Jabrayil - The Region of Emerald...

As one of the administrative regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Jabrayil is located  in the south-east of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, on the left bank of the Araz River. It is bordered by Iran in the South. The capital of the region is the city of Jabrayil. Jabrayil granted an administrative district status on 08.08.1930. The region consisted of one adminstartive city centre (Jabrayil), 4 settlements, (Khalafli, Khudaferin, Gumlag, Mahmudlu) and 92 villages.

The name of Jabrayil was taken from the name of the Jabrayil village that was the centre of the region. Father Jabrayil laid the foundation of the village in the 8th and 9th centuries. He was close to the ruler by name Sultan Ahmed. The territories between Zuyaret Mountain and the river Araz belonged to Father Jabrayil and his sons.

Jabrayil is often described as the region of emerald - green forests and cold water springs. The Jabrayil region has productive soils, and before the war the population mostly was involved in agriculture. The region is rich with cement, marble, limestone and other building materials. It is also known that there are iron-ore and oil deposits there. The people in Jabrayil were mainly engaged in vine growing, grain growing, silk worm breeding and cattle breeding.

Science, culture, education highly developed there. There were over 20 thousand exhibits in the regional History-Ethnography Musuem, 8 industrial enterprises, 42 collective farms, livestock fattening comlex, poultry farm functioned in the region.

Jabrayil is rich with its historical and religious, in other words, material and cultural monuments. The cave “Divler Sarayi” locating  not far from the village Dagh-Tumash, “Mesdgid Tepe”, “Jangulu”and “ Gumtepe” moundsin Galajig village, Sigeon construction on Gizilgaya mountain near the village Galajig, “Geherjik galiglar” (remainders) and “Gishlag yerleri” not far from the village Girkhlar, archeological tombs “Mazannene”, “Mermer nene” on Diridagh mountain, “Bashikesik Gumbez” in the village Daghtumash, “Gala” bridge in Sirik vilaage, “Giz Galasi” and Khudaferin bridges on Diridagh mountaian, a mosque complex in  Chelebiler village, “Sultan Mejid hamami” in the city centre, “Dairevi Turbe (mauseloum)” in Shikhlar village, Khubyarly tomb of 15th-16th centuries in Khubyarly village, the eight-pointed tomb of XVI century and dozens of historical-religious architectural examples are living history transferred from generation to generation. Jabrayil is the homeland of Ashug Gurban, Ashug Pery, Ashug Mughrum Kerim, Ashug Humay, Ashug Abdulla, etc. who were considered ancestors of modern ashugs

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Khubyarly tomb, 15th-16th centuries

The Khudafarin Bridge - a symbol of unity

  "Gasimushaghi carpet", 19th century

The Khudafarin Bridge considered as a unity and solidarity symbol of Azerbaijan is located in Jabrayil. The first information about this bridge belongs to the VIII-IX centuries. Khudafarin was founded on the caravan route linking Southern Azerbaijan with the medieval cities of Northern Azerbaijan. It is also of a great military-strategic importance. The first bridge built in the narrow place of Araz surrounded by cliffs has been operated from the beginning of the end of VIII century-beginning of the IX century till the XIX century. The brick bridge was built in the XII century. As a result of the occupation of Armenian armed forces historical and religious monuments have been destroyed in addition to the settlements of the region in 23 August 1993.

Carpet-weaving in Jabrayil (there is also a separate carpet  school in Jabrayil) was famous with pile carpets named "Gasimushaghi", "Kurd", "Garagoyunlu", "Behmenli",  pileless carpets like carpet set, sackcloth (horse-cloth), holdall, saddlebag, verni, asmalig (suitable for hanging)  mats, rugs, palas, farmash, kilim and gegim. 

                 

Underground water-supply system that was formed in Azerbaijan in I century was widely used in Jabrayil. There were more than 360 ice-cold springs rich with natural minerals.   Two large irrigation canals -"Teymur Guliyev" and "Maralyan" cannels- in the region provided the rapid development of agriculture.

Jabrayil was occupied on August 23, 1993 by the armed forces of Armenia. During the First Karabakh War 362 people became martyrs, 149 civilians became invalids, and 6 people became National Heroes of Azerbaijan.

The victory in the Second Karabakh War in 2020 is of tremendous historic significance. Now the flag of Azerbaijan is waving in the liberated territories of Jabrayil district.

President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited liberated Jabrayil district. The President and the first lady arrived at the Khudafarin Bridge. These moments will be written in golden letters in the pages of our history.

"Justice has prevailed. 

Karabakh is ours! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!"