Qabala
Qabala
Qəbələ | |
|---|---|
City and municipality | |
  Qabala Location within Azerbaijan  Qabala Location within Shaki-Zagatala Economic Region | |
| Coordinates: 40°58′53″N 47°50′45″E / 40.98139°N 47.84583°E | |
| Country |  Azerbaijan |
| District | Qabala |
| Established | 1537 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,548 km2 (598 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 783 m (2,569 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 12,808 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (AZT) |
| Area code | +994 160 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | www.qebele-ih.gov.az |
Qabala (Azerbaijani: Qəbələ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Qabala District of Azerbaijan.[2] The municipality consists of the city of Gabala and the village of Küsnat.[3] Before the city was known as Kutkashen, but after the Republic of Azerbaijan's independence the town was renamed in honour of the much older city of Gabala, the former capital of Caucasian Albania, the archaeological site of which is about 20 km southwest.
History
[edit]Antiquity
[edit]Gabala was once the ancient capital of Caucasian Albania.[4] Archaeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of Caucasian Albania as early as the 4th century BC.[5] There are the ruins of the ancient city and the main gate of Caucasian Albania. Ongoing excavations near the village Chukhur show that Gabala from the 4th – 3rd centuries BC and up to the 18th century was one of the main cities with developed trade and crafts. The ruins of the ancient town are situated 15 km from the regional centre, allocated on the territory between the Garachay and Jourluchay rivers.[6]
Gabala was on the Silk Road,[4] and was mentioned by Pliny the Younger as "Cabalaca",[7][8][9] Greek geographer Ptolemy as "Khabala",[8] Armenian geographer Anania Shirakatsi as "Kavalak",[8] and 9th century historian al-Baladhuri as "al-Khazar".[10]
Feudal era
[edit]Gabala was occupied by Shirvanshah Fariburz, King David IV of Georgia in 1120, Turco-Mongol conqueror Timurleng in 1386, Safavid shah Tahmasib I in 1538, Afshar Nader Shah in 1734 but was able to preserve its culture and identity. After the death of Nader Shah in 1747, the region split into independent khanates and sultanates and Gabala was known as the Qutqashen Sultanate. It was also called Gabala Mahali until it was absorbed into the Sheki Khanate. In 1823, after the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813), Azerbaijan was annexed from the Persian Empire by the Russian Empire of 1813. In 1841 the khanates of the region were terminated and the territories were incorporated into Russian governorates. The Gabala area was added to the Elisabethpol Governorate. Due to archaeological finds in Gabala, it was declared a National State Reserve in 1985.
Geography
[edit]The geographical position and mountainous relief of the city greatly influenced on formation of complex climate conditions in the vertical droughty area, as well as on density of river network and richness of soil-vegetation cover.[11] Relief and humid climate conditions of Gabala region led to formation of a thick river network in the area. The rivers of the city refer to the left branches of Kura basin and run directly into Kura or the rivers of the Shirvan zone.[11]
Culture
[edit]
Since 2009 the city has been the site of the Gabala International Music Festival, which includes classical and jazz performers.[12][13]
Qabala is known for the ruins of an ancient walled city, Chukhur Gabala, dating back to the 4th century BC.[14]
The city includes "Qabaland", which is the largest amusement park in Azerbaijan.[15]
Sports
[edit]The city's professional football team, Gabala, is in the Azerbaijan Premier League and plays its home games in Gabala City Stadium. It was managed by Tony Adams in the 2010–11 season.[16]
Transport
[edit]Within the city there are three numbered minibus routes.[citation needed]
Qabala Airport is around 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of the city.[citation needed]
The Baku-Gabala-Baku route is a speed rail line in Azerbaijan that connects the capital city of Baku with the city of Gabala. The train is operated by Azerbaijan Railways (ADY).
