Ganja, Azerbaijan
Encyclopedia
Ganja is Azerbaijan
's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union
. However, its name was changed again and called Kirovabad during the later Soviet Union period from 1935 to 1991. Finally, the city regained the original name after Azerbaijan's independence in 1991.
.
According to medieval Arab sources, the city of Ganja was founded in 859-60 by Mohammad b. Khaled b. Yazid b. Mazyad, the Arab governor of the region in the reign of the caliph Al-Mutawakkil
, and so-called because of a treasure unearthed there. According to the legend, the Arab governor had a dream where a voice told him that there was a treasure hidden under one of the three hills around the area where he camped. The voice told him to unearth it and use the money to found a city. He did so and informed the caliph about the money and the city. Caliph made Mohammad the hereditary governor of the city on a condition that he would give the money he found to the caliph.
Foundation of the city by Arabs is confirmed by the medieval historian Movses Kagankatvatsi, who mentions that the city of Ganja was founded in 846-47 in the canton of Arshakashen by the son of Khazr Patgos, “a furious and merciless man”.
Historically an important city of the South Caucasus
, Ganja has been part of Sassanid empire, Great Seljuk Empire, Atabegs of Azerbaijan
, Khwarezmid Empire, Il-Khans, Timurids, Jalayirids
, Qara Qoyunlu, Ak Koyunlu
, and the Ganja Khanate
. Ganja is also the birthplace of the famous poet Nizami Ganjavi
The people of Ganja experienced a temporary cultural decline after an earthquake
in 1139, when the city was taken by king Demetrius I of Georgia and its gates taken as trophies, and again after the Mongol invasion in 1231. The city was revived after the Safavids came to power. City was also managed by Ottomans
between 1578–1603 and 1724-1735.
after war against the Ottomans. He build a new city 8 km to the southwest of the old one, but the name changed back to Ganja during the time During the Safavid rule, it was the capital of the Karabakh (Ganja) beylerbey
, one of the four such administrative units and principalities. In 1747, Ganja became the center of the Ganja Khanate
.
Russian expansion into the South Caucasus met strong opposition in Ganja. In contrast with spreading suzerainty over Christian Georgia and Sunni Daghestan, military attack on the khanate in 1804 led by Pavel Tsitsianov
was seen as a direct challenge to Iran being an incursion into a mainly Shia-populated territory. The capture of the city was followed by a massacre of up to 3,000 inhabitants of Ganja by the Russians. 500 of them were slaughtered in a mosque where they had taken refuge, after an Armenian
told the Russian soldiers that there might have been "Daghestani robbers" among them. Thosaunds of Azeris left Ganja and fled to Iran following the capture.
According to the October 1813 Gulistan Treaty
, the Ganja Khanate, together with most of Azerbaijan, was recognized as part of the Russian Empire after Persia's defeat in the Persia-Russia wars
except Persian occupation between 1826-1827. It was renamed Elisabethpol (Russian: Елизаветполь) after the wife of Alexander I of Russia
, Elisabeth
, and in 1868 became the capital of Elisabethpol Governorate
. Elizavetpol was an uyezd
of Tiflis Governorate
before 1868. The Russian name was not accepted by Azerbaijanis who continued to call the city Ganja.
, at which point it was renamed Ganja again, until Baku
was recaptured from the British
backed Centrocaspian Dictatorship
. In April 1920, the Red Army
occupied Azerbaijan. In May 1920, Ganja was the scene of an abortive anti-Soviet rebellion
, during which the city was heavily damaged by fighting between the insurgents and the Red Army. In 1935, Joseph Stalin
renamed the city Kirovabad after Sergei Kirov. In 1991, Azerbaijan re-established its independence, and the ancient name of the city was given back. For many years the 104th Guards Airborne Division of the Soviet Airborne Troops was based in the town.
minerals extracted from nearby mines supply Ganja's metallurgical industries, which produces copper and alumina. There are porcelain
, silk and footwear
industries. Other industries process food, grapes and cotton from the surrounding farmlands.
The city has one of the largest textile conglomerates in Azerbaijan
and is famous for a fabric named Ganja silk, which received the highest marks in the markets of neighboring countries and the Middle East.
Ganja is the second largest city of Azerbaijan after Baku
with about 313,300 residents.
