Zaqatala (city)

Coordinates: 41°38′01″N 46°38′36″E / 41.63361°N 46.64333°E / 41.63361; 46.64333

Zaqatala
City & Municipality
Zaqatala

Location of Zaqatala

Coordinates: 41°38′1″N 46°38′36″E / 41.63361°N 46.64333°E / 41.63361; 46.64333
Country  Azerbaijan
Rayon Zaqatala
Elevation[1] 518 m (1,702 ft)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 31,300
Time zone AZT (UTC+4)
 • Summer (DST) AZT (UTC+5)

Zaqatala (Azerbaijani: Zaqatala; Georgian: ზაქათალა, zakatala; also, Sakataly, Zakatalsk, and Zakataly) is a city in northwest Azerbaijan. With a municipal population of 31,300 inhabitants, it is located northwest of Sheki, by the Tala River and is the main municipality of the Zaqatala rayon. The municipality consists of the city of Zaqatala and the nearby village of Qazangül.[3] The city is populated by variety of ethnic groups, each speaking their own language which are not linguistically related to each other in the region.

A plane tree in one of Zaqatala's public parks.

History

Initially this territory of modern Zaqatala was a province of Caucasian Albania,. After that, the region was a separate kingdom within Georgian cultural and political influence. During the medieval era what later became known as Saingilo was mostly controlled by the kingdom of Georgia and Shirvan.

In the Middle Ages seven Georgian schools operated in Saingilo which included the courses of theology, philosophy, orthography, church history, and the history of Georgia and for the students. These schools played an essential cultural and educational role. They put a vital contribution in establishing cultural relations among the peoples of the Caucasus.

Zaqatala has several sites of historic significance, most of which are centered on its 19th-century town centre. The main square, formerly called Lenin Square, features a pair of 700-year-old plane trees.

The city's most prominent feature is a ruined fortress, built in the 1830s by occupying Russian forces during the Caucasian War to defend the city from rebels (See Djaro-Belokani league). In the 1850s, the town was the site of battles between Russians and Dagestani leader Imam Shamil.[4] It was center of Zakatala okrug (district) of Tiflis Governorate between 1860 and 1917. It was part of Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic between 1917 and 1918 and Georgian Democratic Republic between 1918 and 1921 before passing to Azerbaijan in March 1922.

In the 20th century the town and its fortress became more famous when the fortress was used as one of the prisons for the mutinous crew of the battleship Potëmkin, whose actions in the failed 1905 Revolution were a precursor to the eventual 1917 revolution. The statue of one of the mutineers erected in the Soviet era still decorates Heydar Aliyev park not far from the fortress.[5] Currently, the fortress still houses a military garrison as well as several Soviet-style apartment buildings. Near the northern part of the ramparts and off of the main square is a beautiful, but abandoned, Georgian church.[6] The town now sports a sizable new mosque.[7]

Zagatala fortress

The town

It is served by the A315 road coming from Mingachevir and leading to the Georgian border at Lagodekhi as well as by a small airfield. North of the town there is an important wildlife and nature preserve. The Caucasus Mountains provide it with natural protection from the north winds. The wooded mountainsides, with frequent waterfalls offer great hiking opportunities. Due to its climate the town became a mountain health resort.

There are several hotels in both Zaqatala and surrounding villages including Ashaghi Tala and Jar (also spelled Car/Djari), both about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Zaqatala.

The abandoned Georgian church in Zaqatala.

Demographics

Azerbaijanis, Avars, Lezgins, Tsakhurs and Georgians known as Ingiloy inhabit Zaqatala and the surrounding rayon. In addition to the Azeri population, which is the majority here and in most of the rest of Azerbaijan, communities of Dagestani peoples, including the Avars, Tsakhurs, and Lezgins, live in the area. The majority of population are Sunni Muslim (predominantly among Dagestani peoples) and Orthodox Christians (among the Ingiloys (Georgians) and Russians) minorities.[8]

Historical ethnic composition of Zaqatala
Year Azeris Armenians Russians Others Total
1897[9][10] 299 9.9% 1,400 46.5% 258 8.6% Avars - 20%
Georgians - 6.3%		 3,009
1939[11] 2,577 30% 1,414 16.5% 2,986 34.7% Avars - 5.6% 8,594
1979[12] 9,678 63.7% 836 5.5% 951 6.3% Avars - 9.5%
Tsakhur 8.8%		 15,195

Transportation

Air

Zaqatala International Airport is the only airport in the city.[13][14] The airport is connected by bus to the city center. There are domestic flights to Baku and international service to Russia and Turkey.

