Samaxi
Encyclopedia
Şamaxı is a city in and the capital of the Shamakhi Rayon of Azerbaijan
. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence. The city's estimated population as of 2010 was 31,704. It is famous for its traditional dancers, the Shamakhi Dancers
.
In its history eleven major earthquakes have rocked Shamakhi, but through multiple reconstructions it maintained its role as the economic and administrative capital of Shirvan
and one of the key towns on the Silk Road
. The only building to have survived eight of the eleven earthquakes is the landmark Juma Mosque, built in the 10th century.
Shamakhi was an important town during the Middle Ages and served as a capital of the Shirvanshah
state in 8-15 century and the capital of the independent Shirvan Khanate
, which was also known as the khanate of Shemakha. The Catholic friar, missionary and explorer William of Ruysbroeck passed through it on his return journey from the Mongol Great Khan's court.
In the middle of the 16th century it was the seat of an English commercial factory, under the traveler Anthony Jenkinson
, who was afterward the envoy extraordinary of the Persian Shah to Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible of Russia
.
This city also has had a successful education regime, literature and poets such as M.E. Sabir and S.E. Shirvani. Also students of Samaxi earn high points in the exams of Azerbaijan. Hence, students Samaxi take part in international science Olympiads. In 2006 Rafail Comerdov participated in the International biology Olympiad in Argentina and won the silver medal.
Adam Olearius
, who visited Shamakhi in 1636, wrote that the population of the city consisted of Persians, Armenians and some Georgians, and while they all had their own languages, they spoke a Turkish language, like the people of Shirvan in general. In the 1720s, the population of Shemakhi was about 60,000, most of whom were Armenians
and strangers. In 1742 Shamakhy was taken and destroyed by Nadir Shah of Persia, who punished the inhabitants for their disobedience and Sunnite creed by building a new town under the same name about 16 miles (25.7 km) to the west, at the foot of the main chain of the Caucasus Mountains
. The new Shemakha was at different times a residence of the Shirvan Khanate
, but it was finally abandoned, and the old town rebuilt. The Russians first entered Shirvan in 1723, but soon retired leaving it to Ottomans who possessed it in 1723-35. Shirvan Khanate
was finally annexed by Russia in 1805.
The British Penny Cyclopaedia
published in 1833 stated that "The bulk of the population of Shirvan consists of the Tahtar, or, to speak more correctly, Turkish race, with me admixture of Arabs and Persians. Besides the Muslims, who form the mass of the population, there are many Armenians, some Jews, and a few Gipsies. According to the official returns of 1831, the number of males belonging to the Muslim population was 62.934; Armenians, 6,375; Jews, 332; total males 69,641." The same source also states that according to the official returns of 1831, the city was inhabited by only 2233 families, as result of devastation during the wars. According to Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
, Shamakhi had 20008 inhabitants (10450 males and 9558 females); of them Azerbaijanis 79%, Armenians 18%, and Russians 3%.
Until the devastating earthquake of 1859, Shamakhi was the capital of the Shamakhi Governorate
of the Russian Empire
. From 1859, when the capital of the province was transferred to Baku
, the importance of the city declined.
" by Alexander Pushkin and opera "The Golden Cockerel
" by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. The character has, however, no real relation to the city.
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...
. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence. The city's estimated population as of 2010 was 31,704. It is famous for its traditional dancers, the Shamakhi Dancers
Shamakhi Dancers
The Shamakhi dancers were the principal dancers of the entertainment groups that existed in Shamakhi up to the late nineteenth century...
.
In its history eleven major earthquakes have rocked Shamakhi, but through multiple reconstructions it maintained its role as the economic and administrative capital of Shirvan
Shirvan
Shirvan , also spelled as Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both Islamic and modern times...
and one of the key towns on the Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
. The only building to have survived eight of the eleven earthquakes is the landmark Juma Mosque, built in the 10th century.
