Old Ganja is a medieval settlement that was the city’s core up until the early 17th century. The complex is situated about 5-7 kilometers away from modern Ganja.
Between 1588 and 1606, during one of the Persian-Turkish wars, the Ottomans triumphed over the Safavids and seized all of the Caucasus. Upon their retreat, Shah Abbas discovered a first-rate Turkish fortress on the left bank of the Ganja River. Over the next decade, he relocated the city’s inhabitants under the protection of this fortress. As a result, Old Ganja, which is believed to have been settled as early as the 7th or 9th century, was abandoned. Today, it stands as a desolate site at the city’s outskirts.
Yet, it was in this “deserted” land that the Shaddadid Kurds ruled, that the Georgians looted the ruins after the devastating earthquake of 1139, and where the great poet Nizami once lived and worked. It is here that Jalal ad-Din Manguberti, the exiled prince of Khwarezm, plotted his revenge against Genghis Khan, and where the poor rose in rebellion against him.
At the edge of Old Ganja once stood the tomb of Nizami, and the new mausoleum built above it is clearly visible from the highway. In the heart of the settlement, amidst workshops and chimneys, you can find the miniature mausoleum of Jomard-Kassab, a butcher who heroically died while defending the city a thousand years ago. This mausoleum was recreated in 2004 to honor his legacy.
Old Ganja, much like its newer counterpart, was situated on both banks of the Ganja River, with the fortress lying on the left bank. Some remnants of the fortress’s foundations, featuring unusual brick and boulder masonry, still remain. Based on archaeological findings, Old Ganja was once a beautiful city with white houses adorned with alabaster carvings and tiles in shades of blue, green, and purple. The city’s craftsmanship flourished in ceramics, blacksmithing, and jewelry-making, and many of these artifacts are now on display in the Ganja Museum.
The city gates bear inscriptions commemorating the great figures of the Old Ganja era, including the poetess and musician Mehseti Ganjavi, a near-contemporary of Nizami. Her biography, however, is a fascinating mystery for a woman of her time. She wrote her most important works in her twenties and lived in cities like Balkh, Merv, Nishapur, and Herat. Her poetry often depicted the lives of the urban poor, including artisans, wandering musicians, and Sufis, leading some to believe that this stunning young poetess may have been a pseudonym or even a collective creation.
Not far from the city gates, you’ll find towering, decorative minarets. The Turkic ancestral cult is evidenced by the fact that it is the city’s abandoned cemeteries that have survived the best, with the southern outskirts housing the tomb of Nizami, and the northern side holding the tomb of the most revered saint, the local imamzada (a descendant of one of the twelve righteous Shia imams), Khosrow Ganjavi, better known as Goy Imam. The ancient cemetery, with its domed mausoleums, expanded over many centuries.
Between 2010 and 2014, a pilgrimage center was built around the Imamzade mausoleum, now considered one of the grandest Muslim structures in all of Azerbaijan.
Visitors to the area can still see numerous fragments of ancient city towers and walls. The city once had three bridges linking its different parts, and the remains of these bridges can still be seen today. The city’s defensive moats, which once protected it from enemy attacks, have also been preserved.
As you explore this historical complex, you’ll notice that the entire area is scattered with fragments of pottery. Many tourists collect these shards as souvenirs or mementos of their visit. Additionally, you’ll find pieces of glazed bricks, decorative tiles, and plaster sheets, all adorned with intricate patterns.
The city complex is shaped like an irregular polygon. Numerous historical accounts suggest that the inner part of the city once served as a citadel, surrounded by three lines of fortifications, or what’s left of them, indicating the city’s strategic importance. This is a clear sign that the city evolved in a phased manner. Surrounding the city were several villages and burial sites.
The total area of the city, including its suburbs, was rather small—about 12 to 16 kilometers. Archaeological studies suggest that cobblestones were used for foundations when building homes, and bricks (either fired or raw) were used for the masonry. The walls of residential buildings were plastered, with a thick coat of about 2 to 3 centimeters, and finished with a thin layer of alabaster. Floors were mostly made of clay, though in some cases, brick was used. Roofs were constructed from reeds.
Bread was baked in special clay ovens called tandoors, and food was prepared over homemade hearths. Interestingly, the city had a form of early plumbing, with water sourced from a natural spring and delivered through clay pipes.
Archaeological research of the city’s fortifications, buildings, and structures has revealed that the architecture and construction techniques of the time were highly advanced. Local stone and river boulders were used in the construction, and the buildings featured various masonry techniques. The ancient architects paid great attention not only to the structural integrity of their creations but also to their aesthetic appeal, and many of these structures have survived to this day.
In terms of architectural style, the favorite colors used for decoration were blue, green, violet, and deep green. Outside the fortress, there were inns, palaces, mosques, and numerous other buildings.