Northwestern Route: Shamakhi

SHAMAKHI DISTRICT is the center of ancient SHIRVAN, the former state of the Shirvanshahs and a historical region of Azerbaijan. It lies in the southeastern foothills of the Greater Caucasus. The climate in most of the district is moderately warm, with dry summers. The landscape is varied: steppes give way to foothill meadows and forests, and the higher above sea level you go, the cooler the autumn and the longer the snow lies in winter. On the whole, though, the district has a mild climate, fertile soil and rich flora and fauna. Roe deer, wild boar, jungle cats, foxes, wolves, bears and many birds live here. The eye is delighted by deciduous forests of hornbeam, beech and oak, and by green meadows that are covered with scarlet poppies in spring. The district is home to more than 50 species of medicinal plants.

Shamakhi District is the largest center of Azerbaijani viticulture. Shamakhi wines are popular not only on the local market; they have long been winning medals and diplomas at international exhibitions.

The region is a popular getaway for residents of the capital, tourists and sports tourism enthusiasts. Those who prefer hiking set out from here on excursions to the towns of QUBA and ISMAYILLI. Ecotourists and anyone who simply loves to travel are keen to visit the CANGI FOREST, where wild apple, pear and cherry plum trees grow, and on its edge, next to a gorge, sulfur springs rise. In the mountain villages the famous "SHIRVAN", "SHAMAKHI", "ISRAFIL" and "ARJIMAN" carpets are woven.

Shamakhi District has many interesting places. On the right bank of the PIRSAAT River lies the village of CHUKHURYURD, inhabited by Molokans, settlers from Russia. They became famous for their tasty sunflower oil, their specially pickled vegetables, and for supplying the capital with mountain honey, vegetables and fruit. At a spot called GIRKH BULAG ("forty springs"), numerous springs of fresh spring water gush out. Near the village of MALHAM there is a famous cave known for its healing properties.

It was in this village, in the 12th century, that AFZALADDIN KHAGANI, a poet renowned throughout the East, was born. This land in general is famous for its poets, philosophers and architects: SEYID AZIM SHIRVANI, NASIMI, SABIR, HAJI ZEYNALABDIN SHIRVANI, MAHAMMAD SHIRVANI, AZIM AZIMZADE, ABBAS SIHHAT, HAMIDI SHIRVANI, FALAKI SHIRVANI (the frequent repetition of "Shirvani" comes from an old Eastern tradition: once you became famous, you took a surname after the place where you were born or where you studied under renowned teachers).

At an altitude of 1400 meters above sea level, next to the village of PIRGULU, stands the Nasiraddin Tusi Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory (ShAO). The first of the largest telescopes of the former USSR was installed right here. One of the first presidents of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, the scientist Yusif Mammadaliyev, the founder of Azerbaijani petrochemistry, put a great deal of effort into setting up the observatory in his day. Grateful scientists erected a monument to him on the grounds of ShAO. And schoolchildren from the capital always look forward to an excursion to the big telescope of the Tusi ShAO. They are especially eager to come here in winter from snowless Baku, so they can play in the snow at the same time, since it lasts quite a long time in Pirgulu. And in summer the locals organize horseback rides for anyone who wants one.

Historical monuments of the district: the JUMA MOSQUE (8th–19th centuries); the PIRMARDAKAN mausoleum (13th–14th centuries); the SHAKHANDAN mausoleum (17th century); the YEDDI GUMBAZ COMPLEX of 7 mausoleums (18th century); the ruins of the legendary KALAI-BUGURT fortress (12th–16th centuries) near the mountain village of the same name — the fortress seems to cling to a sheer cliff. The GULUSTAN fortress (8th–15th centuries), where Shirvanshah Shahrukh bravely repelled an attack by Persian troops — inside the fortress his palace has survived, along with a unique water supply system: a secret aqueduct that carried water to the defensive walls, stone reservoirs for storing it, and a water tower.

The "Pirgulu" nature reserve is located in the district. It was established in 1968 and consists of three sections with a total area of 1521 ha, of which 1362 ha are forests at an altitude of 8000-2000 m above sea level. The reserve's flora includes 45 rare and endemic plant species, many of which are listed in the Red Book.

THE TOWN OF SHAMAKHI is the administrative center of the district, with a population of 83 thousand people, 120 km from Baku.

Shamakhi (the town's ancient names were "Sharvan", "Ashshmakh", "Shirvan", "Shah-Makh") was once the capital of Shirvan, the state of the Shirvanshahs, which, along with several other small states, emerged in the 8th century after the Abbasid dynasty weakened. The town has a glorious but tragic history — it was destroyed many times. And not only by invaders, but also by earthquakes, since this is an area of high seismic activity. When in 1191 Qizil Arslan of the ELDIGUZID Atabeg dynasty captured and destroyed the town, Shirvanshah Akhsitan I temporarily moved his capital to Baku. And in 1501 both Shamakhi and Baku were captured by Shah Ismail Safavi. 37 years later Shirvan ceased to exist as a state, and Tahmasib Safavi formed the Safavid state. After that, Shamakhi was repeatedly destroyed in the wars between the Safavids and the Ottoman Turks. It wasn't only people who perished — architectural monuments and books were destroyed too...

But the people of Shamakhi always found the strength to rebuild the town and get life going again. Alexandre Dumas, who visited Azerbaijan, wrote of Shamakhi that its residents can never tell whether they will be alive tomorrow. Many ancient monuments survive around Shamakhi to this day.