Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zoroaster, Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, ...
in
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 ...
goes back to the
first millennium BC or earlier and was the predominant religion of
Greater Iran
Greater Iran or Greater Persia ( ), also called the Iranosphere or the Persosphere, is an expression that denotes a wide socio-cultural region comprising parts of West Asia, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia, and East Asia (specifica ...
before
the conversion to
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 ...
.
Today the religion, culture, and traditions of Zoroastrianism remain highly respected in Azerbaijan, and the new year
Nowruz
Nowruz (, , ()
, ()
, ()
, ()
, Kurdish language, Kurdish: ()
, ()
, ()
, ()
,
,
,
, ()
,
, ) is the Iranian or Persian New Year. Historically, it has been observed by Iranian peoples, but is now celebrated by many ...
continues to be one of the main holidays in the country. Zoroastrianism has left a deep mark on the history of Azerbaijan. Traces of the religion are still visible in
Surakhany,
Khinalyg, and
Yanar Dag.
History
One of the world's oldest religions, Zoroastrianism, was also practiced in the territory of
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 ...
in ancient times.
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zoroaster, Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, ...
, sharing its name with its founder Iranian prophet
Zoroaster
Zarathushtra Spitama, more commonly known as Zoroaster or Zarathustra, was an Iranian peoples, Iranian religious reformer who challenged the tenets of the contemporary Ancient Iranian religion, becoming the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism ...
(also known as Zarathustra), was one of the first
monotheistic
Monotheism is the belief that one God is the only, or at least the dominant deity.F. L. Cross, Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. A ...
beliefs in the world and the official religion in Persia from 600 BCE to 650 CE.
Zoroastrians believe in one God, called
Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...
, who created the universe. The
Avesta
The Avesta (, Book Pahlavi: (), Persian language, Persian: ()) is the text corpus of Zoroastrian literature, religious literature of Zoroastrianism. All its texts are composed in the Avestan language and written in the Avestan alphabet. Mod ...
, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism, consists of two main sections: the oldest section contains the
Gathas, including seventeen hymns, and the younger Avesta, containing commentaries to the older one. It also includes
myths
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
, stories, and details of ritual observances. Fire is the most important symbol of purity in Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrians are wrongly believed to worship fire, but they believe fire represents the symbol of
Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...
.
Regarding the date of birth of Zoroaster, historians mostly agree upon the dates of 660-583 BCE.
Around 550 BCE,
Cyrus II integrated the area of southern Azerbaijan into the
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, i ...
. During his reign, Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion in the Empire, but he did not make any attempt to impose Zoroastrianism on the people of his subject territories.
During the rule of
Darius I
Darius I ( ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE. He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West A ...
, Zoroastrianism was the official religion of the Achaemenid Empire, including Azerbaijan. Darius I also allowed moderate religious freedom in the
satrapies.
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
defeated
Darius III
Darius III ( ; ; – 330 BC) was the thirteenth and last Achaemenid King of Kings of Persia, reigning from 336 BC to his death in 330 BC.
Contrary to his predecessor Artaxerxes IV Arses, Darius was a distant member of the Achaemenid dynasty. ...
in 331 BCE. During this period, Zoroastrianism began to weaken. Many priests were killed and many sacred texts of Zoroastrianism were destroyed and lost forever.
Ancient states in the territory of Azerbaijan
Adurbadagan (Greek: Atropatena)
Around 328 BC,
Atropates, the satrap of Media, formed the independent entity of
Atropatena. The state was situated in
Iranian Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan (, , ), also known as Iranian Azerbaijan, is a historical region in northwestern Iran that borders Iraq and Turkey to the west and Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani exclave of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republ ...
, and also included a minor part of the present-day
Republic of Azerbaijan (i.e.
Arran). As Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion in Atropatena, its capital,
Ganzak
Ganzak ( ''Ganzak'', ''Gazaka'', Latin language, Latin: ''Gaza'', ''Gazaca'', ''Ganzaga'', Arabic language, Arabic: جانزاك ''Janzaq'', جازنا ''Jazna'', ''Gandzak''), is an ancient town founded in northwestern Iran. The city stood som ...
, became a religious center. Zoroastrian temples were fueled by the region's rich oil deposits. In accordance with many historian sources, the name "Azerbaijan" is attributed to the Persian word for fire "Azar", because of the popularity of Zoroastrianism in the region.
Arran (Latin: Albania)
In the fourth century BC, in the north of the present-day Republic of Azerbaijan and partially in southern
Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; ; ), officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Fede ...
, the entity of
Caucasian Albania
Caucasian Albania is a modern exonym for a former state located in ancient times in the Caucasus, mostly in what is now Azerbaijan (where both of its capitals were located). The modern endonyms for the area are ''Aghwank'' and ''Aluank'', among ...
was established. Under
Achaemenid
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the large ...
