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Architecture
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ALINJAGALA –
UNBENDING SYMBOL
OF AZERBAIJAN
Ismayil HAJIYEV
Doctor of History, Professor,
active member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
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Alinjagala after restoration
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Architecture
A
linjagala is located on the steep Mount Alinja 30
kilometers east of the city of Nakhchivan, in the
territory of the village of Khanagah in Julfa District,
on the right bank of the Alinja River at a height of 1,811
meters. Alinjagala consists mainly of three broad areas.
There were stone steps to climb from the first area to the
second and third areas of the castle. The entrances to the
castle are located on the eastern and western sides.
Based on historical sources, researchers attribute the
castle to two thousand years ago. The castle was built by
the Alinjak tribal union more than two thousand years
ago and was restored before the fifth century AD. (1, p.
351) Alinjak is one of the ancient Turkic clans. The name
Alinja was derived from the name of that tribal union. (3,
pp. 22-23) The Alinjak tribe ensured their security here. In
general, castle-type residential areas appeared in Nakh-
chivan in the third millennium BC, and such residential
areas were widely used in the subsequent period. (3, p.5)
The history of Alinjagala, which has an extremely
favorable geographic position in terms of defense, is
closely linked to the fight of the Azerbaijani people for
freedom and independence and against foreign invad-
ers. For this reason, Alinjagala gained great fame in his-
tory as a symbol of the resilience and fighting spirit of
the Azerbaijani people.
Historians such as Asogik (928-1019), Nasavi (13
th
century), Sharafaddin Ali Yazdi (15
th
century), Spanish
ambassador Clavijo (15
th
century), Turkish traveler Ev-
liya Celebi (17
th
century) and others provided interest-
ing and important information about Alinjagala. Clavijo
wrote the following about the castle: “Alinjagala is locat-
ed on a high and steep mountain and is surrounded by
General plan and plan of the Alinjagala entrance gate
(author V. Karimov)
Remains of Alinjagala walls. Photo of the 1960s
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walls and towers. Inside the walls there were vineyards,
gardens, fields, pastures, springs and pools on the lower
parts of mountain slopes. The castle and fort are located
on the summit of the mountain.” (14, pp. 158-161)
The castle could accommodate up to 600 fighters
with their horses and munitions. Stables where horse-
men kept their horses, food warehouses and tandirs
were found here. Large public houses made it possible
to keep food reserves. In order to meet the demand for
water, pools and ditches were used. Small canals were
built on the rocks in order to collect water in the pools.
Up to 15 pools were discovered at Alinjagala. The length
of some of the pools was 20 meters and width – about
five meters. (3, p.8)
Alinjagala played an irreplaceable role in the history
of medieval states in Azerbaijan, as well as in the fight
of the Azerbaijani people for freedom. The castle was
used to keep state treasuries, as a shelter for the ruling
elite, a place where political prisoners were kept and as
a defensive fortification against foreign enemies.
Medieval sources contain a lot of information about
Alinjagala, which takes an honorable place in the history
of Azerbaijan. Among these sources, the most ancient
source known to science, which mentions Alinjagala, is
the ballad “Kitabi Dada Gorgud”. Alinjagala is mentioned
in the chapter “Uşun Qoca oğlu Sяgrяk boyunu bяyan
edяr”. (5, pp. 110, 208)
Alinjagala has a special place in the history of Azer-
baijani statehood. Azerbaijani feudal states paid special
attention to this castle and used it for defense purposes
during wars. At the time of the Azerbaijan Atabay state
(1136-1225), the political, military-strategic and econom-
ic importance of the castle increased even more, and it
was used as an important military fortification, a place
where the state treasury was kept, a shelter for ensur-
ing the security of the ruler’s family, a prison where im-
portant prisoners were held and for other purposes. The
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Project on reconstruction of Alinjagala walls
(author V. Karimov)
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Architecture
View of Alinjagala
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residency of Atabay Muhammad Jahan Pahlavan’s wife,
the ruler of Nakhchivan, Zahida khatun, and the treasury
of the Ildenizids were located at this castle. (7, p. 14)
Alinjagala was under the rule of the Hulaguids in
the 13
th
century and was taken over by the Jalairids in
the second half of the 14
th
century. Considering the
strategic importance of the castle, the Jalairids always
tried to fortify it. Ahead of Tamerlane’s invasion, Jalairid
ruler Sultan Ahmad placed his treasury, family, son and
close associated at the castle and instructed Amir Altun
to defend it. (1, p. 351) The defense of the castle, which
had up to 300 fighters, was entrusted to Malik Tahir, the
management of the castle to Khaja Jovhar and after his
death to Amir Altun and after Amir Altun’s assassination
to Seyyid Ahmad Ogulsami. (7, p. 15)
Alinjagala steadily resisted attacks by Tamerlane’s
troops for 14 years – from 1387 to 1401 and never sur-
rendered. However, disagreements that began inside
the castle had a serious impact on its defenders and
some of them turned their back on Malik Tahir and left
the castle. Malik Tahir sensed his helplessness, took the
Jalairids’ treasury in Alinjagala and moved to Baghdad.
Thus, the castle was gradually deserted and after that,
Tamerlane’s troops seized the abandoned castle. Tamer-
lane, who returned from his travel to India and came to
Azerbaijan, was astonished by the fact that Alinjagala
resisted his troops for 14 years and paid a special visit
to the castle.
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Almost all paths are blocked by walls
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After the death of Tamerlane in 1405, the castle was
taken over by the Jalairids and Qara Qoyunlu again.
