The Ancient Gates of Ganja were a masterpiece of
craft
A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...
smanship of the 10th to 11th centuries.
History
In 1063,
Shavur I, ruler of the
Shaddadids
The Shaddadids were a Kurdish Sunni Muslim dynasty. who ruled in various parts of Armenia and Arran from 951 to 1199 AD. They were established in Dvin. Through their long tenure in Armenia, they often intermarried with the Bagratuni royal famil ...
dynasty, decided to build a castle surrounding
Ganja
Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689.
Etymology
''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: aːɲd ...
. Six large gates were erected in different directions of the town. Upon Shavur's order Azerbaijani master Ibrahim ibn Osman built the gates. The gates were of cast
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
decorated on the outside with stamped ornaments and patterns made according to the chasing method.
The ornament contained the name of the master in the Kufi language and the date of the gate's completion. The inscriptions in
Kufi
A kufi or kufi cap is a brimless, short, and rounded cap worn by men in many populations in North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and South Asia. It is also worn by men throughout the African diaspora. It is also commonly called a "topi" o ...
Arabic on the surviving leaf of the gate read: "With the name of Allah, the merciful and benevolent. The Excellency Sayyid Shawur ibn Al-Fazl - May Allah keep his supremacy longer! - ordered this door to be built with the help of Abul Faraj Muhammad ibn Abdulla - Let Allah give success to him too. Smith Ibrahim ibn Osman Angaveyh's work. (1063)".
In 1139 a
strong earthquake happened in Ganja and practically destroyed the city. The earthquake was so strong that top part of
Mount Kapaz
The Mount Kapaz or Kepez ( az, Kəpəz dağı) is a mountain in Lesser Caucasus near Ganja city in central Azerbaijan. Kapaz rises 3,065 meters above the sea level. It is located next to Lake Göygöl and its huge rocks broke off the mount and bl ...
to the south-west of the town was broken and fell down onto the Aghsu River and created
Lake Göygöl
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
and other small lakes. King
Demetrius I of Georgia
Demetrius I ( ka, დემეტრე) ( 1093 – 1156), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was King of Georgia from 1125 to 1156. He is also known as a poet. He was King of United Georgian kingdom two times, first in 1125 to 1154 and second in 1155 b ...
took the advantage of the earthquake to attack and loot the defenseless Ganja. He captured the gates as his trophy.
The gates weighing a few tons was carried by the surviving citizens of Ganja on their backs. Only one half of the gate has survived. It is built in the wall of
Gelati Monastery
Gelati ( ka, გელათის მონასტერი) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as a ...
across from the tomb of Georgian King David IV. Today, a leaf of this gate is fastened to the wall facing David I's grave in the yard of the monastery.
Gallery
File:Gates_gelati.jpg
File:Gate_of_Ganja,_Gelati_Monastery.jpg
See also
*
Ganja, Azerbaijan
Ganja (; az, Gəncə ) is Azerbaijan's third largest city, with a population of around 335,600.Azərbaycan Respublikası. — 2. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və inzibati rayonları. — 2.4. Azərbaycan Respublikasının iqtisadi və ...
*
Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani () or Azeri (), also referred to as Azeri Turkic or Azeri Turkish, is a Turkic language from the Oghuz sub-branch spoken primarily by the Azerbaijani people, who live mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan where the North Azerbaija ...
References
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20161105094721/http://tele-inform.com/?p=6486
* http://www.azadliq.info/faq/357-kiv/3458-gnc-qalasnn-tarixi-qaps-mhur-darvazalar.html
* http://www.gencekitab.az/darvaza.shtml {{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112080741/http://www.gencekitab.az/darvaza.shtml , date=2014-11-12
* http://www.mct.gov.az/?/en/cities/view/248/
* http://www.ganca.net/aze/history.html
Monuments and memorials in Georgia (country)
History of Ganja, Azerbaijan
Gates
Shaddadids