History of Ordubad

The Ordubad district boasts an ancient and rich history, recognized as one of the earliest human settlements and a cradle of civilization. The name “Ordubad” appears in written sources dating back to the 5th century. Nestled within Ordubad is Mount Gemigaya, revered as a sacred pantheon of the ancient world. The rock carvings and habitation sites found here offer a glimpse into the lifestyles and cultural development of the people who inhabited this area during the 7th to 1st millennia BC, indicating that Ordubad has been a significant location for over 7,000 years. Places such as Sabirken, Plovdag, and Kharaba Gilan within Ordubad feature settlements and necropolises rich in cultural artifacts from the 2nd to 1st millennia BC.

Scholars trace the first settlement in the city of Ordubad to the 5th to 6th centuries AD. The name “Ordubad” is first mentioned in written records in the 5th century, noting that Arab forces passed through here on their way to Ararat.

During the 9th and 10th centuries, the Ordubad province was alternately part of the feudal states of the Iranian dynasties of Sajids and Salarids. In the 11th century, the Seljuks conquered the Ordubad province, as they did the entire Transcaucasian region. Ordubad gained significant prominence in the 12th century when Nakhchivan served as the temporary capital of the Ildegizid State.

In the first half of the 13th century, Ordubad fell to the Mongol invaders.

Ordubad was a vital trade city through which caravans from China, Europe, and India passed. The city exported fruits, agricultural products, and silk. The Iranian historian Hamdallah Qazvini described Ordubad in the mid-14th century as a provincial city, one of five cities in the Nakhchivan region, lush with gardens and known for its exquisite grapes, grains, and cotton. In his work “Nuzhat al-Qulub,” Hamdallah Qazvini (14th century) mentions Ordubad alongside Nakhchivan in the context of the Azerbaijan region.

At the end of the 14th century, the city was attacked by Timur’s forces. In 1387, after conquering Khorasan, Timur and his army advanced towards Tabriz and then Nakhchivan, passing through Ordubad and its surroundings, which suffered significant damage as a result. The battles near Ordubad during the prolonged siege of the fortress of Alindzhakala were particularly devastating for the local population.

In the 15th century, a feudal fortress was established on the left bank of the Ordubadchai River on the hill of Ambaras, becoming the center of a city that began to flourish through trade.

Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, Ordubad was successively part of the states of Garagoyunlu, Aqqoyunlu, and the Safavids. However, it faced destruction in the 16th and 17th centuries, caught in the crossfire between the Safavid and Ottoman empires. In the 16th century, the Iranian Shah Abbas placed special importance on Ordubad, as the local population demonstrated loyalty to him during the war with the Ottoman Empire. In 1588, when the empire’s forces under the leadership of Jafar Pasha captured Ordubad, Shah Abbas I (reigned 1587-1629) recaptured the city and exempted the local populace from taxes as a reward for their valiant resistance against the Ottoman troops. This act was also credited to the vizier of the Iranian shah, Khateb Bek, who hailed from Ordubad. The subsequent tax exemption facilitated the city’s recovery and the development of trade and craftsmanship. This decree from Shah Abbas, consisting of just five points, was inscribed on stone and still adorns the walls of the Ordubad Juma Mosque today.

Until the 16th century, Ordubad was a center of craftsmanship and trade. In the 17th century, new trading centers began to emerge on the left bank of the Ordubadchai River. As the city’s development continued on the right side, the fortress lost its significance.

The late 16th to the first half of the 17th century was a challenging period for Ordubad. The city often became a battleground for fierce and bloody clashes between Turkish and Iranian forces, suffering repeated looting and destruction. In 1635, during the Iranian-Turkish war, Ordubad was brutally devastated. However, by the second half of the 17th century, external political stabilization contributed to the revival of urban life, the restoration of crafts, and the resurgence of trade.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, new trading centers began to emerge along the right bank of the Ordubadchai River.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Ordubad became part of the Safavid Empire. In 1724, the city fell under Ottoman control, only to later come under the rule of Iranian Shah Nadir. Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, Ordubad was integrated into the Nakhchivan Khanate, specifically within the southeastern district of Aza-Dzheyran. However, following the Russo-Persian War of 1827 and the subsequent Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828, these territories were ceded to Tsarist Russia.

In the early years of its incorporation into the Russian Empire, Ordubad was classified as a non-district city within the Nakhchivan district of the Erivan province, strategically positioned on the border between Russia and Persia. By 1834, the population of the city and its 52 surrounding villages totaled 11,341, predominantly consisting of Azerbaijanis engaged in horticulture and sericulture. A remarkable, towering plane tree stood in the city, a landmark of its historical landscape, and at that time, there was a single-class urban school serving the educational needs of the community. From 1850 to 1868, Ordubad served as the district center of the Erivan province, playing a significant role in the administrative structure of the region.

As the 20th century approached, the residents of Ordubad faced grave challenges, becoming victims of Armenian terrorism and enduring brutal persecution. By the turn of the 20th century, the population had reached approximately 4,500, predominantly comprised of “Transcaucasian Tatars,” a term we now recognize as Azerbaijanis. Since that time, Ordubad has experienced significant growth, doubling in size as it expanded down the Ordubadchai River, while the old city, much like Sheki’s Upper Bash, has remained largely untouched, preserving its historical essence.

By the early 20th century, the silk industry supported four-fifths of Ordubad’s population. Compared to the Armenian workshops in Agulis, they were more patriarchal and lagged behind their neighbors in technical equipment, but they matched them in both the quantity and quality of finished silk. During the Soviet era, the workshops were consolidated into the Ordubad Silk Combine.

However, overall, the number one enterprise in Ordubad during the Soviet period became the fruit canning factory, as the surrounding foothills were exceptionally well-suited for growing fruits and nuts.