About Shamkir
Shamkir is one of the most important regions of Azerbaijan that is located 400 km from Baku and about 40 km from Ganja; the city of Shakmir is the capital city of the region. Shamkir is famous for its favorable climate and the presence of rivers and reservoirs, rich cultural and historical heritage and the developed infrastructure makes Shamkir a popular tourism point of Azerbaijan, especially the German part of Shamkir’s history is of particular interest. The old historical sites that are closely related to the heritage of German settlements of the 19th and 20th centuries are of top interest. These include German houses, a Lutheran church, production facilities, etc. Today Shamkir is full of many beautiful parks, modern shopping and entertainment centers, cafes and restaurants that attract the tourists across the globe. There is all kind of facilities for tourists including from 3 star hotels to 5 star luxury hotels.
The Ancient City of Shamkir
The ancient city of Shamkir is one of the top cities of Azerbaijan, located on the left bank of Shamkirchay River, in the north of the village of Mukhtariye. The Mongols destroyed the city in the early 13th century. The description of the city shows that it possessed all the characteristics a medieval city located in a plain area. At that time, cities usually consisted of three topographic parts: the naringala (citadel), Shahristan (the city itself) and rabad (suburbs). The topographic plan of the ancient city shed light on the approximate quadrangular layout of the city. Before Mongol’s destruction of the city, according to archaeologists the city between 8 – 13th century AD was well flourished.
The archaeological excavations are also carried out in the village of Garajmirli of the Shakmir region. As a result of these excavations, unique palace buildings were discovered, related to the 5th-4th centuries B.C. It should be noted that Shakmir was one of the centers of the arran architectural school, which was famous for polychrome, combined masonry of walls. The high level of city infrastructure was closely linked to the high level of culture of citizens at that time, existence of ancient traditions, development of economic and cultural ties and with strict hygienic requirements of the Islamic religion. All objects found here have been saved in Shamkir Museum.