List of castles and fortresses in Azerbaijan explained

This is a list of castles and fortresses in Azerbaijan. There are a lot of castles in Azerbaijan which were built in ancient and medieval times. Thus the names of some castles have "qala", "divar" or "qüllə" suffixes.

Karabakh Region

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Garakopaktapa	Fuzuli District	3rd millennium BC	Eneolithic Age
2	Askeran fortress	Khankendi	1751	Melik Shahnazar II/Panah Ali Khan^[1]
3	Kachag Castle	Khankendi	9th century	Principality of Khachen
4	Shahbulag Castle	Aghdam	1752	Karabakh Khanate
5	Shusha fortress	Shusha	1751	Melikdoms of Artsakh/Karabakh Khanate[2]
6	Koroghlu Fortress	Gedebey	16th century	Safavid Empire
7	Maiden Tower	Gedebey	9th century	Bagratid Armenia
8	Andorab Castle	Tartar	8th century	Bagratid Armenia^[3]
9	Izz Castle	Tartar	7th century	Arminiya^[4]
10	Gulistan Castle	Goranboy	5th century	Kingdom of Armenia^[5]
11	Lex Castle	Kalbajar	1140s	Kingdom of Artsakh
12	Shalat Castle	Goranboy	4th century	Kingdom of Armenia^[6]
13	Chilgigala Castle	Lachin	10th century	Bagratid Armenia
14	Bayat Castle	Tartar	1748	Karabakh Khanate
15	Baylakan Castle	Beylagan District	5th century	Kingdom of Armenia
16	Barda Castle	Berde	1122	Kingdom Of Artsakh
17	Maiden Tower	Jabrail	12th century	Shaddadids
18	Jomard Castle	Kalbajar	6th century BC	Orontid Armenia
19	Kalaboynu Castle	Kalbajar	4th century BC	Kingdom of Armenia
20	Ktish Castle	Khojavend	5th century BC	Orontid Armenia
21	Kerki Castle	Khankendi	4th century BC	Orontid Armenia^[7]
22	Khan Castle	Khankendi	2nd century	Kingdom of Armenia
23	Shahid Castle	Agjabedi	1918	Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan

Absheron Region

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Baku fortress	Icheri Sheher	12th century	Shirvanshahs
2	Quadrangular Castle	Mərdəkan (Baku)	12th century	Akhsitan I ibn Minuchihr III
3	Nardaran Fortress	Baku	1301	Shirvanshahs
4	Ramana Castle	Baku	14th century	Shirvanshahs
5	Round Castle	Sabunchu District	1232	Shirvanshahs
6	Maiden Tower	Icheri Sheher	9th century BC (The second time 12th century)	Shirvanshahs
7	Bilgah Castle	Sabunçu, Baku	14th century BC	Shirvanshahs
8	Shagan Castle	Baku	12th century	Shirvanshahs
9	Shikh Castle	Baku	1232	Ilkhanake Empire
10	Burjs of Pirallahi	Pirallahi Island	1329	Ilkhanate Empire

Ganjabasar Region

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Ganja Fortress	Ganja	16th century	Safavid Empire
2	Askipara Monastery Castle	Gazakh	5th century	Kingdom of Armenia^[8]
3	Old Ganja Castle	Ganja	10th century	Shaddadids
4	Koroghlu Castle	Tovuz	16th century	Safavid Empire
5	Shamkir fortress	Shamkir	17th century	Safavid Empire
6	Hunan Castle	Tovuz	8th century	Bagratid Armenia
7	Didivan Castle	Gazakh	6th century	Kingdom of Armenia
8	Zurnabad Castle	Goygol	13th century	Ilkhanate Empire

Shaki-Zaqatala Region

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Sumug Castle	İlisu	18th century	Elisu Sultanate
2	Shamilgala (Galacha)	Gakh	1850s	Zakatal Okrug
3	Shaki fortress	Shaki	15th century	Shirvanshahs
4	Gelersen-Görersen fortress	Shaki	8th century	Shirvanshahs
5	Jinli Castle	Ağçay	8th century	Caucasian Albania
6	Fairy Castle (Parigala)	Zagatala	3rd century	Caucasian Albania
7	Kabalaka	Gabala	1st century BC	Caucasian Albania
8	Aydinbulag Castle	Sheki	9th century	Sheki Kingdom
9	Hazrat Ali Castle	Shaki	8th century	Arab Caliphate
10	Nukha Castle	Sheki	18th century	Mahammadhuseyn Khan/Shaki Khanate
11	Elisu Castle	Gakh	1840s	Elisu Sultanate
12	Chingis Castle	Gakh	15th century	Safavid Empire
13	Icheri Bazar Castle	Gakh	1710s	Safavid Empire
14	Hasan Khan Castle	Gakh	1860s	Zakatal Okrug
15	City Castle	Sheki	3rd century BC	Caucasian Albania
16	Zagatala Castle	Zagatala	1830	Zakatal Okrug
17	Oguz Castle	Oguz	7th century BC	Median Empire
18	Girls Castle	Gabala	820s	Salarids
19	Surkhay Khan Castle	Oguz	18th century	Elisu Sultanate
20	Bum Castle	Gabala	5th century	Caucasian Albania
21	Vandam Castle	Gabala	5th century	Caucasian Albania
22	Malug Castle	Oguz	9th century	Shaki Kingdom
23	Saray Castle	Sheki	1750s	Shaki Khanate

