The famous monuments of Karabakh

 

Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is the area where people lived in 2 million year old Azikh Cave,one of the most ancient human residences.The area of Karabakh is a residence of successors of substituting Kur-Araz and Khojaly-Gadabay cultures  which existed in the Bronze and Iron Ages of Paleolithtic period of Guruchay culture founders.

The ancient stone monuments discovered in mountainous and plain areas of Karabakh- dolmens in Khojaly, kromlekhs in Khankandi, as well as, stone box graves of ancient times discovered  in different places of Karabakh are material culture signs reflecting ideology, moral thinking of that period.In the whole territory of Azerbaijan among Manna,Atropatena,Skit states in the junction of  IV-III centuries BC Caucasian Albania appeared in the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic.

The ancient sources  bear interesting  information about the existence of old towns in ancient territory of Karabakh- Uti,Arsak,and Paytakaran. Archeological researches made in Barda, Govurgala (Aghdam), Garakopek Hill (Fuzuli), Ergi settlement (Aghjabadi),etc  approve the above- mentioned statements.  Besides archeological monuments, a number of Christian monuments were investigated in Karabakh region. These monuments were met in Barda, Aghjabadi, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Aghdere areas of Karabakh as well as in Lachin and Kalbajar. The most popular of these monuments Ganjasar (Ganzasar), Amaras, Elysian and Khotavang temples. It should be noted that Albanian Christian monuments also exist in other areas of Azerbaijan (Gabala, Nakhchivan, Mingachevir, Gazakh, Tovuz, Shamakhi).

The existence of different religions had a great impact on the social life of  human society. The  existence of  Islam and Christianity  and their substitute of each-other in Karabakh as well as in every part of Azerbaijan  showed itself in the  building culture . A good deal of Albanian Christian monuments were built in the area of Karabakh ( Amaras in Nagorno-Karabakh, Govurgala in Aghdam, Khotavang in Kalbajar, Aghoghlan in Lachin) and other places of Albania (Gum village of Gakh region, Big Amidli village of Gabala region, Mingachevir).

There existed all kinds of architecture particular to East Christianity in Albania.  Albanian cross stones form their specific group obeyed to laws of religious art with their local features and reflection of  faiths and forces of universe till Christianity on Albanian written stones. Albanian cross bears signs which sum up indications of beliefs and universe  cognition till Christianity. Its all compositions are reflected like links across the sky to the ground, symbol of sun, light, and fertility.

The adoption of  Islam  was the beginning of a new stage in Albania (Azerbaijan). During Islam many mosques and minarets were built in Garabagh, part of Azerbaijan. Along with it, Christian churches and other religious temples were protected there.