The city's historically important Christian figures include Kirakos Gandzaketsi
, author of the History of the Armenians), Armenian
philosopher Mkhitar Gosh
author of the Code of Laws that was used in Armenia
, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
and Armenian diasporan groups in Europe, 13th century polymath Vardan Areveltsi
and Grigor Paron-Ter
, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. Among the modern time's prominent Armenian person's of the city were Russian-Armenian architect Karo Halabyan, secretary of the Armenian SSR
Communist Party Askanaz Mravyan
, Marshall
Hovhannes Baghramyan, and the Olympic champion Albert Azaryan
.
The founder of the Hethumid dynasty
, Oshin of Lampron
was an Armenian nakharar
and lord of a castle near Ganja who fled to Cilicia
in 1075 during the Seljuk invasion of Armenia.
In the 11th century, a local blacksmith named Ibrahim produced the well known the Gates of Ganja.
i football - FC Kəpəz currently playing in the Azerbaijan Premier League
.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. However, its name was changed again and called Kirovabad during the later Soviet Union period from 1935 to 1991. Finally, the city regained the original name after Azerbaijan's independence in 1991.
Origin of the name
Modern historians believe that the name Ganja (گنجه / Ganjeh) derives from the New Persian ganj (گنج: "treasure, treasury") and suggests that the city existed in pre-Islamic times and was likely founded in the 5th century A.D. The area in which Ganja is located was known as Arran from the 9th to 12th century; its urban population spoke mainly in the Persian languagePersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
.
Pre-1500
According to medieval Arab sources, the city of Ganja was founded in 859-60 by Mohammad b. Khaled b. Yazid b. Mazyad, the Arab governor of the region in the reign of the caliph Al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil
Al-Mutawakkil ʻAlā Allāh Jaʻfar ibn al-Muʻtasim was an Abbasid caliph who reigned in Samarra from 847 until 861...
, and so-called because of a treasure unearthed there. According to the legend, the Arab governor had a dream where a voice told him that there was a treasure hidden under one of the three hills around the area where he camped. The voice told him to unearth it and use the money to found a city. He did so and informed the caliph about the money and the city. Caliph made Mohammad the hereditary governor of the city on a condition that he would give the money he found to the caliph.
Foundation of the city by Arabs is confirmed by the medieval historian Movses Kagankatvatsi, who mentions that the city of Ganja was founded in 846-47 in the canton of Arshakashen by the son of Khazr Patgos, “a furious and merciless man”.
Historically an important city of the South Caucasus
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
, Ganja has been part of Sassanid empire, Great Seljuk Empire, Atabegs of Azerbaijan
Atabegs of Azerbaijan
The Ildegizids, Eldiguzids or Ildenizids, also known as Atabegs of Azerbaijan were a Turkic dynasty of Kipchak origin which controlled most of northwestern Persia/eastern Transcaucasia, including Arran, most of Azerbaijan, and Djibal...
, Khwarezmid Empire, Il-Khans, Timurids, Jalayirids
Jalayirids
The Jalayirids were a Mongol Jalayir dynasty which ruled over Iraq and western Persia after the breakup of the Mongol Khanate of Persia in the 1330s....
, Qara Qoyunlu, Ak Koyunlu
Ak Koyunlu
The Aq Qoyunlu or Ak Koyunlu, also called the White Sheep Turkomans , was an Sunni Oghuz Turkic tribal federation that ruled parts of present-day Eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, northern Iraq, and Iran from 1378 to 1508.-History:According to chronicles from the Byzantine Empire, the Aq Qoyunlu...
, and the Ganja Khanate
Ganja Khanate
The Ganja khanate was a Muslim principality mostly under the dominion of Persia that existed in the territory of Azerbaijan in 1747-1805. The principality was ruled by the dynasty of Ziyadoglu , which had ruled Ganja as governors under Nadir Shah and was of Qajar extraction...
. Ganja is also the birthplace of the famous poet Nizami Ganjavi
The people of Ganja experienced a temporary cultural decline after an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1139, when the city was taken by king Demetrius I of Georgia and its gates taken as trophies, and again after the Mongol invasion in 1231. The city was revived after the Safavids came to power. City was also managed by Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
between 1578–1603 and 1724-1735.
