Shamkir
Encyclopedia
Shamkir is a rayon
in Azerbaijan. It is located in the northwestern part of the Azerbaijan Republic. The rayon was previously called "Shamkhor" during the Soviet rule and was renamed to Shamkir only in 1991 after restoration of independence of Azerbaijan. The district was established in 1930. The capital of Shamkir Rayon is Shamkir city.
, Dallar settlement, Zayam settlement, Kura settlement
and 59 villages in the district.
There are 59 large and middle-size, 53 pre-school, 81 secondary education, 1 technical vocational establishments, 22 hospitals and healthcare offices, 156 cultural establishments in the raion.
in 1924 in Istanbul argued that name was translated as Şəms (Sun) - Kür (Rayed).
The linguist Jahangirov explained otherwise referring to Şəm (Bank of) - Kür (Kür
river), i.e. on the bank of the Kura River. The ruins of ancient Shamkir city which was in the form of a fortress and was 20 ha big is located on the right bank of the Kura river. The city had two bridges over Kura. In the 7th century the city was occupied by the Arabian Caliphate
and was named Mütəvəkkilliyə. It was renamed back to its original name later. The times of prosperity of Shamkir are attributed to 9th-12th centuries when it was conquered by Seljuq
s. In the 12th century when Shamkir was a part of Atabek Empire, special attention was given to the city. In the 13th century Shamkir was one of the main points of resistance to Mongol invasion
. In the 16th century, the leader of local Zülqədəz tribe took the power. During the existence of Azerbaijani khanates
, Shamkir was part of Ganja khanate
. In 1803, Shamkir was occupied by the and annexed to Russian Empire. During the Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828, Shamkir was one of the frontlines where Russian troops defeated the Persian army on September 3, 1826. In the first half of the 19th century, Russian Tsar relocated a large number of German colonists to Caucasus, placing a big community in Shamkir. From that time on until 1938, Shamkhor was called Anino. It was renamed to Shamkir in 1991.
village, 9th-12th century Maiden Tower in Seyfali village, 16th-17th century mosque in Abbaslı
village, 11th century Maiden Tower in Tatarlı
village, 16th-17th century bridge in Tahnalı
village, 16th-17th century Koroglu
fortress in Şəmkir, Qalaboynu Fortress in Atabəy village, Pir monument from early Middle Ages pertaining to Caucasian Albania
in Daşbulaq
village, a church built in 1909 by German settlers in Şəmkir, 11th-12th century Oghuz cemetery in Yeni Seyfali village, 16th-18th century bridge over Zəyəm River.
Among the modern built monuments are the Victory Complex built in 1975 in Şəmkir city, mosque in Düyərli village, Victory Complex in Çinarlı
settlement built in 1980, memorials to Black January
in Sərxan and Naxırçılar neighborhoods of Şəmkir city unveiled in 1990, Ashig Huseyn Shamkirli monument unveiled in 1991, Ali-Agha Shikhlinski
bust, mosque built in 1992 in Keçili
village, a 1993 Koroglu monument in Muxtariyyə village, bust of Azerbaijani National Hero, Zaur Sarıyev, Alley of Martyrs to people who died from Armenian occupation. mosque built in 1998 in İrmaşlı
village, Heydar Aliyev
spring built in 1998, a Memorial to Azerbaijani Genocide
of March 31, 1918 built in 2001, mosque built in Əliyaqublu village in 1998, Memorial to Azerbaijani Genocide victims in Qapanlı
village, a 2001 monument to Yəhyabəy Dilqəm in Dəllər Cırdaxan village, monument to Ashig Alasgar
, unveiled in 1997 in Çənlibel village.
, barley
, corn
, grapes, onion
, cabbage
, tomato
, cucumber
, aubergine
, sunflower
, potato
are grown in the raion. Electricity is received through power generation at Shamkir Hydroelectric Power Station on Shamkir reservoir which processes water from Kura River
and also provides Shamkir and surrounding rayons with irrigation water. The new reservoir in the rayon will double that capacity and will come online in 2012.
2nd Shamkir Winery was established and operated in 1860-1896 by Christo Forer brothers and is active at the present.
