Sharban Tour Guide
About Shabran
Shabran has been one of the leading political, administrative, trade, crafts and cultural center of the Shirvanshah State by the 9th-10th centuries. It was founded in the 5th-7th centuries as a fortress. In the mid-11th century, Shirvanshas’ family tomb was located in Shabran. The name of the city later started to be used to call the surrounding area.
Shabran located at the distance of 120 km north of Baku and is a historical region and a medieval city. As a result of archaeological excavations in the city in 1979-1989, the archaeologists made interesting discoveries. The town used to have a water supply network and its economy was based mainly on crafts includeding blacksmithing, founding, copperware making, jewelry, weapons and glass making. A ceramic workshop was discovered under the ruins of the city.
Shabran (formerly Devechi) is also known for its nature: vast forests with a total area of over 21 thousand hectares cover the foothills and mountains of the region. In one of these forests near the village of Galaati that is full of deposits such as medicinal mineral water were discovered in 1969 and are called “seven springs”, which made the place quite famous all over the Soviet Union as a health tourism destination. In 2003, the city of Shabran was declared a historical and cultural reserve.
Chirag–Gala Fortress
The Chirag-Gala Fortress (Chirag Gala literally means in Azerbaijani “a light tower”) is located on the top of a cliff surrounded by a mountain forest in the region of Shabran. The Fortress was built in the 4th-6th centuries at an altitude of 1,232 meters above sea level. Only half- destroyed remains of the once magnificent and unapproachable ancient fortress is preserved until now. It was part of the defensive system of the Sassanid Empire and served to protect the empire from nomadic tribes. According to experts, the location of the fortress allowed to survey a large area and warn about the threat with the help of lights, hence its name is self-explanatory.
Galaalty Health Resort
The health resort that existed here for a long time fell into decay after the collapse of the Soviet Union. On its place a new modern resort was built. The Galaalty Hotel & spa Health and Recreation is situated at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level and is surrounded by mountainous forest on one side and an immense plain overlooking the Caspian Sea on the other. The Center consists of a 5-star hotel and a well-equipped diagnostic and treatment center. Here you can undertake a complete medical check-up and, in accordance with the doctors’ instructions, proceed to the treatment. The main therapeutic factor of this Center is unique bicarbonate sodium-calcium water with the content of organic substances such as Naftus. This water is most effective in treating urolithiasis in its various forms, as well as gastroenterological and other diseases.