27-02-2025, 22:11

Alinja - Azerbaijan's "Machu Picchu! An unusual tour to Nakhchivan with the best guides.

The estimated time of construction is the 1st-6th centuries. The name of the fortress has both Arabic and Turkic meanings. According to Arabic, the name "Alinja" means "Ali's place", and in Turkic - "after the capture". Alinjagala fortress in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. It is located in the Julfa region on the right bank of the Alinjachay River on the top of the mountain of the same name. In ancient sources it is called Erinjag, Erinjik, Alandzhik, Alyndzha, Alandzhik. Researchers associate the name of Alinjagala with the word "Alan", which in the ancient Turkic language was used to mean "plain". This is due to the similarity of the territory of the fortress with a small area. Spanish diplomat ambassador of the King of Castile Enricon III in 1403-1406 in the state of Teymurids Ruy González Clavijo described Alinjagala as follows: “Alinjagala is located on a high and steep mountain and is surrounded by towers. Inside the walls, in the lower parts of the mountain slopes, there are vineyards, gardens, fields, pastures, springs and pools. The castle or fortress is located on the top of the mountain. In folk etymology, the fortress is called Alinjak, i.e. “to refuse something”. And this is due to the impregnability of the fortress.” There are several versions of the history of the construction of the fortress. Based on sources, some researchers date the history of the fortress back 2 thousand years. In the epic “Kitabi Dede Gorgud” Alinjagala is described as a strongly fortified fortress. In medieval sources, Alinjagala is mentioned as an ordinary fortress. Information about Alinjagala is provided by historians Nasavi (13th century), Sharafaddin Ali Yazdi (15th century), Turkish traveler Ovliya Celebi (17th century) and others. Alinjagala is a symbol of grandeur and defiance. The fortress, first of all, amazes a person with its unusual appearance. The walls of the fortress begin from the slopes of Mount Alinja and in a stepped form, rising upwards, completely cover the top. The ancient walls of the fortress were built from large stones and burnt bricks brought from the surrounding villages. On the northern slope there are ruins of three walls of semicircular towers, on the western slope there are ruins of eight walls. Alinjagala mainly consists of three wide sections: northern, northwestern and southwestern. Stone steps were built to climb from the northern part to the northwestern and southwestern parts. The strong walls of the fortress and the steep cliff turned it into an impregnable defensive fortification. In the upper part of the fortress, the ruins of residential and public buildings made of burnt bricks, reminiscent of a small town, attract attention. This place of residence of chiefs and large feudal lords is called "shah takhty" (the throne of the shah). Even in the literature of the 19th century, the remains of beautiful palaces and buildings belonging to the feudal lords of Alinjagala were mentioned. At one time, it was possible to keep a herd of horses, cattle, 600 fighters with their horses and military equipment in the fortress. The found shard of high-quality celadon porcelain attracts attention. According to researchers, celadon dishes were brought to Azerbaijan from China via the Great Silk Road. During the reign of the Azerbaijani Atabeks Eldegezid, the importance of Alinjagala increased; as an important military fortification, it turned into a refuge for the ruling family. The residence of the ruler of Nakhchivan, Zahida Khatun, and the treasury of the Eldegezid dynasty were in Alinjagala. In 1225, during the invasion of Azerbaijan by the hordes of Khorezmshah Jalal ad-Din Mankburnu, the last ruler of the Eldegezid dynasty, Uzbek, who was in the fortress, was killed in one of the battles. In the 13th-14th centuries, the fortress was in the possession of the Hulakids, and in the second half of the 14th century, it was in the possession of the Jalairs. The names of the rulers of Sultan Tahir, the chiefs of the fortress, Ustamur (1343), Hajj Jovhar (1390), Amir Altun (1390), Seyid Ali, Haji Saleh and Ahmed Ogulshay (1401) are known. In the 80-90s of the 18th century, Alinjagala was the main stronghold of the Azerbaijani people's struggle against the hordes of Timur, which lasted 14 years. In 1393, Timur's forty thousand strong army approached Alinjagala. At this time, one detachment under the command of Altun secretly leaves the fortress, chooses the right position and attacks the enemy who has captured the fortress gates from the rear and defeats him. In 1397, the combined forces of the Sheki and Georgians at Alinjagala defeat the Timurid commander Sultan Sajar, free Sultan Tair from encirclement and send him to Baghdad. The defense of the fortress was at one time led by Seyid Ali, Haji Saleh and three Georgian aznaurs (commanders). Alinjagala greatly worried Timur. In 1399, after returning from India to Samarkand, Timur receives information from a messenger about the situation in Alinjagala and 4 months later approaches the fortress with an army. The assault on the fortress is led by 5-6 emirs (commanders). As a result of the disagreement, the fortress is left defenseless and surrenders.
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