in the original UNESCO World Heritage List.

               

Yanardag

Yanardag is one of the most amazing natural attractions of the Absheron Peninsula. . It is a mountain slope engulfed in flames that cannot be extinguished either by rain or falling asleep with sand, burning for several millennia. Not so long ago, Yanardag was given the status of a historical reserve of Azerbaijan, the mountainside is protected by the state.

Another local attractionis is located on top of the mountain cave with the ominous name "Wolf's Gate". They say that once a flock of wolves lived here, others claim that the cave paintings on the walls of the cave are proof of the presence of primitive people here.

 

Mardakan Arboretum (1880)

Perhaps one of the most interesting monuments of Mardakan is Mardakan Arboretum located on its territory. This beautiful garden was laid in Mardakan by the oil tycoon Murtuza Mukhtarov. This happened around the year 1880  in the Mardakan Arboretum more than two thousand amazing representatives of the kingdom of flora of Australia, Africa, America, the Mediterranean countries, Japan, China, Central Asia, the Far East, the Caucasus and other areas of the globe are gathered. It was here that the episodes of the famous films "Arshin Mal Alan", "Not That, So This", "The Headless Horseman" were shot. At the beginning of the XXth century the great Russian poet Sergei Yesenin lived here for some time, who was convinced that they were being brought to Persia. In fact, he never visited Persia, but, being in Mardakan, fell in love with the local atmosphere so much that after he wrote the famous cycle of poems "Persian Motifs".

      

Sanctuary Mir Movsum Aga

The world Movsum Aga is a great healer and miracle worker, whose glory survived many of him himself. For numerous miracles he was ranked among the host of saints.  The world of Movsum Aga was born in 1883 in the fortress of Baku. His grandfather moved to Baku from the sacred Karbyala (Iraq) and was a prominent scientist of his time. In early childhood Mir Movsum was struck by paralysis. Such a test put the little Mir Movsum in front of a choice: either offended by the whole world to become cruel, turning his heart into stone, or turning his insult into an insult and bitterness for everyone. Mir Movsum preferred the second: he firmly decided to help all the sick and destitute. In adulthood, he began to treat patients. For treatment, Mir Movsum did not need medicine and medicines: he healed with touch. But he kept one rule impeccably: he had never taken money for his services. Such kindness brought the saint nation-wide love. Although Mir Movsum was seyyid, he did not make religious differences between people: he helped both Muslims and Christians. Mir Movsum Aga served the people for a long time and died in 1950 at the age of 67. The sanctuary is located in the village of Shuvalan, on the right side of the road to the cemetery. As the name implies, the sanctuary was built in 1992-1994 over the grave of Mir Movsum Aga. The sanctuary consists of a lobby and a mausoleum. In the mausoleum are the graves of Mir Boyukag Abutalyb oglu Mir Movsumzade (1883-1950) and his sister Sakina khanum Mir Abutalyb gizi Mir Movsumzade (1885-1948). The grave of his brother, Mir Kazim Mir Abutalyb oglu Mir Movsumzade (1886-1960) is in the courtyard. The inner part of the mausoleum of the sanctuary Mir Movsumagi is 12x4.5 meters, the entrance and exit doors were also installed. The height of the mausoleum with graves is 10 meters. The mausoleum was trimmed with mirrors from edge to edge. A mosque for worship and a dining room for children from dysfunctional families were built in the sanctuary. All construction work is usually carried out by the sanctuary staff. The funds spent on the construction of the sanctuary were received from donations from visitors.

 

Quadrangular Fortress

 Quadrangular Fortress (Mardakan) is located in the Mardakan village of Baku. It was built in the XIVth century by the son of Shirvanshah Manouchehr III, Ahsitan I of the Kesranida dynasty. This fortress was erected in honor of the brilliant victory of Ahsitan over the enemy. The name of Ahsitan and the date of 1187/8 also bear the inscription on the tower. The round tower is connected by underground passages with a quadrangular castle - the largest building on Absheron. Its height is 22 meters, and consists of 5 tiers connected by spiral staircases. It is located inside the courtyard, surrounded by the fortress walls of 7-meter height. The rough surface of the castle walls is shaded by slit-like embrasures and a rich crown of teeth. The tower was erected in 1372, and more than once was attacked by enemies. The fortress was most severely damaged during the seven-month siege by the Mongol-Tatar troops, as a result of which the part of the tower and the mosque adjacent to it were destroyed. In Soviet times, the tower was restored, but the restorers slightly changed its former appearance. So, the teeth of the crown of the walls, which had the shape of a crescent, were replaced by ordinary, round ones.

