Beylagan District ( az, Beyləqan rayonu) is one of the 66
districts of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
. It is located in the centre of the country and belongs to the
Central Aran Economic Region
Central Aran Economic Region ( az, Mərkəzi Aran iqtisadi rayonu) is one of the 14 Economic regions of Azerbaijan, economic regions of Azerbaijan. It borders the economic regions of Shaki-Zagatala Economic Region, Shaki-Zagatala, Mountainous Shir ...
. The district borders the districts of
Fuzuli,
Aghjabadi
Aghjabadi ( az, Ağcabədi) is a city in and the capital of the Aghjabadi District of Azerbaijan. It is situated in central Azerbaijan.
Notable natives
* Uzeyir Hajibeyov — composer. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical mu ...
,
Zardab,
Imishli, and the
Ardabil Province of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. Its capital and largest city is
Beylagan
Beylagan District ( az, Beyləqan rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the centre of the country and belongs to the Central Aran Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Fuzuli, Aghjabadi, Zardab, Imis ...
. As of 2020, the district had a population of 99,500.
Etymology
The name Beylagan historically used in different forms particularly, Paytakaran, Balasakan, Bilgan, Millar and Beylagan. A number of considerations associated with the toponymy of Beylagan. In accordance with the historical name “Beylagan” derived from the words “pila” (valley) and “gan” (place) and corresponds to the meaning of field or
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...
.
Another view claims that Beylagan historically situated on the Barda – Ardabil trade way. Because of that reason, the city became one of the main trade centres in the 9th – 12th centuries. The toponymy “Beylagan” interrelated to that historical base, which means trade way or the place where trading took place. According to the other statements the toponymy is related to the name of the “bel” tribe who lived there at that time. “Beylagan” means the place where “bel” tribes are settled regarding that view.
History
There is mention of the name of the district in various
historical books
The historical books are a division of Christian Bibles, grouping 12 (or in some denominations more) books of the Old Testament. It includes the Former Prophets from the Nevi'im and two of the ungrouped books of Ketuvim of the Hebrew Bible togethe ...
. One of the “Roads and Countries” is written by Naila Valikhanli. Dimensions of the main historical trade ways are indicated in that book. At the same time, an indication of the route from
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
to Beylagan shows the significance of the city. According to the sources, the north–south line (Derbent – Ardabil road) of the
Silk Road passed through Beylagan. Traders of the city built relations with
China,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
Byzantium through thanks to this geophysical condition.
In accordance with the historical sources, Beylagan was founded in the 5th century. In the 13th century, the city was completely destroyed by
Mongol invasions
The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire ( 1206-1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastatio ...
. Reconstruction of Beylagan started by
Amir Teymur in the 14th century but after his death works in that territory stopped. Ancient Beylagan city was ruined in the 16th century and has never been restored again.
Beylagan district was founded on November 24, 1939, and was called Zhanov from 1939 to 1963. In 1963, the Beylagan District was liquidated and merged with the
Imishli district. The name of the district was renamed Beylagan with regard to the 1989 dated decree of the Supreme Council of
Azerbaijan SSR. The Center of the district is Beylagan city where got city status in 1966.
Geography
Beylagan is one of the southwestern districts of Azerbaijan and situated in the Mil valley of the
Kur – Araz lowland and in the middle of the Kur and
Araz rivers. Geographical coordinates are 39°45’ North latitude and 47°30’ West longitude and bordering
Agchabadi,
Zardab,
Imishli,
Fuzuli districts and Iran Islamic Republic in the south-east. Some parts of the Harami plain belong to the district and the northeast part is below the ocean level. More than 40% of the territory is 0 – 100 meters, 25% is 100 – 200 meters and 35% is below 0 meters. Absolute altitude changes between 200 – 250 meters towards
Harami plain. Generally, Beylagan is considered a seismic active zone.
The territory is completely plain. Relief is covered by
sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...
,
gravel and other
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
s belong to the Anthropogenic period of the
Cenozoic era. 4th-period sedimentary rocks are widespread in the district. At the same time, all sedimentary minerals are found in the territory. There is found gravel, sand in the Harami and Arazboyu plains. Researches reveal that there are a lot of potable
water resources in the
Harami plain and they are partly used. Furthermore, the territory is used as a pasture.
Climate
In the Köppen climate classification, Beylagan has a
semi – arid climate with hot summers and mild winters. Geophysical location plays the main role in the formation of the climate. Thus, the area is constantly affected by cyclones and air flows come from tropics and
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
. The average annual temperature is 14 °C. January is characterized by an average 1,8 °C and the average temperature is 26 °C in July.
Flora and fauna
Indigenous flora is characterized by semi-arid plants. The coastal area of the Kur river is covered by
poplars,
mulberry,
cypress trees and tugai forests in a small area.
Gazelle
A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the seven species included in two further genera, '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third ...
,
fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
,
boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
,
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
,
grey rabbit are characteristic animals for the district. In the Tugai forests and swamp areas, there are found hedgehogs, wolves, boars, snakes, owls and woodpeckers. There are ducks, vessels and seagulls in the ponds.