Climate

Zaqatala has a humid subtropical climate.

Climate data for Zakataly (1961–1990, extremes 1952–1994)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 20.0
(68)		 23.9
(75)		 27.8
(82)		 31.1
(88)		 36.1
(97)		 36.1
(97)		 38.9
(102)		 38.9
(102)		 37.2
(99)		 32.8
(91)		 25.0
(77)		 22.8
(73)		 38.9
(102)
Average high °C (°F) 5.3
(41.5)		 6.3
(43.3)		 11.2
(52.2)		 18.8
(65.8)		 22.2
(72)		 26.8
(80.2)		 30.5
(86.9)		 29.3
(84.7)		 25.7
(78.3)		 18.8
(65.8)		 12.5
(54.5)		 7.9
(46.2)		 17.9
(64.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.1
(34)		 2.3
(36.1)		 5.8
(42.4)		 12.7
(54.9)		 17.0
(62.6)		 20.9
(69.6)		 24.6
(76.3)		 23.7
(74.7)		 19.8
(67.6)		 13.5
(56.3)		 7.9
(46.2)		 3.2
(37.8)		 12.7
(54.9)
Average low °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6)		 −1.1
(30)		 2.7
(36.9)		 8.0
(46.4)		 12.0
(53.6)		 16.1
(61)		 19.4
(66.9)		 18.6
(65.5)		 15.0
(59)		 9.4
(48.9)		 4.6
(40.3)		 0.4
(32.7)		 8.6
(47.5)
Record low °C (°F) −22.8
(−9)		 −13.9
(7)		 −12.2
(10)		 −3.9
(25)		 1.1
(34)		 6.1
(43)		 8.9
(48)		 7.8
(46)		 2.2
(36)		 −5.0
(23)		 −7.8
(18)		 −18.9
(−2)		 −22.8
(−9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 35
(1.38)		 52
(2.05)		 67
(2.64)		 78
(3.07)		 115
(4.53)		 129
(5.08)		 64
(2.52)		 75
(2.95)		 65
(2.56)		 106
(4.17)		 72
(2.83)		 33
(1.3)		 891
(35.08)
Average precipitation days 7 8 11 12 13 10 7 7 7 9 8 7 106
Mean monthly sunshine hours 114.3 103.8 130.0 176.7 215.6 261.0 274.8 255.3 220.2 157.8 130.5 110.2 2,150.2
Source #1: NOAA[15]
Source #2: Sistema de Clasificación Bioclimática Mundial[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Zaqatala, Azerbaijan Page". Retrieved 2008-07-03.
  2. ↑ The State Statistical Committee of the Azerbaijan Republic Archived November 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ "Belediyye Informasiya Sistemi" (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on September 24, 2008.
  4. ↑ Elliott, Mark (2010). "Azerbaijan with excursions to Georgia" (4th edition). p. 237.
  5. ↑ Nicas, Peter. "Azerbaijan Things to See & Do Guide". ProfessionalTravelGuide.com. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  6. ↑ Torres Curado, L.M. "Zaqatala (Zakataly)". Azerb.com. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  7. ↑ Elliott, Mark (2010). "Azerbaijan with excursions to Georgia" (4th edition). p. 234.
  8. ↑ Clifton, John M. (2005). "The Sociolinguistic Situation of the Tsakhur in Azerbaijan" (PDF). SIL International. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  9. ↑ http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/emp_lan_97_uezd.php?reg=552
  10. ↑ http://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/zakataly1897.html
  11. ↑ http://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/zakataly39.html
  12. ↑ http://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/zakataly79.html
  13. ↑ "Zaqatala Airport". Azerbaijan Airlines. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  14. ↑ "Zaqatala beynəlxalq hava limanı yenidən fəaliyyətə başlayıb" (in Azerbaijani). milli.az. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  15. ↑ "Zagatala Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Zakataly (Azerbaijan)" (PDF). Centro de Investigaciones Fitosociológicas. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
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