Suraxanı () is a settlement and
raion
A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is c ...
of
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. It has a population of 210,500.
The region is best known for the
Fire Temple of Baku on the northern edge of town, a castle-like temple and monastery complex known locally as the ''Ateşgah'' or ''Ateshgyakh''. It was a
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
temple. The complex was built on a pocket of natural gas that once produced a flame from natural gas seepage.
The local
Tat name of the raion is said to related to "the Persian words 'Surakh' (hole) or Surkh/ Sorkh (red) and 'khani' (source or fountain). According to historical sources, before the construction of the
Parsi
The Parsis or Parsees () are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, w ...
Temple Of Fire (Atashgah) in Surakhany at the end of the 18th century, the local people also worshipped at this site because of the 'seven holes with burning flame'. And thus the name 'Surakhany' – holes with burning fountains."
The township itself is poor and surrounded by the
petrochemical industry
file:Jampilen Petrochemical Co. 02.jpg, 300px, Jampilen Petrochemical co., Asaluyeh, Iran
The petrochemical industry is concerned with the production and trade of petrochemicals. A major part is constituted by the plastics industry, plastics (poly ...
facilities that are endemic to the
Absheron Peninsula.
Gallery
Notable natives
Aygün Beyler – Azerbaijani actress and singer
References
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Villages in Azerbaijan
Districts of Baku
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