 

Tuba Shahi Mosque

Tuba Shahi Mosque in the village of Mardakan was built in the XVth century by order of a certain Tuba Shahi, in whose honor it was named. This religious building is well preserved and is an example of the classical architecture of medieval Azerbaijan. The walls of the mosque are made of smooth ashlar, rectangular windows are decorated with geometric patterns of stone gratings. The top of the facade is decorated with carved cornice. The portal entrance of the mosque is slightly protruding. It can be called quite modest, since it is deprived of any wealth of decoration. An inscription about the years of construction (1481-1482) is carved above the portal. Inside the Mosque, the mosques are interconnected with the main prayer hall with arched vaults. In the center of the prayer hall stands a low faceted drum with a dome with a pointed crown risin is achieved by the excellent ratio of volumes harmoniously perceived as a single whole.

 

Ramana Fortress

This tower has a magical look: it was as if copied from the pages of fairy tales about Aladdin, where Princess Budur lived in a beautiful castle.  Ramana  Fortress was built by order of the Shirvanshahs in the middle of the XIVth century on top of a sheer cliff. This arrangement allowed him to organically blend with the rocky landscape of Absheron. Unlike European castles, Absheron buildings were not adapted for long-term residence and served only as a temporary refuge for soldiers during attacks. The height of the quadrangular tower in the village of Ramana is 12 meters, it consists of four tiers. From floor to floor, access is only via a ladder. Narrow slit-like openings expanding inward in all tiers of the towers, except the first, served mainly for lighting and ventilation. By the way, the tower also has a primitive sewer line - risers and water wells. There is written evidence that in the Middle Ages there was an underground road from Ramana Fortress to Maiden’s Tower.

 

Fortress of Light - Round Tower

This fortress was called Ishig Galasy (Fortress of Light), because it played a signal role - when the enemy approached, torches were lit at its top, and thus the population was notified of the imminent danger. That is why the tower was erected and close to the sea - just 500 meters from the coast of the Caspian. A building inscription carved in stone tells the date of its construction - 1232, and the name of the architect is Abdulmejid ibn Masoud. The tower is 16 meters high, located in the center of the square courtyard and surrounded by stone walls. Three internal tiers, covered with spherical domes, are interconnected by spiral stone stairs laid in the thickness of the wall.

 

Nardaran Fortress

This tower, like other defenses of Absheron, served as a reliable stronghold of foreign invasions. Laconic inscriptions in Arabic made on the southern wall of the fortress tell that the architect Ali Mahmoud ibn Saad built this fortification in 1301 at the expense of the governor of the Arab caliphate, Khur Berke. By the way, this same master was the author of the old Bibi-Eybat mosque and the Mosque of Mall Ahmed in the Baku fortress. The height of the round tower is 12,5 m and, unlike others, it has a more spacious courtyard, and on the crown there are practically no step parapets with battlements. 

Aga Mosque is a mosque in the village of Nardaran, Sabunchu district, the city of Baku, Azerbaijan. Aga Mosque is located in the same quarter of the Baku village of Nardaran. It was built in 1882 (1317 according to the Muslim calendar) at the initiative of Sheikh Magomedali. According to other sources, the mosque was built in 1899-1900. The mosque is two-story, rectangular in shape. On the ground floor there are offices for men and women. The female part is separated from the male by a large curtain. On the second floor there is a religious school - madrasah. The walls of the structure are built of massive hewn stones, but not plastered from the facade. The height from floor to ceiling is 6 meters, and from floor to dome is 9 meters. The ceiling is supported by four large columns connected by arches. Four windows are attached to the dome. The department of the mosque is built of stone and very elegantly decorated.

