Qabala

Qabala
Qabala; Qəbələ
	Ceity & Municipality
	Qabala
	Coordinates: 40°58′53″N 47°50′45″E / 40.98139°N 47.84583°E
Kintra	Azerbaijan
Rayon	Qabala
Population
• Total	13,175
Time zone	UTC+4 (AZT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+5 (AZT)
Website	www.qebele-ih.gov.az

Qabala or Gabala (Azerbaijani: Qəbələ) is the maist auncient ceity o Azerbaijan an the caipital o the Qabala Rayon o Azerbaijan.^[2] The municipality consists o the ceity o Qəbələ an the veelage o Küsnət.^[3] Afore 1991 the ceity wis kent as Kutkashen, but efter Azerbaijan's unthirldom the toun wis renamed in honour o the hintle aulder ceity o Gabala, the umwhile caipital o Caucasian Albanie, the airchaeological steid o which is aboot 20 km soothwast.

History eedit

Qabala is the auncient caipital o the Caucasian Albanie. Aircheological evidence indicates that the ceity functioned as the caipital o the Caucasian Albanie as early as the fowert century BC.^[4] Ruins o the auncient toun are in 15 km frae regional center, allocatit on the territory atween Garachay an Jourluchay rivers.^[5] Qabala wis locatit in the middle o the 2500 auld Silk Road an wis mentioned in wirks o Pliny the Younger as "Kabalaka", Greek geographer Ptolemy as "Khabala", Arabic historian Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri as "Khazar". In the 19^t century, the Azerbaijani historian Abbasgulu Bakikhanov mentioned in his beuk "Gulistani Irem" that Kbala or Khabala wur in fact Qabala. In 60s B.C., Roman troops attacked Caucasian Albanie but did no succeed in capturin the Qabala territory. In 262, Caucasian Albanie wis occupee'd bi Sassanid Empire but preserved its poleetical an economic status. In 464 AD, lost its unthirldom due tae years o invasions frae the northren nomadic tribes an haed tae muive its caipital ceity tae Partava (currently Barda in Azerbaijan). Qabala wis occupee'd bi Shirvanshah Fariburz, Georgian tsar David III o Tao in 1120, Mongol khan Timurleng in 1386, Safavid shah Tahmasib I in 1538, Persian Nader Shah in 1734 but wis able tae preserve its cultur an identity. Efter the daith o Nader Shah in 1747, Azerbaijan split intae independent khanates an sultanates an Qabala became a Qutqashen Sultanate. It wis cried Qabala Mahali an aw. Efter Azerbaijan wis occupee'd bi Roushie Empire in 1813 it conductit admeenistrative reforms an in 1841 Azerbaijani khanates wur terminatit an the territories wur incorporatit intae governorates. Qabala aurie wis addit tae Nukha uyezd o Elisabethpol Govrenorate. Due tae aircheological finds in Qabala, it wis declared a National State Reserve in 1985.^[6]

The ruins o the gates o Albanian caipital Gabala in Azerbaijan

Geography eedit

The ceity is rich wi chestnut an hazelnut trees.^[2]

Economy eedit

The economy o Qabala is pairtially agricultural, pairtially tourist based, wi some manufacturin industries, mainly for fuid preserves, tobacco an silkwirm cocoon dryin.^[7]^[8]

Tourism eedit

Qabala is considered a popular tourist destination, thanks tae the combination o a vera guid spring climate, woods alang the muntains an excellent fauna wis exploitit bi the construction o lairge numbers o hotels an apairtments in ceity.^[9]

Cultur eedit

Gabala International Music Festival.

Syne 2009, ceity haes been hame o Gabala International Music Festival, which includit performances frae classical an jazz performers such as Al Jarreau an the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.^[10]^[11]

Landmarks eedit

A 1984 airtist's concept o a Daryal-type (Pechora) bistatic phased-array early warnin radar seemilar tae the ane deployed at Qabala.

Gabala is renowned for the ruins o an auncient wawed ceity, Chukhur Gabala, datin back tae the 4t century BC.^[12] The ceity haes an interestin cultural centre, wi bonnie Soviet mosaics, a lairge war memorial, numerous auncient stane hooses an the Rashidbek monument, which is shaped as a huge beuk.^[2]

Anither landmark is the lairge Qabala Radar station, on the soothren horizon as seen frae Qabala toun, is ane o anerlie twa Pechora-type missile early warnin stations in the umwhile USSR.^[13]^[14]

Sports eedit

The ceity haes ane professional fitbaa team competin in the top-flicht o Azerbaijani fitbaa - Gabala FC, currently playin in the Azerbaijan Premier League. The team is managed bi umwhile Ingland an Arsenal player Tony Adams.^[15] The clubs haulds its home games in the newbuild Gabala City Stadium.