Climate
[edit]Qabala has a humid continental climate (Dfa) close to the borderline of the humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Climate of Qabala is warm-temperate with dry winters in low areas, cold and damp in high mountains and the annual precipitation is 500–600 mm in the south, and up to 1600 mm in the northern high mountains.[17]
| Climate data for Qabala | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
9.4 (48.9) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.1 (70.0) |
26.0 (78.8) |
29.5 (85.1) |
28.6 (83.5) |
24.8 (76.6) |
17.4 (63.3) |
11.4 (52.5) |
7.0 (44.6) |
16.8 (62.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.5 (31.1) |
0.1 (32.2) |
4.0 (39.2) |
10.5 (50.9) |
15.6 (60.1) |
19.6 (67.3) |
21.9 (71.4) |
22.3 (72.1) |
17.4 (63.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
5.9 (42.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
10.9 (51.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.9 (25.0) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
1.0 (33.8) |
6.7 (44.1) |
11.2 (52.2) |
15.4 (59.7) |
18.2 (64.8) |
17.4 (63.3) |
13.9 (57.0) |
8.5 (47.3) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
7.3 (45.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 43 (1.7) |
50 (2.0) |
72 (2.8) |
73 (2.9) |
101 (4.0) |
97 (3.8) |
53 (2.1) |
55 (2.2) |
51 (2.0) |
102 (4.0) |
57 (2.2) |
41 (1.6) |
795 (31.3) |
| Average precipitation days | 8 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 95 |
| Source: NOAA[18] | |||||||||||||
Gallery
[edit]
Gabaland amusement park
Ancient Qabala fortress
Archeological site of Qabala fortress
Archeological excavations
Archeological excavations in Qabala
Ceramic finds
Waterfall in Qabala
Lavender field
International relations
[edit]Twin towns – Sister cities
[edit]Qabala is twinned with
Gyeongju, South Korea[19][20]
Kyrgyzstan, Karakol[21]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Azərbaycan Respublikası Qəbələ Rayon İcra Hakimiyyəti". www.qebele-ih.gov.az.
- ↑ "Gabala Travel Guide - Tours, Attractions and Things To Do". www.advantour.com.
- ↑ "Belediyye Informasiya Sistemi" (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 24 September 2008.
- 1 2 https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6778/
- ↑ "6.2 Revisiting History: Ancient Gabala". azer.com.
- ↑ AZERBAIJAN.TRAVEL. "Gabala - Visit Azerbaijan". azerbaijan.travel. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ↑ https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/albania-iranian-aran-arm/ "not until the 1st century A.D. does Pliny refer to Cabalaca (= Kabala), the capital of Albania (Natural History 6.29)"
- 1 2 3 https://ia800408.us.archive.org/25/items/TheGeographyOfAnaniasOfSirak/The%20Geography%20of%20Ananias%20of%20Sirak.pdf note 78: Kavalak; Erem. (58): Kapalak; Ptol. (V.11.5): Thapilaka or Khabala, both of which forms are found as separate entries; Pliny (VI.11.29): Cabalaca"
- ↑ https://www.loebclassics.com/display/pliny_elder-natural_history/1938/pb_LCL352.359.xml?mainRsKey=V7FKrS&print=&readMode=reader
- ↑ al-Baladhuri, Origins of the Islamic State, p. 306 (trans. 1916 by Hitti)
- 1 2 "The climate of the region". www.qebele-ih.gov.az. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- ↑ "Gabala International Music Festival programme". news.az. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ↑ "Second International Music Festival officialy [sic] opens in Gabala". news.az. Archived from the original on 5 August 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ↑ "Paddy power casino in Canada review — Attemption of Cheating Machine". Archived from the original on 25 April 2009.
- ↑ "Travel to Gabala". azerbaijan.travel. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ↑ "Tony Adams' grand plans for Azerbaijan". 11 May 2010 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ↑ "Azerbaijan Republic Gabala Region Executive Power". Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ↑ "Qabala Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (FTP). Retrieved 22 March 2015. (To view documents see Help:FTP)
- ↑ "Gabala and Korean Gyeongju to become sister cities". Azernews.Az. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ↑ ITPRO. "Ambassador Ramin Hasanov visited Gyeongju city". seoul.mfa.gov.az. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ↑ Abbasova, Nigar (31 July 2026). "Six cities of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan become twin cities". Report.az. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
External links
[edit]- Introducing Gabala presented by Mark Elliott
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