Castles in Janub (South) Region

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Kynon Castle	Lankaran	8th century	Khurramites
2	Balabyur Castle	Lankaran	7th century	Caucasian Albania
3	Shindan Castle	Astara	7th century	Caucasian Albania
4	Lankaran Castle	Lankaran	1726	Safavid Empire
5	Zindan Fortress	Lankaran	1747	Afshar Empire
6	Chay Castle	Masally	Khurramites	810s

Shimal (North) Region

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Chirag Gala	Shabran District	4th century	Caucasian Albania
2	Shabran Castle	Shabran	1st century BC	Massagetae
3	Turan Castle	Kusar	7th century	Caucasian Albania
4	Anig Castle	Kusar	9th century	Emirate of Darband
5	Khoja Castle	Khachmaz	12th century	Seljuk Empire

Aran Region

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Baghravan Castle-City	Unknown	2nd millennium BC	Kura–Araxes culture
2	Ultan Castle	Sabirabad	4th century	Caucasian Albania
3	Surkhay Castle	Agdash	17th century	Arash Sultanate
4	Seljuk Castle	Bilasuvar	11th century	Seljuk Empire
5	Castle	Sabirabad	4th century BC	Atropatene
6	Bayramkoha Castle	Goychay	3rd century	Caucasian Albania
7	Safavid Castle	Shirvan	1512	Safavid Empire
8	Su (Water) Castle	Yevlakh	18th century	Arash Sultanate

Shirvan Region

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Shamakhi Fortress	Shamakhi	1045	Shirvanshahs
2	Javanshir Fortress	Ismailli	640s	Caucasian Albania
3	Niyal Castle	Ismailli	3rd century	Caucasian Albania
4	Kala-Bugurt	Shamakhi	14th century	Shirvanshahs
5	Bashkal Castle	Ismailli	13th century BC	Shirvanshahs
6	Gulustan Castle	Shamakhi	9th century	Sajid dynasty
7	Maiden Castle	Ismailli	7th century	Caucasian Albania
8	Khan Castle	Ismailli	17th century	Safavid Empire
9	Haram Castle	Agsu	16th century	Safavid Empire
10	Kasim Han Castle	Ismailli	17th century	Safavid Empire
11	Fit Castle	Agsu	18th century	Afshar Empire
12	Spring Castle	Agsu	1741	Afshar Empire

Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic

No.	Name	City	Year	Founder and Era	Picture
1	Chalkhankala Fortress	Kangarli	3rd millennium BC	Aratta/Bronze Age
2	Sadarak Castle	Sadarak	Turukkis/15th century BC	Bronze Age
3	Gazanchi Castle	Julfa	2nd millennium BC	Lullubi Kingdom/Bronze Age
4	Oglan Castle	Sharur	2nd millennium BC	Bronze Age
5	Gavur Castle	Nakhchivan	2nd millennium BC	Kura–Araxes culture
6	Abbasabad (fortress)	Babek District	1810	Nakhichevan Khanate
7	Jugha Castle	Shahbuz	11th century	Bagratid Armenia
8	Karasu Castle	Sharur	2nd millennium BC	Bronze Age
9	Yezidabad Castle	Nakhchivan	640s	Sasanian Empire
10	Shapur Castle	Shahbuz	1st century	Kingdom of Armenia
11	Alinja Tower	Julfa	1140s	Kingdom of Syunik
12	Ordubad Castle	Ordubad	104	Kingdom of Armenia
13	Duylun Castle	Babek District	6th century BC	Median Empire
14	Nahajir Castle	Julfa	2nd millennium BC	Shulaveri-Shomu culture
15	Marzban Castle	Babek District	9th century	Salarids
16	Gul Kala	Sharur	1140s	Eldiguzids
11	Kharabagilan	Ordubad	5th century	Kingdom of Armenia

See also

• List of castles

External links

• Historical monuments Azerbaijans.com

Notes and References

1. Web site: Principality of Varanda - Nagorno Karabakh Republic . 2023-10-27.
2. Book: Mkrtchyan. Shahen. Historical and Architectural Monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh.

   hy:Շահեն Մկրտչյան

   . 1988. Yerevan. Parberakan. 161–162. 5-540-00402-7. Ulubabyan. Bagrat. Bagrat.
3. Book: Bakshi, Kim . The Sacred Treasures of Artsakh . 2015 . 9789939013855.
4. Book: Evans, Helen J . Islamic Art, Armenian Art: Connections across Religions . Princeton University . 2018.
5. Book: Armenian Monuments in the Region of Karabakh . "Gitutiun" Publishing House of NAS RAA . 2001 . 9785808004689.
6. Book: Hasratian, Murad . Early Christian Architecture of Armenia . Incobook . 2010 . 978-5888520284.
7. Book: Maranci, Christina . The Art of Armenia . Oxford University Press Inc . 22 November 2018 . 978-0190269005.
8. Book: Stone & Candle: Armenian Monastaries . Benjamin Wolbergs . 978-3-96900-109-7.