 

Haji Bakhshi Mosque (1663)

  Nardaran  means illuminated, radiant terrain. In this sacred place, the remains of the daughter of theXVIIth imam Musei Kazyma (a) Rahima khanum, her young child and wife Mir Abdullah Aga are buried. Currently, a magnificent sanctuary has been erected over their tombstones. Ancient buildings, three wells located in different places of the Nardaran feast are preserved too.  One of these wells has a depth of 17 meters. It has very clean and clear water. This well has another feature: no matter how much water is taken from it, the water level in the well does not change. Water in it does not arrive and does not decrease. In the courtyard of the feast there is also another sanctuary called "Urek Dashi" ("Heart Stone"). In the village, a bathhouse of 1388, a mausoleum of the XIV century, "Khan's Dacha" of the XV century were preserved. "Xan bağı" (translated into English as "Khan's Garden" or "Khan's Cottage") is located in the north-east of the village of Nardaran, two kilometers south of the sea coast.

This small two-story building has long attracted attention. The architect who erected the building of the "Khan's Cottage" was a big fan of such a simple geometric figure as a square, since it is on this figure that the "sustained proportions of the masses" are built. The shape of the square on the building of "Khan's dacha" is repeated repeatedly. Due to the lack of inscriptions, researchers are forced to date it according to the peculiarities of architectural forms and building techniques by a rather large period of time - XIII-XV centuries. At the same time, the Nardaran Tower and the nearby mosques and the bathhouse are clearly dated to the 14th century, which indicates that this part of the village began to be built up at that time. Based on these data, scientists believe that at the same time they built the "Khan's Dacha".

 

Mashtaga Juma Mosque

Juma Mosque, located in the center of the village of Mashtaga, Sabunchu district of Baku, was built in 1129 according to the Islamic calendar. Mashtaga Juma Mosque consists of two parts - male and female, with a total area of ​​420 m². The ceiling is supported by 20 stone pillars, which are interconnected by arches. The diameter of the dome is 3.5 meters, with eight windows inserted into it. The floor is covered with marble. In front of the mosque there is an open balcony on which inscriptions in the form of book pages are carved. During the years of Soviet rule, the mosque was temporarily closed and used for various purposes, but in the future its activities were resumed. A mosque can host 460 believers at a time. The former mosque minaret was destroyed in 1936. The height of the new minaret is 46 meters. It was built of hewn stones and covered with stone slabs.

 

Sanctuary Pir Hasan

The sanctuary dates back to the XVIth century. Pir Hasan is one of the sacred places in Baku. This sanctuary is also called "Childag", as a place of worship that relieves fear and the evil eye, located in the village of Mardakan. Before entering the shrine, the statue of the millionaire Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev attracts attention.  The tomb of Akhund Haji Mirza Abdulturab Akhundzade is located in the center on the right side of the statue, as well as the grave of the daughter of Zeynalabdin Tagiyev Sarah Khanum and Salimkhanova Zeynal Bey Agabay oglu. The tomb of Akhund was built by the Baku millionaire and philanthropist Murtuza Mukhtarov as a sign of respect. The famous philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, who died in 1924, was buried of his last volition at the foot of the grave of Akhund. In the next courtyard of the shrine there are two more sacred tombs. One of them is the grave of Pir Hasan. It is said that Pir Hasan, belongs to the family of a prophet, lived in the seventeenth century and healed from heat and evil eye with hot coal.

 

Sanctuary "Ali Ayagi"

The sanctuary is located in the Baku village of the urban type Buzovna. The mosque-sanctuary is of great importance in the Islamic world of gedamgyah (the place where the foot has stepped) Hazret Ali (as) is the mosque-sanctuary "Ali Ayagy". Once there was a mosque for the worshipers to perform namaz and other religious rites, as well as a caravanserai for pilgrims. At one time, people from Tabriz, Damascus, Samarkand, Calcutta and other major trade and economic cities of the world came to the sanctuary. There are various historical legends and memories among the people about this sanctuary. In the fact that it has survived to this day, local residents have played a big role. People making a pilgrimage here are healed of various diseases, kissing the footprints of Hazret Ali (A.S.) and making prayers.

 

Pir "Gara Paltar"

Pir "Gara Paltar", located in the Nazranli district (Buzovna village) is associated with the name of the Christian Bahram Samavezi. He died in the 706th year of hijri (1306th year from the birth of Christ). Turba located in the village of Shagan belongs to Bulgag (Abul - hagg) bin Bulgarar. He died in the year 720 hijri (1320-1321 years from the birth of Christ). Some inscriptions of the turbot in Surahani faded over time. It is assumed that these monuments belonged to Christians. The mentioned monuments are of great importance from a historical and cultural point of view. For example - the Albanian cross is considered the oldest in the Caucasus.