, image = Ganja fortress.jpg , caption = The preserved part of the fortress, built in the XVI century in "New Ganja" , former_names = , building_type =

Fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, architectural_style = Architectural school of Arran , structural_system = , address = Gala Street , location_town =

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� ...

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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 th ...

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Murad III Murad III ( ota, مراد ثالث, Murād-i sālis; tr, III. Murad; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Saf ...

Farhad Pasha , current_tenants = , landlord = , coordinates = , start_date = , completion_date = 3 September 1588 , demolition_date = , material =

Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

, height = , diameter = , other_dimensions = , floor_count = , floor_area = , main_contractor = , architect = , structural_engineer = , services_engineer = , civil_engineer = , other_designers = , quantity_surveyor = , awards = Ganja Fortress ( az, Gəncə qalası), is a fortress in

. The remains of walls of the fortress can be seen in the territory of the oldest park of the city, Khan's Garden and in the entrance to the city, along the Ganja River.

History

Farhad Pasha, who headed the Turkish army in the Caucasus, went to Ganja, controlled by the

Safavids Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

, by the order of Sultan

. Ganja was captured on 1 September 1588. After taking Ganja, on 3 September 1588, Pasha ordered the construction of the castle 7–8 kilometers from the city. About forty days later the castle was built in length and in height with thick walls. It was built in a flat area and on the left bank of the Ganja River. Ganja was divided into four parts by the fortress in the 16th century: the outer city, Shahristan, Ichgala and Naringala. In 1868, after Ganja became the regional center of the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

, a new master plan for the city was prepared by architect Ignati Kshishtalovic. After the master plan was approved in 1873 by Alexander II, the walls of the fortress were demolished and European-styled neighborhoods were built. At present, a very small part of the Ganja fortress – Shiralibey tower – remains. In 2007, the fortress wall was renovated.

Architectural features

While building the castle, some neighborhoods of Ganja were kept outside the walls of the fortress. It was built in an uneven polygonal shape. In the construction of the fortress, clay-mud, cobblestones and baked red bricks – traditional Ganja architecture – were used. For that reason its south-west, north-west, and north-east walls were strong. The total length and height were and respectively. A total of 30 defensive towers were built across the wall every . At certain height of the fortress walls,

embrasure An embrasure (or crenel or crenelle; sometimes called gunhole in the domain of gunpowder-era architecture) is the opening in a battlement between two raised solid portions (merlons). Alternatively, an embrasure can be a space hollowed out ...

s and watchtowers were constructed. They were important to use to attack the enemy. From those places, local fighters used to spill boiling oil and lubricant on attacking enemies.

Gallery

References

Castles and fortresses in Azerbaijan Palaces in Azerbaijan Tourist attractions in Azerbaijan {{Azerbaijan-struct-stub

History

Architectural features

Gallery

See also

References