History
Shamakhi was first mentioned as Kamachia by the ancient Greco-Roman Egyptian geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus in the 1st to 2nd century.Shamakhi was an important town during the Middle Ages and served as a capital of the Shirvanshah
Shirvanshah
Shirvanshah also spelled as Shīrwān Shāh or Sharwān Shāh, was the title in mediaeval Islamic times of an Arab in Ethnos but speedily Persianized dynasty within their culturally Persian environment. The Shirvanshah established a native state in Shirvan...
state in 8-15 century and the capital of the independent Shirvan Khanate
Shirvan Khanate
Shirvan Khanate was a self-governing khanate that existed in what is now Azerbaijan in 1748—1805.-History:In 1742 Shemakha was taken and destroyed by Nadir Shah of Persia, who relocated inhabitants into a new town under the same name about 16 miles to the west , at the foot of the main chain of...
, which was also known as the khanate of Shemakha. The Catholic friar, missionary and explorer William of Ruysbroeck passed through it on his return journey from the Mongol Great Khan's court.
In the middle of the 16th century it was the seat of an English commercial factory, under the traveler Anthony Jenkinson
Anthony Jenkinson
Anthony Jenkinson was born at Market Harborough, Leicestershire. He was one of the first Britons to explore Muscovy and present day Russia. Jenkinson was a traveller and explorer on behalf of the Muscovy Company and the English crown. He also met Ivan the Terrible several times during his trips...
, who was afterward the envoy extraordinary of the Persian Shah to Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible of 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...
.
This city also has had a successful education regime, literature and poets such as M.E. Sabir and S.E. Shirvani. Also students of Samaxi earn high points in the exams of Azerbaijan. Hence, students Samaxi take part in international science Olympiads. In 2006 Rafail Comerdov participated in the International biology Olympiad in Argentina and won the silver medal.
Adam Olearius
Adam Olearius
Adam Olearius , born Adam Ölschläger or Oehlschlaeger, was a German scholar, mathematician, geographer and librarian...
, who visited Shamakhi in 1636, wrote that the population of the city consisted of Persians, Armenians and some Georgians, and while they all had their own languages, they spoke a Turkish language, like the people of Shirvan in general. In the 1720s, the population of Shemakhi was about 60,000, most of whom were Armenians
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....
and strangers. In 1742 Shamakhy was taken and destroyed by Nadir Shah of Persia, who punished the inhabitants for their disobedience and Sunnite creed by building a new town under the same name about 16 miles (25.7 km) to the west, at the foot of the main chain of the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
. The new Shemakha was at different times a residence of the Shirvan Khanate
Shirvan Khanate
Shirvan Khanate was a self-governing khanate that existed in what is now Azerbaijan in 1748—1805.-History:In 1742 Shemakha was taken and destroyed by Nadir Shah of Persia, who relocated inhabitants into a new town under the same name about 16 miles to the west , at the foot of the main chain of...
, but it was finally abandoned, and the old town rebuilt. The Russians first entered Shirvan in 1723, but soon retired leaving it to Ottomans who possessed it in 1723-35. Shirvan Khanate
Shirvan Khanate
Shirvan Khanate was a self-governing khanate that existed in what is now Azerbaijan in 1748—1805.-History:In 1742 Shemakha was taken and destroyed by Nadir Shah of Persia, who relocated inhabitants into a new town under the same name about 16 miles to the west , at the foot of the main chain of...
was finally annexed by Russia in 1805.
The British Penny Cyclopaedia
Penny Cyclopaedia
The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was a multi-volume encyclopedia edited by George Long and published by Charles Knight alongside the Penny Magazine. The volumes were published from 1833 to 1843.-External links:...
published in 1833 stated that "The bulk of the population of Shirvan consists of the Tahtar, or, to speak more correctly, Turkish race, with me admixture of Arabs and Persians. Besides the Muslims, who form the mass of the population, there are many Armenians, some Jews, and a few Gipsies. According to the official returns of 1831, the number of males belonging to the Muslim population was 62.934; Armenians, 6,375; Jews, 332; total males 69,641." The same source also states that according to the official returns of 1831, the city was inhabited by only 2233 families, as result of devastation during the wars. According to Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
The Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary is, in its scope and style, the Russian counterpart to the Encyclopædia Britannica. It contains 121,240 articles, 7,800 images, and 235 maps...
, Shamakhi had 20008 inhabitants (10450 males and 9558 females); of them Azerbaijanis 79%, Armenians 18%, and Russians 3%.
Until the devastating earthquake of 1859, Shamakhi was the capital of the Shamakhi Governorate
Baku Governorate
Baku Governorate was one of the guberniyas of the Russian Empire, with its centre in Baku. Area : 34,4000 sq. verstas, population : 789,659. The only foreign border of the governorate was Persia, in the south...
of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. From 1859, when the capital of the province was transferred to 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...