16th-19th centuries
For a short period, Ganja was renamed Abbasabad by Shah AbbasAbbas I of Persia
Shāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
after war against the Ottomans. He build a new city 8 km to the southwest of the old one, but the name changed back to Ganja during the time During the Safavid rule, it was the capital of the Karabakh (Ganja) beylerbey
Beylerbey
Beylerbey is the Ottoman and Safavid title used for the highest rank in the hierarchy of provincial administrators It is in western terms a Governor-general, with authority...
, one of the four such administrative units and principalities. In 1747, Ganja became the center of the Ganja Khanate
Ganja Khanate
The Ganja khanate was a Muslim principality mostly under the dominion of Persia that existed in the territory of Azerbaijan in 1747-1805. The principality was ruled by the dynasty of Ziyadoglu , which had ruled Ganja as governors under Nadir Shah and was of Qajar extraction...
.
Russian expansion into the South Caucasus met strong opposition in Ganja. In contrast with spreading suzerainty over Christian Georgia and Sunni Daghestan, military attack on the khanate in 1804 led by Pavel Tsitsianov
Pavel Tsitsianov
Pavel Dmitriyevich Tsitsianov was the Georgian Imperial Russian military commander and infantry general from 1804. A member of the noble Georgian family Tsitsishvili , Tsitsianov participated in suppression of the Kościuszko Uprising and in the Russo-Persian War...
was seen as a direct challenge to Iran being an incursion into a mainly Shia-populated territory. The capture of the city was followed by a massacre of up to 3,000 inhabitants of Ganja by the Russians. 500 of them were slaughtered in a mosque where they had taken refuge, after an Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
told the Russian soldiers that there might have been "Daghestani robbers" among them. Thosaunds of Azeris left Ganja and fled to Iran following the capture.
According to the October 1813 Gulistan Treaty
Gulistan Treaty
The Treaty of Gulistan was a peace treaty concluded between Imperial Russia and Persia on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan as a result of the first Russo-Persian War. The peace negotiations were precipitated by Lankaran's fall to Gen...
, the Ganja Khanate, together with most of Azerbaijan, was recognized as part of the Russian Empire after Persia's defeat in the Persia-Russia wars
Russo-Persian War (1804-1813)
The 1804-1813 Russo-Persian War, one of the many wars between the Persian Empire and Imperial Russia, began like many wars as a territorial dispute. The Persian king, Fath Ali Shah Qajar, wanted to consolidate the northernmost reaches of his Qajar dynasty by securing land near the Caspian Sea's...
except Persian occupation between 1826-1827. It was renamed Elisabethpol (Russian: Елизаветполь) after the wife of Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
, Elisabeth
Louise of Baden
Elizabeth Alexeievna was the wife of Emperor Alexander I of Russia.-Princess of Baden:...
, and in 1868 became the capital of Elisabethpol Governorate
Elisabethpol Governorate
Elisabethpol Governorate or Elizavetpol Governorate was one of the guberniyas of the Russian Empire, with its centre in Elisabethpol . Its area was 44,136 sq. kilometres, and it had 878,415 inhabitants by 1897....
. Elizavetpol was an uyezd
Uyezd
Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...
of Tiflis Governorate
Tiflis Governorate
Tiflis Governorate was one of the guberniyas of the Russian Empire with its centre in Tiflis . In 1897 it constituted 44,607 sq. kilometres in area and had a population of 1,051,032 inhabitants...
before 1868. The Russian name was not accepted by Azerbaijanis who continued to call the city Ganja.
20th century
In 1918, Ganja became the temporary capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic RepublicAzerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world . The ADR was founded on May 28, 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 by Azerbaijani National Council in...
, at which point it was renamed Ganja again, until Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
was recaptured from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
backed Centrocaspian Dictatorship
Centrocaspian Dictatorship
The Central-Caspian Dictatorship , or the Centro-Caspian Dictatorship, was a short-lived anti-Soviet client state proclaimed in Baku, the capital of present-day Azerbaijan, during World War I...
. In April 1920, the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
occupied Azerbaijan. In May 1920, Ganja was the scene of an abortive anti-Soviet rebellion
1920 Ganja revolt
The 1920 Ganja revolt , also referred to as the Ganja Uprising, was an anti-Bolshevik rebellion that took place in Ganja, Azerbaijan from 26 to 31 May 1920 as a reaction to Azerbaijan's Sovietisation.-Prelude:...