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
in Azerbaijan. It is located in the northwestern part of the Azerbaijan Republic. The rayon was previously called "Shamkhor" during the Soviet rule and was renamed to Shamkir only in 1991 after restoration of independence of Azerbaijan. The district was established in 1930. The capital of Shamkir Rayon is Shamkir city.
General information
There is one city, Shamkir city, 4 city-type settlements Chinarlı settlementÇinarli, Shamkir
Çinarlı is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 3,739....
, Dallar settlement, Zayam settlement, Kura settlement
Kür
Kür is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 6,833....
and 59 villages in the district.
There are 59 large and middle-size, 53 pre-school, 81 secondary education, 1 technical vocational establishments, 22 hospitals and healthcare offices, 156 cultural establishments in the raion.
Territorial statistics
Shamikir shares a border with Goygol, Gadabay, Dashkasan, Tovuz, Samukh raions.| General territory | 1660.00 km2 |
| General area of the agricultural land | 1245.00 km2 |
| Area of the land unfit for agricultural use | 415.00 km2 |
| Area of the pastures for cattle-breeding | 827.00 km2 |
| General area of the planted land | 388.00 km2 |
| General area of the fruit gardens | 27.70 km2 |
Population
The population of the district is 192,900 people with 33.49% being urban and 66.51% living in the country. An estimated population density 113.49 person/km2 Men constitute 49.58% of the population, women - 50.42%. Children make up 11.26% of the population, while 33.18% of overall district population are residents below the age of 18, 57.86% are from 18 to 60 years of age. 5.79% have higher education, 56.1% have secondary education only. The number of refugees and IDPs from Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is 12,240 and 1,897, respectively.The history
In the Middle Ages, Arab and Persian sources mentioned the city name as Şəmkür (Shamkur), Turkish sources varied from Şəmkür (Shamkur) to Şəmkir (Shamkir). Historian Zeynaloğlu who published a book on comprehensive history of AzerbaijanHistory of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. It's bounded by Caspian Sea to the east, Russia's Daghestan region to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the southwest, and Iran to the south...
in 1924 in Istanbul argued that name was translated as Şəms (Sun) - Kür (Rayed).
The linguist Jahangirov explained otherwise referring to Şəm (Bank of) - Kür (Kür
Kura River
Kura is a river, also known from the Greek as the Cyrus in the Caucasus Mountains. Starting in north-eastern Turkey, it flows through Turkey to Georgia, then to Azerbaijan, where it receives the Aras River as a right tributary, and enters the Caspian Sea...
river), i.e. on the bank of the Kura River. The ruins of ancient Shamkir city which was in the form of a fortress and was 20 ha big is located on the right bank of the Kura river. The city had two bridges over Kura. In the 7th century the city was occupied by the Arabian Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
and was named Mütəvəkkilliyə. It was renamed back to its original name later. The times of prosperity of Shamkir are attributed to 9th-12th centuries when it was conquered by Seljuq
Great Seljuq Empire
The Great Seljuq Empire was a medieval Persianate, Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire, originating from the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks. The Seljuq Empire controlled a vast area stretching from the Hindu Kush to eastern Anatolia and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf...
s. In the 12th century when Shamkir was a part of Atabek Empire, special attention was given to the city. In the 13th century Shamkir was one of the main points of resistance to Mongol invasion
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
. In the 16th century, the leader of local Zülqədəz tribe took the power. During the existence of Azerbaijani khanates
Khanates of the Caucasus
Khanates of the Caucasus were Persian ruled principalities on the territory of modern day Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Dagestan from the Safavid dynasty era to 1806. These principalities arose during the domination of Iran. During the period of Iranian domination, head of principality was a Khan...
, Shamkir was part of 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...
. In 1803, Shamkir was occupied by the and annexed to Russian Empire. During the Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828, Shamkir was one of the frontlines where Russian troops defeated the Persian army on September 3, 1826. In the first half of the 19th century, Russian Tsar relocated a large number of German colonists to Caucasus, placing a big community in Shamkir. From that time on until 1938, Shamkhor was called Anino. It was renamed to Shamkir in 1991.