Several indigenous species of plants and animals are protected in the
Ag-Gol National Reserve where located in both Agchabadi and Beylagan districts. There are reserved especially migratory birds.
Architecture
Archaeological monuments
Archaeological investigations in the district prove that people lived there more than six thousand years ago. There are several monuments registered by the
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan. They are Orangala (relicts of the ancient Beylagan city), Chardakli, Kultapa, Qaratapa, Saritapa, Chataltapa, Garaytapa, Tazakand, the first and second Sultanbud settlements, Saritapa, Sultanbud cemeteries and Beylagan tower.
Religious architecture
Beylagan is the only district in Azerbaijan where the tomb of Prophet Charchis is situated. The tomb was built in the 17th – 18th centuries. Nowadays the tomb of Prophet Charchis is used as a religious
sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...
and people come there from various countries especially,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
countries. There is also a mosque named after Prophet Charchis. Other mosques are Dunyamallar, Amina Khatun and Turkish mosques in the district.
Furthermore, there are some sanctuaries of
sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhamma ...
s such as Sayyid Aga, Sayyid Khirda, Sayyid Miryusif and Sayyid Ali Aga in Beylagan.
Statues
There are a lot of statues in the district. Most of these statues are historical and notable people; Akif Akberov (
National Hero of Azerbaijan
The National Hero of Azerbaijan ( az, Azərbaycan milli qəhrəmanı) is the highest Hero (title), national title in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The title was named on 25 March 1992, and the "Qizil Ulduz" Medal awarded as a sign of receiving this t ...
),
Garay Asedov (Hero of the Soviet Union),
Hazi Aslanov
Hazi Aslanov ( az, Həzi Əhəd oğlu Aslanov; russian: Ази Агад оглы Асланов; commonly described as Azi Aslanov and A. A. Aslanov,Aleksander A. Maslov, David M. Glantz, ''Fallen Soviet Generals: Soviet General Officers Killed i ...
(Hero of the Soviet Union),
Nariman Narimanov
Nariman Karbalayi Najaf oghlu Narimanov ( az, Nəriman Kərbəlayi Nəcəf oğlu Nərimanov, russian: Нарима́н Кербелаи Наджа́ф оглы Нарима́нов; – 19 March 1925) was an Azerbaijani Bolshevik revolutionary, w ...
(politician), Ilham Guliyev, Ilqar Gurbanov, Gadim Aliyev, Mehdi Mehdizadeh, Namig Allahverdiyev, Nazim Guliyev and Sevil Gaziyeva.
Monuments
A list of important monuments of Beylagan includes the Labor Union monument, the March 31, Genocide monument complex of Azerbaijanis, the monument complex in memory of
Karabakh war, the monument in memory of the Hero of Soviet Union Garay Asadov and the monument of
Heydar Aliyev
Heydar Alirza oghlu Aliyev ( az, Һејдәр Әлирза оғлу Әлијев, italic=no, Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev, ; , ; 10 May 1923 – 12 December 2003) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani politician who served as the third president of Az ...
.
Economy
Economy of Beylagan is characterized by agricultural activities especially
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
,
vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themsel ...
,
grain growing fields.
Demography
According to the statistics in 2017, the population is 96,4 thousand people. The population of the district includes various nationalities.
People's settlement in urban areas is less than villages, respectively 42,16% and 57,84%.
According to the
State Statistics Committee
The State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan Republic ( az, Azərbaycan Respublikası Dövlət Statistika Komitəsi) is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of collection, processing and disseminating statistical data ...
, as of 2018, the population of city recorded 97,500 persons, which increased by 18,700 persons (about 18.9 percent) from 79,000 persons in 2000.
49,400 of total population are men, 48,100 are women.
Notable natives
Some of the district's notable residents include scientists, writers, sportsmen, heroes and musicians.
Scientists
* Asgar Abdullayev
*
Suleyman Aliyarli
* Maharram Aliyev
* Kamil Mammədov
* Elmira Zeynalova.
Hero of the Soviet Union
*
Garay Asadov
Heroes of Socialist Labour
* Gulzar Abdullayeva
* Gulustan Agayeva
* Gullu Jabbarova
*
Bahadur Huseynov
* Rashid Imanov
* Sardar Imraliyev
* Askinaz Usubova.
National Heroes of Azerbaijan
* Namiq Allahverdiyev
* Akif Akbarov
* Matlab Guliyev
* Nazim Guliyev
Writers
* Aga Savalanli
* Zakir Aliyev
* Ibrahim Kabirli
* Islam Kabirli
* Iltizam Rustamov
* Tamara Valiyeva
* Vaqif Jafarli
* Yusif Nagmakar
* Zulfuqar Shahsevanli
Sportsmen
*
Zulfiyya Huseynova
*
Shahin Diniyev
Shahin Khadakerim oglu Diniyev ( az, Şahin Xudakərim oğlu Diniyev, russian: Шахин Диниев; born 12 July 1966),
Other
*
Masud ibn Namndar
* Muciraddin Beylagani
* Nacmaddin Beylagani
* Shibaddin Beylagani
References
External links
{{Authority control
Districts of Azerbaijan