, during which the city was heavily damaged by fighting between the insurgents and the Red Army. In 1935, Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
renamed the city Kirovabad after Sergei Kirov. In 1991, Azerbaijan re-established its independence, and the ancient name of the city was given back. For many years the 104th Guards Airborne Division of the Soviet Airborne Troops was based in the town.
Climate
Administrative organization
Ganja is divided into:- Kəpəz Rayon, with about 160,000 people
- Nizami Rayon, with about 140,000 people
Economy
The economy of Ganja is partially agricultural, partially tourist based, with some industries in operation. OreOre
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
minerals extracted from nearby mines supply Ganja's metallurgical industries, which produces copper and alumina. There are porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
, silk and footwear
Footwear
Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations....
industries. Other industries process food, grapes and cotton from the surrounding farmlands.
The city has one of the largest textile conglomerates in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and is famous for a fabric named Ganja silk, which received the highest marks in the markets of neighboring countries and the Middle East.
Demography
| Year | Azerbaijanis | % | Armenians | % | Russians | % | Others 1 | % | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1886 | 11,139 | 54.9 | |
43.9 | 131 | 0.6 | 110 | 0.5 | 20,294 |
| 1892 | 13,392 | 51.8 | |
40.8 | 1,842 | 7.2 | 25,758 | ||
| 1897 | 17,426 | 51.8 | |
35.9 | 2,519 | 7.5 | 1,625 | 4.8 | 33,625 |
| 1926 | 30,878 | 53.8 | |
28.1 | 4,470 | 7.8 | 5,897 | 10.3 | 57,339 |
| 1939 | 49,755 | 50.3 | |
27.4 | 16,992 | 17.2 | 4,626 | 4.7 | 98,494 |
| 1959 | 63,258 | 54.5 | |
27.9 | 16,545 | 14.2 | 4,039 | 3.5 | 116,122 |
| 1988/1989 | |
14.7 | 278,006 | ||||||
| 1999 | 294,876 | 98.5 | |
0.01 | 2,814 | 0.9 | 1,620 | 0.5 | 299,342 |
| 1 Georgians Georgians The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America.... , Jews Jews The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation... , Ukrainians Ukrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens... etc. 2Just before the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Nagorno-Karabakh War The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan... |
|||||||||
Ganja is the second largest city of Azerbaijan after Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
with about 313,300 residents.
Historic Armenian community
In addition to Persian- and Turkic-speaking Muslims, the city has had a numerically, economically and, culturally significant Armenian community. Among the Armenians, the city is known as Gandzak (Գանձակ) The name Gandzak derives from gandz (Arm. - գանձ), the loan word from Old Iranian, which means treasure or riches.The city's historically important Christian figures include Kirakos Gandzaketsi
Kirakos Gandzaketsi
Kirakos of Gandzak was an Armenian historian of the 13th century and author of the History of Armenia, a summary of events from the 4th to the 12th century and a detailed description of the events of his own days. The work concentrates primarily on the history of Medieval Armenia and events...
, author of the History of the Armenians), Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
philosopher Mkhitar Gosh
Mkhitar Gosh
Mkhitar Gosh was an Armenian scholar, writer, public figure, thinker, and priest. He was born in the city of Gandzak. He got his early education from public institutions. When he reached his adolescence he decided to dedicate his life to church...
author of the Code of Laws that was used in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
and Armenian diasporan groups in Europe, 13th century polymath Vardan Areveltsi
Vardan Areveltsi
Vardan Areveltsi was a thirteenth century Armenian historian, geographer, philosopher and translator. In addition to establishing numerous schools and monasteries, he also left behind a rich contribution to Armenian literature...
and Grigor Paron-Ter
Grigor Paron-Ter
Grigor Paron-Ter , was the Armenian Patricarch of Jerusalem. He reigned from 1613 to 1645. During his tenure, the Ottoman Empire was in crisis, which also impacted the Armenian people and Armenian Jerusalem. Even before entering into religious service, Paron-Ter, a native of Gandzak in Eastern...
, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. Among the modern time's prominent Armenian person's of the city were Russian-Armenian architect Karo Halabyan, secretary of the Armenian SSR
Armenian SSR
The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet...