Qara Qoyunlu Isgandar, who was defeated in a battle
against the armed forces of Tamerlane’s son Shahrukh
and was betrayed by his brothers, was forced to hide at
Alinjagala together with his family. (2, pp. 138-139) How-
ever, Isgandar was killed here and Alinjagala was taken
over by Jahanshah. Alinjagala, which was controlled by
Ag Qoyunlu in the second half of the 15
th
century, was
seized by Safavid rulers together with Nakhchivan in
1501. One of the most valuable sources regarding the
history of the Safavid state “Tarikh-i Alamara-yi Abbasi
(Abbas’ history that decorates the world) indicates that
under the Safavids, Alinjagala retained its importance
both as a reliable shelter and as a prison. The source
shows that after Farhad Pasha took Iravan in August
1583 during the Safavid-Ottoman war that began in
1578, Chukhursad baylarbay Muhammad Khan left the
city of Iravan, came to Nakhchivan and accommodated
the families of fighters at Alinjagala. (4, p. 570)
Although reconstruction and renovation work was
carried out at Alinjagala under the Safavids and a num-
ber of defensive structures, including defensive for-
tifications, gates and towers were built (3, p. 730), the
castle sustained great damage during feudal infighting
and wars, was ruined and was used as a residential area
during the Middle Ages. It was precisely for this reason
that the “Detailed book of the Nakhchivan province”
Architecture
Walls block even the slopes
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describes Alinjagala as a residential area – Alinjagala,
which is subordinate to the Alinja region. (11, p. 85)
In the subsequent period, Alinjagala gradually lost
its importance as a result of feudal infighting and wars,
sustained serious damage and was ruined. Despite that,
Alinjagala showed its military-strategic importance
and defensive capability in the subsequent period and
even in the 19
th
century. M. Mirheydarzadeh writes in
this regard: “…In 1242 hijrah (1826-27 – I. H.), during the
Russo-Persian War, the commander of the castle, Lachin
bay, fought for about six months.” (9, p. 80)
As Alinjagala was a strong and fortified defensive
structure, it housed the mints of various Azerbaijani
states in the Middle Ages. Coins were minted here on
behalf of feudal rulers of Azerbaijan at various times. The
samples of coins that have been found confirm that in
the 7
th
century and in the 13
th
-first half of the 14
th
cen-
tury, Alinjagala was one of the main centers that minted
coins. (3, pp. 50-53)
A symbol of Azerbaijan’s resilience and a source of
pride for our people, Alinjagala was left without care
for a long time, especially in the 20
th
century and ex-
perienced serious erosions. However, after Azerbaijan
regained its state independence, like other material-
cultural monuments in our country, Alinjagala was also
surrounded with high state attention. Alinjagala was in-
cluded as a monument of global importance on the list
of “Historical and cultural monuments of global, national
and local importance among immovable historical and
cultural monuments in the territory of the Nakhchivan
Autonomous Republic” endorsed by 21 November 2007
decision No 98 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nakh-
chivan Autonomous Republic.
In April 2014, restoration work began at Alinjagala.
During the restoration work, a road was built to the
summit of the castle – 1,301 steps were installed and
communication was facilitated. Ancient settlements,
farming buildings, castle walls, defensive installations,
trenches and towers and bodies of water were studied,
their forms were determined and restored preserving
their historical appearance. The eastern and western
walls of the castle, which reflects the traces of the Na-
khchivan architecture school in terms of construction
techniques and planning, were also restored to their
previous appearance. Also, the Alinjagala Historical-
Cultural Museum was created on the western slope of
Mount Alinja and on the edge of the road leading to
the castle.
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Internal structures of Alinjagala
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Restoration work at Alinjagala was completed and
an opening ceremony was held on 17 June 2016. Along
with that, Alinjagala, which played a great role in the
political and military history of the Azerbaijani people,
became an attraction for the population of Nakhchivan
and visitors to the autonomous republic.
Thus, Alinjagala, which is closely linked to the fight of
the Azerbaijani people for freedom and independence
and against foreign invaders and turned into a symbol
of Azerbaijan’s resilience, was given a new lease of life,
and this great monument created by our people was
returned to us.
References:
1. Azərbaycan tarixi. Ən qədim zamanlardan XX əs-
rədək. I cild. Akad. Z.Bünyadov və prof. Y.Yusifo-
vun redaktəsi ilə. Bakı: Azərnəşr, 1994, 680 s.
2. Əbubəkr Tehrani. Kitabi Diyarbəkiriyyə. Fars dilin-
dən tərcümə edən və ön sözün müəllifi Rahilə Şü-
kürova. Bakı, Elm, 1998, 336 s.
3. Əlincəqala. Məqalələr toplusu (Azərbaycan, rus və
ingilis dillərinə). Naxçıvan: Əcəmi, 2016, 304 s.
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basın dünyanı bəzəyən tarixi). I cild. Farscadan
tərcümənin, ön sözün, şərhlərin və göstəricilərin
müəllifləri Oktay Əfəndiyev, Namiq Musalı. Bakı:
Təhsil, 2009, 792 s.
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C 4, s. 302-304.
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Bakı, 1973, s. 8-16.
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Bakı, 1977, 158 s.
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Əlincə çayı sahilində bir neçə kəndin və Əlincə qa-
lasının tədqiqi. “Azərbaycanı öyrənmə yolu”. Bakı,
1930, № 4-5, s.78-80.
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519 s.
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2001, 374 s.
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ко двору Тимура в Самарканд в. 1405-1406 гг.
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с английского З.М.Буниятова, пер. с перс.
И.П.Петрушевского. Баку, 1983, с.37-65.
Architecture
The top commands a view of all the surroundings
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The view of the fortress at night is fascinating
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