Shahbulag Castle

Shahbulag Castle (Azerbaijani: Şahbulaq qalası, literally "Spring of the Shah") is an 18th-century fortress near Aghdam in Azerbaijan built by the Karabakh Khan Panah Ali.[1]

Shahbulag Castle
Şahbulaq qalası
Agdam District, Azerbaijan
Coordinates40.0655°N 46.9061°E / 40.0655; 46.9061
TypeCastle
Site history
Built1752
Built byPanah Ali Khan
MaterialsLimestone and Dimension stone
View from the south, 1901 drawing by Russian military historian V. Potto

Name and Etymology

The castle was named Shahbulag ("Shah's spring") after a nearby spring bearing the same name located around the lower part of the Xaçınçay (Khachen) River.[2] Before the construction of the castle, the area around it was known as Tarnagyut, which, according to Armenian archaeologist Hamlet Petrosyan, is a corruption of Tigranakert, the ruined ancient city which lies nearby the castle.[3]

History

After the death of Iranian ruler Nadir Shah, the Caucasus territory was split into several khanates, one of which was the Karabakh Khanate founded by Panah Ali Khan Javanshir. The first capital of the khanate was the Bayat Castle built in 1748. The capital was soon moved to the newly constructed Shahbulag Castle located in lowland Karabakh.[4] Eventually, Panah Ali Khan moved the capital to its final location, Shusha, a natural fortress located on a hardly penetratable mountain rock.[5] Once construction of Shusha castle was completed, Panah Ali Khan relocated there with all of his court, nobles, and meliks.[6][7] Nevertheless, the khans of Karabakh kept about 3,000 strong horse cavalry in Shahbulag Castle at all times for defense purposes.[8] The designs of Shahbulag, Shusha and Askeran castles resemble each other.[9]

Castle

The castle was called Shahbulag ("Shah's spring") honouring the nearby spring.[10] The complex which included mosques, houses, baths and a market was built in 1751–52.[11] During the construction, limestone and dimension stone were used. Only the castle itself and the mosque on its northwestern end survived. The castle has a rectangular architectural design and its external walls are reinforced with circular and semicylinder towers. The walls and towers contain embrasures and merlons typical for defence structures. The castle walls are 7 metres (23 ft) high, and the towers are 8.5 metres (28 ft) high. The entrance to the castle is in the middle section of the eastern wall. During the reign of the khan, it was protected by two-story tower-like premises. The top floor was intended for the khan with a stone staircase leading to it from the castle yard. The castle was built from half-hewn whole stones.[1]

Mosque

The mosque built during the construction of Shahbulag castle is on the northwestern part of the castle. It includes a small stone prayer hall with a square dome 5.1 metres (17 ft) on one side and a veranda with a facade of 5.1 by 2.5 metres (16.7 by 8.2 ft) that faces east. The veranda beams are based on quadrangular 8-edge pillars. The architecture of Shahbulag is thought to have influenced later architectural designs of buildings in the entire Karabakh region and especially that of Shusha.[1]

Current state

Today, Shahbulag castle remains an important historic and cultural remnant of the Karabakh Khanate period.[12][13] The castle was renovated in early 1980s by Azerbaijan SSR. During the First Nagorno-Karabakh war, the castle and its surroundings were captured by Armenian forces following the Battle of Aghdam. It was renovated further after its capture. When the castle was under Armenian control, a small museum was operated there storing artifacts found during excavations at the adjacent archaeological site of Tigranakert.

The castle and the Agdam District were returned to Azerbaijan on 20 November 2020 per the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. The artifacts from Tigranakert kept at Shahbulag were removed before the area was returned to Azerbaijani control.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Karabakh Foundation - Agdam; Shahbulag Castle". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  2. "Islamic Architectural Heritage Database - Shahbulag Castle ( Azerbaijan )". Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  3. Petrosyan, Hamlet (2010). "Tigranakert in Artsakh". Tigran the Great. Yerevan. p. 380-387.
  4. "Karabakh Foundation - Shusha". Archived from the original on 4 October 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  5. War Against Azerbaijan - Targeting Cultural Heritage. 2007. ISBN 978-9952-8091-4-5. Archived from the original on September 9, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  6. Тофик Кочарли. К истории Карабахского вопроса. p. 29. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  7. "Ministry of Tourism - Город Шуша". Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  8. "История Карабага". Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  9. "Castles & Towers in Azerbaijan". Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  10. "Islamic Architectural Heritage Database - Shahbulag Castle ( Azerbaijan )". Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  11. "КАРАБАГ-НАМЕ by МИРЗА АДИГЕЗАЛЬ-БЕК". Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  12. "MIDDLE AGES GARABAGH MONUMENTS". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  13. "Агдам (Азербайджан)". Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  14. Manenkov, Kostya (20 November 2020). "Azerbaijani leader hails handover of region ceded by Armenia". Associated Press. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
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