Communist Party Askanaz Mravyan
Askanaz Mravyan
Askanaz Mravyan was a Soviet Armenian statesman and political activist, one of the leaders of Soviet Armenia.He studied at Saint-Petersburg Psycho-neurological Institute. Since 1905 Mravyan was a communist activist in Yerevan, Tbilisi, Baku and Saint-Petersburg. In 1915-17 he edited "Paykar" and...
, Marshall
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union was the de facto highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ....
Hovhannes Baghramyan, and the Olympic champion Albert Azaryan
Albert Azaryan
Albert Vagharshakovich Azaryan is a Soviet Armenian artistic gymnast who competed internationally representing the Soviet Union. He is the 1956 and 1960 Olympic champion on the still rings...
.
The founder of the Hethumid dynasty
Hethumids
The Hethumids , also known as the House of Lampron , were the rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1226 to 1373...
, Oshin of Lampron
Oshin of Lampron
Oshin of Lampron was an Armenian nakharar, formerly lord of a fortress near modern day Ganja, who migrated in the early 1070s to Cilicia and founded the House of Lampron that ruled the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in the 12th century....
was an Armenian nakharar
Nakharar
Nakharar was a hereditary title of the highest order given to houses of the ancient and medieval Armenian nobility.-Nakharar system:Medieval Armenia was divided into large estates, which were the property of an enlarged noble family and were ruled by a member of it, to whom the title of Nahapet...
and lord of a castle near Ganja who fled to Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
in 1075 during the Seljuk invasion of Armenia.
Buildings, landmarks and museums
- Nizami Mausoleum, built in honor of Nizami Ganjavi, stands just outside the city of Ganja, Azerbaijan. It attracts nearly 35000 visitors per year.
- Shah Abbas CaravanseraiCaravanseraiA caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
, At present it is in use of the Ganja State Humanitarian college - Juma (Shah Abbas) Mosque, the mosque was under construction in 1606 under the project of Sheikh Baahaddin Mahammad Amilin mosque and currently is biggest mosque of the city.
- Khan Bagi. The 17th century built garden
- Chokak Bath, center of the applied art
- The European bath of 19th century.
- The Armenian Church. Built in the 17th century.
- The Armenian Church. Built in the 18th century and currently, it is in use of the Ganja State Philharmonic Chamber.
- Russian Orthodox church.
Education
Ganja is home to four major institutes for post-secondary education.- Ganja State UniversityGanja State UniversityGanja State University is a public university located in Ganja, Azerbaijan.-History:According to the resolution of the Soviet of People's Commissars of Azerbaijan from April 14, 1938 a two year Pedagogical Institute named after Nadezhda Krupskaya was established in the city of Ganja, Azerbaijan...
- Azerbaijan State Agricultural AcademyAzerbaijan State Agricultural AcademyAzerbaijan State Agricultural Academy , also referred to as the Azerbaijan Agricultural Academy , is a public university located in Ganja, Azerbaijan. The university has eight schools, 3830 students and 560 faculty members...
- Azerbaijan Technological University
- Azerbaijan Teachers Institute, Ganja Branch
Air
Ganja International Airport is the only airport in the city. The airport is connected by bus to the city center.Rail
Ganja sits on one of the Azerbaijani primary rail lines running East-West connecting the capital, Baku, with the rest of the country. The railway provides both human transportation and transport of goods and commodities such as oil and gravel.Sports
The city has one professional football team competing in the top-flight of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
i football - FC Kəpəz currently playing in the Azerbaijan Premier League
Azerbaijan Premier League
-Attendance:- Records :Players in the Premier League compete for the Azerbaijan Premier League Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer at the end of each season. Nazim Aliyev is the league's all-time top scorer with 183 goals, including 39 in the 1992 season.During the 1995–96 season he became the...
.
Twin towns — Sister cities
| City | Country |
|---|---|
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| Rustavi Rustavi Rustavi is a city in the southeast of Georgia, in the province of Kvemo Kartli, situated southeast of the capital Tbilisi. It stands on the Mtkvari River at... |
 GeorgiaGeorgia (country) Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... |
| Newark, New Jersey Newark, New Jersey Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S... |
 United StatesUnited States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| Izmir Izmir Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey... |
 TurkeyTurkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
| Moscow | Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
| Kutaisi Kutaisi Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:... |
Georgia Georgia (country) Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... |
| Kars Kars Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia... |
Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
Notable natives
- Adil Isgandarov — director, actor, People's Artist of USSR (1959).