Architecture monuments
Historic architectural monuments include 9th-12th century Shamkir city ruins, 9th-12th Shamkir bridge, 11th-12th century Shamkir fortress in Muxtariyyət village, Baydar city ruins in BayramlıBayramli, Shamkir
Bayramlı is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 2,671.*15 kilometers from the center of the region.-The history:...
village, 9th-12th century Maiden Tower in Seyfali village, 16th-17th century mosque in Abbaslı
Abbasli
Abbaslı is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 2,970.-External links:*...
village, 11th century Maiden Tower in Tatarlı
Tatarli, Shamkir
Tatarlı is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 2,487....
village, 16th-17th century bridge in Tahnalı
Takhnali
Takhnali is a village in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan.It is suspected that this village has undergone a name change or no longer exists, as no Azerbaijani website mentions it under this name....
village, 16th-17th century Koroglu
Koroglu
A dance tune in a five-beat rhythm that was well-known to the farming populations of Asia Minor and the Aydın area in particular. In Turkish, “köroğlu”means “the son of the blind man” and the reference is to a famous troubadour whosereputation spread from Asia Minor as far as the Caucasus, Persia,...
fortress in Şəmkir, Qalaboynu Fortress in Atabəy village, Pir monument from early Middle Ages pertaining to Caucasian Albania
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
in Daşbulaq
Dasbulaq, Shamkir
Daşbulaq is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 591....
village, a church built in 1909 by German settlers in Şəmkir, 11th-12th century Oghuz cemetery in Yeni Seyfali village, 16th-18th century bridge over Zəyəm River.
Among the modern built monuments are the Victory Complex built in 1975 in Şəmkir city, mosque in Düyərli village, Victory Complex in Çinarlı
Çinarli, Shamkir
Çinarlı is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 3,739....
settlement built in 1980, memorials to Black January
Black January
Black January , also known as Black Saturday or the January Massacre, was a violent crackdown of the Azerbaijani independence movement in Baku on January 19–20, 1990, pursuant to a state of emergency during the dissolution of the Soviet Union....
in Sərxan and Naxırçılar neighborhoods of Şəmkir city unveiled in 1990, Ashig Huseyn Shamkirli monument unveiled in 1991, Ali-Agha Shikhlinski
Ali-Agha Shikhlinski
Ali-Agha Ismail-Agha oglu Shikhlinski was lieutenant-general of the Russian tsarist army and Deputy Minister of Defense and General of the Artillery of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.-Life and military career:...
bust, mosque built in 1992 in Keçili
Keçili, Shamkir
Keçili is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 5,704. The municipality consists of the villages of Keçili and Xuluf....
village, a 1993 Koroglu monument in Muxtariyyə village, bust of Azerbaijani National Hero, Zaur Sarıyev, Alley of Martyrs to people who died from Armenian occupation. mosque built in 1998 in İrmaşlı
Irmasli
İrmaşlı is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 4,001....
village, Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev , also spelled as Heidar Aliev, Geidar Aliev, Haydar Aliyev, Geydar Aliyev was the third President of Azerbaijan for the New Azerbaijan Party from June 1993 to October 2003, when his son Ilham Aliyev succeeded him.From 1969 till 1982, Aliyev was also the leader of Soviet...
spring built in 1998, a Memorial to Azerbaijani Genocide
March Days
The March Days, or March Events, refer to an inter-ethnic strife and massacres of up to 12,000 Azerbaijanis and other Muslims that took place between March 30 and April 2, 1918 in the city of Baku and adjacent areas of the Baku Governorate of Russian Empire.Facilitated by a political power struggle...
of March 31, 1918 built in 2001, mosque built in Əliyaqublu village in 1998, Memorial to Azerbaijani Genocide victims in Qapanlı
Qapanli, Shamkir
Qapanlı is a village and municipality in the Shamkir Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 2,749....
village, a 2001 monument to Yəhyabəy Dilqəm in Dəllər Cırdaxan village, monument to Ashig Alasgar
Ashig Alasgar
Ashig Alasgar , , was an Azeri mystic troubadour and highly regarded poet of Azeri folk songs . He was born in the village of Aghkilsa in the Goycha district of the Erivan Khanate.-References:...
