Qabala District

Qabala (Azerbaijani: Qəbələ rayonu) (Lezgian: Кьвепеле район) is a rayon of Azerbaijan. Its administrative center is the historic town of Qəbələ, which in ancient times was known as the capital of Caucasian Albania.

The town's most famous resident is former English footballer Tony Adams, who manages the local team. Gabala Radar Station is in the rayon and is rented by Russia from Azerbaijan.

History

Qabala bears the name of the ancient Qabala, a city which was the capital of the ancient state of Caucasian Albania. The ruins of the old city are located 20 kilometers to southwest of the present center of the district. The remnants of the large buildings, city gates, tower walls and patters of material culture prove that Gabala was one of the most prominent cities at that time.

Ancient Gabala was created as a city in the late 4th-early 3rd century B.C. and survived up to the mid 18th century A.C. A great many of changes occurred in the life of the city through the period of existence. Due to different historical events the city was damaged more than once.

Qabala

Coordinates: 40°58′53″N 47°50′45″E / 40.98139°N 47.84583°E / 40.98139; 47.84583

Gabala (Azerbaijani: Qəbələ) (Lezgian: Кьвепеле), also known as Qabala, is a city in Azerbaijan and the capital of the Qabala Rayon. The municipality consists of the city of Gabala and the village of Küsnat. Before 1991 the city was known as Kutkashen, but after Azerbaijan's independence the town was renamed in honour of the much older city of Gabala, the former capital of Caucasian Albania, the archaeological site of which is about 20 km southwest.

History

Antiquity

Gabala is the ancient capital of Caucasian Albania. Archeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of Caucasian Albania as early as 4th century BC. The Ruins of the ancient town are situated 15 km from the regional center, allocated on the territory between Garachay and Jourluchay rivers. Gabala was located in the middle of the 2,500-year-old Silk Road, and was mentioned by Pliny the Younger as "Kabalaka", Greek geographer Ptolemy as "Khabala", Arabic historian Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri as "Khazar". In the 19th century, the Azerbaijani historian Abbasgulu Bakikhanov mentioned in his book Gulistani Irem that Kbala or Khabala were in fact Gabala.