- Artur RasizadeArtur RasizadeArtur Tahir oğlu Rasizada , often spelled as Artur Rasizade , is the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan. Rasizada was a long-time Communist Party member during the Azerbaijan SSR period...
— Prime Minister of Azerbaijan (1996–2003 and since 2003)). - Elbrus Allahverdiyev — National Hero of Azerbaijan.
- Enver Arazov — National Hero of Azerbaijan.
- Eyyub Khanbudagov — chief of the Azerbaijani Extraordinary Commission (Azerbaijani Cheka) (1920–1921).
- Fikret AmirovFikret AmirovFikret Mashadi Jamil oghlu Amirov |Ganja]] - February 20, 1984, Baku) was a prominent Azerbaijani composer of the Soviet period.Fikret Amirov grew up in an atmosphere of Azerbaijani folk music...
— composer, People's Artist of USSR (1965), Hero of Socialist Labor. - Javad KhanJavad KhanJavad khan Ziyad oghlu Qajar a member of the royal Qajar family, the khan of Ganja khanate. During the first Russo-Persian War , Ganja was considered by Russians as a town of foremost importance. General Pavel Tsitsianov approached Javad khan several times asking him to submit to Russian rule,...
— khan of Ganja KhanateGanja KhanateThe Ganja khanate was a Muslim principality mostly under the dominion of Persia that existed in the territory of Azerbaijan in 1747-1805. The principality was ruled by the dynasty of Ziyadoglu , which had ruled Ganja as governors under Nadir Shah and was of Qajar extraction...
(1786–1803). - Igor Makeyev — National Hero of Azerbaijan.
- Khalil Zeinal — Azerbaijani poet and playwright, Honored Art Worker of Azerbaijan SSR.
- Madat Guliyev — National Hero of Azerbaijan.
- Mahsati Ganjavi — poetess.
- Mammadbaghir Sheikhzamanly — 1st chief of the "Organization to struggle against counterrevolution" of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1919).
- Mammadrza Sheikhzamanov — film and theater actor, People's Artist of Azerbaijan SSR (1974).
- Mirza Shafi VazehMirza Shafi VazehMirza-Shafi Vazeh , also known as the "sage from Ganja", was a classical bilingual poet of Azerbaijani poet and Persian language who continued the classical traditions of Azerbaijani poetry from the 14th century. His verses were translated into nearly all European languages.-Early life:Mirza Shafi...
— Azerbaijani poet. - Murtuz AlasgarovMurtuz AlasgarovMurtuz Alasgarov Najaf oglu , also spelled as Murtuz Aleskerov, is an Azerbaijani politician who served as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan.-Ealy life:...
— Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan (1996–2005). - Museib Baghirov — Hero of the Soviet UnionHero of the Soviet UnionThe title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
. - Nagi Sheikhzamanly — chief of the "Organization to struggle against counterrevolution" of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1919–1920).
- Nasib YusifbeyliNasib YusifbeyliNasib Yusif oglu Yusifbeyli or Usubbeyov - Azerbaijani publicist, statesman and major political figure in Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.-Early years:Nasib Yusifbeyli was born in 1881 in Elisavetpol...
— Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1919–1920). - Nigar RafibeyliNigar RafibeyliNigar Khudadat qizi Rafibeyli , , was Azerbaijani writer and the Chairman of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan. She was the mother of Anar Rzayev, novel and short-story writer, and wife of famous writer and poet Rasul Rza.-Early life:...
— writer. - Nizami Ganjavi — famous poet.
- Parviz Samadov — National Hero of Azerbaijan.
- Rafael Asadov — National Hero of Azerbaijan.
- Surat HuseynovSurat HuseynovSurat or Suret Davud oglu Huseynov |Ganja]]) is an Azerbaijani colonel and ex-Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, who rose to prominence during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
— Prime Minister of Azerbaijan (1993–1994). - Namiq Sheikhzamanov — surgeon, MD, Ph.D.
- Tamerlan Sheikhzamanov — lawyer-politician, сounsellor in the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Republic.