, the importance of the city declined.
Earthquakes
- The 1191 earthquake was so destructive that the capital of Shirvan was transferred to Baku.
- The 1667 earthquake1667 Shamakhi earthquakeThe 1667 Shamakhi earthquake occurred in November 1667 with an epicenter close to the city of Şamaxı, Azerbaijan. It had an estimated magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum felt intensity of X on the mercalli intensity scale. An estimated 80,000 people died....
is considered to have been the worst with a death toll of 80,000; one-third of the city collapsed, according to the Persian merchants' reports. - The December 2, 1859 earthquake caused the shifting of the same-named government center to BakuBakuBaku , 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...
. - In 1902, a devastating earthquake destroyed the 10-century Juma Mosque.
Popular culture
Queen of Shemakha is a major protagonist in "The Tale of the Golden CockerelThe Tale of the Golden Cockerel
The Tale of the Golden Cockerel is the last fairy tale in verse by Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin wrote the tale in 1834 and it was first published in literary magazine Biblioteka dlya chteniya in 1835...
" by Alexander Pushkin and opera "The Golden Cockerel
The Golden Cockerel
The Golden Cockerel is an opera in three acts, with short prologue and even shorter epilogue, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Its libretto, by Vladimir Belsky, derives from Alexander Pushkin's 1834 poem The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, which in turn is based on two chapters of Tales of the Alhambra by...
" by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. The character has, however, no real relation to the city.
Notable natives
- Abbas SahhatAbbas SahhatAbbas Sahhat , born Abbasgulu Aliabbas oglu Mehdizadeh , was an Azerbaijani poet and dramatist.-Life and career:...
— poet and dramatist. - Aghasadyg GaraybeyliAghasadyg GaraybeyliAghasadyg Aghaali oglu Garaybeyli was an Azerbaijani actor.-Life and contributions:Garaybeyli was born in the city of Shamakhi, but like many natives of that city at the time, he found himself in Baku after the devastating earthquake of 1902. Garaybeyli became an orphan at a young age and was...
— actor, People's Artist of Azerbaijan SSR (1940). - Alexsey Chernyayevsky - an outstanding Russian and Azeri teacher.
- Aliheydar GarayevAliheydar GarayevAliheydar Garayev Agakerim oglu also spelled as Aliheydar Qarayev, was a Bolshevik revolutionary, People's Commissar of Justice of Azerbaijan SSR, People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs of Azerbaijan after occupation of Azerbaijan by 11th Red Army on April 28, 1920.-Early life:Garayev...
— People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs of Azerbaijan SSR (1920). - Khagani Shirvani — poet.
- Leonti Gurtyev — 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:...
. - Mirza Alakbar SabirMirza Alakbar SabirMirza Alakbar Sabir , born Alakbar Zeynalabdin oglu Tahirzadeh . Sabir was a public figure, philosopher, teacher and a poet-innovator. He set up an inspiring attitude to classical traditions, rejecting well-trodden ways in poetry...
— poet. - Muhammad Hadi — poet.
- Seyid Azim ShirvaniSeyid Azim ShirvaniSeyid Azim Shirvani was an Azerbaijani poet. He was born in 1835 in Shamakhi. He got his elementary education in his native city, but soon was sent to Baghdad and then to Egypt to receive religious education. After returning to Shamakhi, Shirvani started paying attention to secular sciences and...
— poet. - Sultan Majid AfandiyevSultan Majid AfandiyevSultan Majid Afandiyev , also spelled Efendiyev was an Azerbaijani revolutionary and statesman, one of the founders of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan.-Life:...
— People's Commissar of Agriculture of the Azerbaijan SSR (1921–1924). - Sultan Majid Ganizade — writer and translator.
- Zeynalabdin ShirvaniZeynalabdin ShirvaniZeynalabdin Shirvani , also known as Tamkin, was an Azerbaijani geographer, philosopher and poet.-Early life:...
— geographer and traveler, historian, anthropologist, educator and poet.
External links
- Каталог землетрясений Российской Империи (The Catalogue of the Earthquakes in the Russian Empire).
- World Gazetteer: Azerbaijan – World-Gazetteer.com