Qabala

For the administrative district, see Qabala Rayon.

Coordinates: 40°58′53″N 47°50′45″E / 40.98139°N 47.84583°E / 40.98139; 47.84583

Qəbələ
—  City & Municipality  —
Qəbələ
Coordinates: 40°58′53″N 47°50′45″E / 40.98139°N 47.84583°E / 40.98139; 47.84583
Country	Azerbaijan
Rayon	Qabala
Population [1]
- Total	12,665
Time zone	AZT (UTC+4)
- Summer (DST)	AZT (UTC+5)

Qəbələ (also, Gabala, Qäbälä, Gebele, Kutkashen, Kutkashin, and Qutqashen) is the most ancient city of Azerbaijan and the capital of, the Qabala Rayon of Azerbaijan.^[2] The municipality consists of the city of Qəbələ and the village of Küsnət.^[3] Before 1991 the city was known as Kutkashen, but after 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 20km southwest.

History

A view of ancient fortress in Gabala

Qabala is ancient capital of the Caucasian Albania. Archeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of the Caucasian Albania as early as the fourth century BC.^[4]Ruins of the ancient town are in 15 km from regional center, allocated on the territory between Garachay and Jourluchay rivers.^[5]

The ruins of the gates of Albanian capital Gabala in Azerbaijan

Geography

The city is rich with chestnut and hazelnut trees.^[2]

Landmarks

A 1984 artist's concept of a Daryal-type (Pechora) bistatic phased-array early warning radar similar to the one deployed at Qabala.

Gabala is notorious for the ruins of an ancient walled city, Chukhur Gabala, dating back to the 4th century BC.^[6]The city has an interesting cultural centre, with beautiful Soviet mosaics, a large war memorial, numerous ancient stone houses and the Rashidbek monument, which is shaped as a huge book.^[2]

Another landmark is the large Qabala Radar station, on the southern horizon as seen from Qabala town, is one of only two Pechora-type missile early warning stations in the former USSR.^[7][8]

Sports

The city has one professional football team competing in the top-flight of Azerbaijani football - Qäbälä PFC, currently playing in the Azerbaijan Premier League.

References

External links

• Qabala at GEOnet Names Server

v • d • e Qabala Rayon Capital (Mərkəz): Qəbələ Abrıx, Aydınqışlaq, Bayramkoxalı, Bəyli, Beylyarkənd, Bılıx, Böyük Əmili, Böyük Pirəli, Bum, Bunud, Çanaqbulaq, Çarxana, Chayly, Cığatelli, Corlu, Çuxur Qəbələ, Dandıx, Daşca, Dizaxlı, Dzhodzhukh, Əmirvan, Girdadul, Goyuniusnykhly, Hacıalılı, Həmzəli, Həzrə, İmamlı, Kiçik Əmili, Kiçik Pireli, Kötüklü, Kürd, Küsnət, Laza, Mamaylı, Məlikli, Məmmədağalı, Michikh, Mirzəbəyli, Mıxlıqovaq, Mollaşıxalı, Nic, Nohurqışlaq, Ovcullu, Pesik, Qaradeyin, Qarasus, Qəmərvan, Quşlar, Şamlı, Sarıhacallı, Savalan, Şəfili, Seyidqışlaq, Siləyli, Sırt Yenigicə, Solquca, Soltannuxa, Tikanlı, Topbağ, Tövlə, Tüntül, Türkmən, Uludaş, [[Vəndam]], Xırxatala, Yeleyen, Yemişanlı, Yengica, Yeni Dizaxlı, Yenikənd, Yerli-Dzharly, Yuzbashevan, Zalam, Zarağan, Zərgərli, Zirik

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