Nardaran is a settlement and municipality on the
Abşeron Peninsula in
Baku
Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
. It has a population of 8,300. Located 25 kilometers northeast of central Baku, it is politically part of the Baku city-subdivision and treated as a suburb. Unlike most of the rest of the country, which is religiously liberal, Nardaran is a center of conservative
Shi'a
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor ( caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community ( imam). However, his right is understoo ...
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
and pro-Iranian sentiment in Azerbaijan.
Nardaran's name comes from
Persian: ''nar'' (
pomegranate
The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punica, Punicoideae, that grows between tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it is thought to have o ...
)نار + ''daran'' (trees) داران, i.e. "place with pomegranate trees".
The town is the site of a
14th-century castle, featuring a round tower approximately 12.5 meters high. During
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
rule, the town was known as a center for growing flowers. Since Azerbaijan's independence, the economy has dwindled and the town is reputed for its
caviar
Caviar or caviare is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or spread. Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspi ...
poachers.
History
Proof that the history of the Baku village of Nardaran dates back to the Bronze Age BC is the discovery of the first human settlements in caves on its territory called “Galaga”.
On the rocks of the area called Umid-Gaya in the seaside part of Nardaran, as well as on the stones in Gobustan, there are various paintings.
Historical monuments of Nardaran
*
Nardaran Mosque
*
Nardaran pir
*
Summer residence of Shirvanshahs
*
Haji Bakhshi Mosque
*
Nardaran Fortress
Geography and climate
The village of Nardaran is one of the seaside villages of Baku. The village is surrounded by cliffs on both sides. The sunrise side is adjacent to the village of
Bilgah, and the sunset side is adjacent to the villages of
Kurdakhany and
Pirshagi. Also the Sea Breeze Resort is located in this area.
Center of Shia Islam
Nardaran "has long been a bastion of devout Shia Muslims" and is the only place in the whole of Azerbaijan where its inhabitants are devoutly religious and conservative, and where its streets display religious banners and where most women wear
chadors in public. The town is home to a
madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...
as well as the Rahima Khanim Mosque, a large
Shia
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
mosque built in the late 1990s over the tomb of Rahima Khanim, the sister of
Imam
Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...
Reza. The now banned
Islamic Party of Azerbaijan was founded in this town and its base was centered there. Nardaran has been the site of strong protests and unrest, notable riots in June 2002 over what protesters deemed inadequate living standards and another in January 2006 which resulted in the deaths of three people. On November 26, 2015, two policemen and four suspected Shia Muslim militants were killed in an armed confrontation.
The religious leader of the Muslim Unity Movement
Taleh Bagirov was also arrested, together with 14 other Nardaran residents.
As a result of this incident, the Azerbaijani parliament passed laws prohibiting people with religious education received abroad to implement Islamic rites and ceremonies in Azerbaijan, as well as to preaching in mosques and occupying leading positions in the country; as well as prohibiting the display of religious paraphernalia, flags and slogans, except in places of worship, religious centers and offices.
Ashura
Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the tenth of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and the salvation of the Israelites ...
festivities in public have also been banned. The Azerbaijani government also passed a law to remove the citizenship of Azerbaijani citizens who fight abroad.
Gallery
Khan Garden Pavilion.jpg, Summer residence of Shirvanshahs
Rəhimə xanım məscidi.jpg, Nardaran Mosque
Ilham Aliyev viewed conditions created at secondary school No 295 in Nardaran after major overhaul 09.jpg, Secondary School No 295 in Nardaran
File:Nrdaran qalası, 1301-ci il.jpg, Nardaran Castle
File:Нардаранская башня 1.jpg, Nardaran Tower
See also
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List of lighthouses in Azerbaijan
*
Baku Walk of Stars
References
External links
Picture of the lighthouse*
{{Authority control , additional=Q106468454
Villages in Azerbaijan
Populated places in Baku
Lighthouses in Azerbaijan
Populated coastal places in Azerbaijan