, unveiled in 1997 in Çənlibel village.
Government and economy
Municipality government was established in 1999. There are 57 municipalities in 64 populated settlements. One city, 4 settlement and 52 village municipalities function as regional governments The role of the municipalities expands as the renovation and city, village development, laying roads and development of social infrastructure continue. The economy of the raion is based on poultry raising, cattlebreeding and silkworm breeding. Agricultural machinery production, grape processing plants, construction plants constitute a big part of the economy. WheatWheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, grapes, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
, cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
, cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
, aubergine
Aubergine
The eggplant, aubergine, melongene, brinjal or guinea squash is a plant of the family Solanaceae and genus Solanum. It bears a fruit of the same name, commonly used in cooking...
, sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
are grown in the raion. Electricity is received through power generation at Shamkir Hydroelectric Power Station on Shamkir reservoir which processes water from Kura River
Kura River
Kura is a river, also known from the Greek as the Cyrus in the Caucasus Mountains. Starting in north-eastern Turkey, it flows through Turkey to Georgia, then to Azerbaijan, where it receives the Aras River as a right tributary, and enters the Caspian Sea...
and also provides Shamkir and surrounding rayons with irrigation water. The new reservoir in the rayon will double that capacity and will come online in 2012.
2nd Shamkir Winery was established and operated in 1860-1896 by Christo Forer brothers and is active at the present.
Notable people
- Ahmad Javad, writer, author of National Anthem of Azerbaijan
- Farman SalmanovFarman SalmanovFarman Gurban oglu Salmanov was an Azerbaijani geologist famous for discovering great oil fields in Western Siberia in Tyumen Oblast in 1961....
, famous Azerbaijani and Soviet geologist - Yaqub Hajıyev, academician
- Fazil MammadovFazil MammadovFazil Mammadov Asad oglu is an Azerbaijani politician who serves as the Minister of Taxes of Azerbaijan Republic.-Early life:Mammadov was born in 1964 in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan. He graduated from Finance and Credit Department of the Azerbaijan State Economic University...
, Minister of Taxes of Azerbaijan RepublicMinistry of Taxes (Azerbaijan)The Ministry of Taxes of Azerbaijan Republic is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulating taxes and tax collection activities in all sectors of the economy of Azerbaijan Republic... - Rustam Aliyev, academician and professor
- Zakir Abdullayev, geologist
- Eldar Məsimov, professor and dean at Baku State UniversityBaku State UniversityBaku State University is a public university located in Baku, Azerbaijan. Established in 1919 by the Parliament of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the University started with faculties of history and philology; physics and mathematics; law and medicine with an initial enrollment of 1094...
- Vaqif Seyidov, Surgeon General at Leyla Shikhlinskaya Clinic in 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...
- Leyla Bədirbəyli, famous Azerbaijani and Soviet actress
- Teymur Əhmədov, editor-in-chief of "Republic" newspaper
- Gülxar Həsənova, famous Azerbaijani and Soviet actress
- Zülfiqar Abdullayev, statesman and politician
- Davud Hajiyev, rector of 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...
- Mübariz Qurbanlı, deputy chief of Yeni Azerbaijan PartyNew Azerbaijan PartyThe New Azerbaijan Party is the ruling political party in Azerbaijan. It was formed on 18 December 1992 by the former President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, who led it until his retirement and death in 2003...
. - Tajaddin MehdiyevTajaddin MehdiyevTajaddin Mehdiyev was the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan and is the Chairman of Committee for Protection of Rights of Officers in Azerbaijan.-Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan:...
, former Minister of Defense of AzerbaijanMinister of Defense (Azerbaijan)The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan is the Azerbaijani government ministry, associated with the Azerbaijani military. The ministry is responsible for keeping Azerbaijan defended against external threats, preserving its territorial integrity, waging war on behalf of Azerbaijan , and the... - Oruj Musayev, held managerial positions at the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan RepublicMinistry of Education (Azerbaijan)The Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan Republic is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulating the education system in Azerbaijan. The ministry is headed by Misir Mardanov.-History:...
- Paşa Qəlbinur, poet and dean of the Azerbaijan State Medical University