,
Parthian, and especially
Sassanid
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
influence, Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion in the country.
Armenian historian
Movses Kaghankatvatsi investigating the political line of
Yazdegerd II (438-457) in Albania noted that "During the reign of sinner Yezdeghird, devil instigated him to destroy
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
religion", so he ordered to reject Christianity in Albania and obey fire-worshippers-magicians (Zoroastrianism).
As a result of excavations on the territory of Caucasian Albania, many cultural finds, indicating the spreading of Zoroastrianism in the region, were found.
Zoroastrian architecture
Zoroastrianism's traces can be found in Baku,
Shamakha,
Nakhchivan,
Mingechaur, and the Talysh-Mugan areas. The
Absheron Peninsula and
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 ...
were centers of Zoroastrianism in ancient times. The Absheron Peninsula was rich in natural undamped torches of natural gas on the shore and in the sea. In the Sassanid era (3rd-7th centuries), when Zoroastrianism had risen to the level of state religion, Baku entered a new stage in its urban development. The most popular architectural monument of the city is the Maiden's Tower and ancient city walls and towers that are being preserved as historical monuments that belong to that time.
Ateshgah–Baku

Ateshgah, one of the popular ancient monuments in Azerbaijan dating to the seventeenth century CE is located in the village of Surakhani, fifteen km west of the capital Baku on the coast of the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...
. In some sources, this monument is called the fire worshipers' temple. The Ateshgah monument traces its origins to Zoroastrianism, which was the dominant religion in ancient Azerbaijan. Ateshgah temple has been designated as a world heritage site by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
. The temple is not used since 1883 CE.
Khinalig
The village of Khinalig (
Khinalug, Khinalyg) located in the west of the Guba district of Azerbaijan is also famous for its Zoroastrian temples.
Burj sanctuary, reflecting Zoroastrian traces was built in the 7th century in the oldest part of Khinalig. There are many caves, pirs ('a holy place' or a 'shrine' in Azerbaijani) around the district.
Zoroastrianism after Islam arrived in Azerbaijan
In the 7th century, the
Arabs
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
conquered Persia, including Azerbaijan. During this period, many Zoroastrian temples and libraries were destroyed and burned,
and many Zoroastrian texts were lost.
Zoroastrians were treated as
dhimmis (
People of the Book) as well as
Jews
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and
Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
by the
Arabs
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
.
It means that they could retain their religious practices and were protected by the government in exchange for paying the
jizya
Jizya (), or jizyah, is a type of taxation levied on non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Sharia, Islamic law. The Quran and hadiths mention jizya without specifying its rate or amount,Sabet, Amr (2006), ''The American Journal of Islamic Soc ...
. Despite all the difficulties, Iranians did convert, and Zoroastrianism became a minority religion in Iran.
Novruz
The six
Gahambar festivals and Novruz are the seven important Zoroastrian festivals. All Novruz traditions are rooted in Zoroastrianism. These festivals occur at the spring equinox. According to
Mary Boyce
Nora Elisabeth Mary Boyce (2 August 1920 – 4 April 2006) was a British scholar of Iranian languages and an authority on Zoroastrianism. She was Professor of Iranian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the Un ...
"It seems a reasonable surmise that Novruz, the holiest of them all, with deep doctrinal significance, was founded by Zoroaster himself".
The Persian historian
Gardizi
Abū Saʿīd ʿAbd-al-Ḥayy ibn Żaḥḥāk ibn Maḥmūd Gardīzī (), better known as Gardizi (), was an 11th-century Persian historian and official, who is notable for having written the ''Zayn al-akhbar'', one of the earliest history books ...
, in his work titled Zayn al-Akhbār, mentions Novruz among Zoroastrian festivals and points out that Zoroaster highly emphasized the celebration of
Novruz.
Usually, preparation begins a month prior to Novruz holiday in Azerbaijan. People celebrate the last four Tuesdays prior to the festival being the day of one of the four elements – water, fire, earth, and wind. As a tribute to Zoroastrianism beliefs, every
Tuesday
Tuesday is the day of the week between Monday and Wednesday. According to international standard ISO 8601, Monday is the first day of the week; thus, Tuesday is the second day of the week. According to many traditional calendars, however, Sunda ...
during four weeks children jump over small
bonfires.
See also
*
Fire Temple of Baku
*
Ramana, Azerbaijan
*
Khinalug
*
Gobustan Rayon
Gobustan District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the east of the country, in the Mountainous Shirvan Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Shamakhi, Khizi, Absheron, and Hajigabul. Its capital a ...
*
Religion in Azerbaijan
References
{{Azerbaijan topics