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Gabala State Historical and Artistic Reserve

The Gabala State Historical and Artistic Reserve, operating under the State Service for the Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was established by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR on March 27, 1978.

The reserve covers a territory where historical, cultural, architectural, ethnographic, and archaeological monuments of great importance for the development of culture and tourism are located, as well as memorial sites connected with historical events and personalities and the artifacts found there. The remains of the city of Gabala, which was the capital of ancient Caucasian Albania, are located within the reserve.

The areas where the remains of the ancient city of Gabala are located lie approximately 18 km southwest of the center of the Gabala district, within the territories of the present-day villages of Chukhur Gabala and Tovla. The first written information about Gabala, which was the capital of ancient Caucasian Albania in the 4th–3rd centuries BC, is found in the work “Natural History” by the 1st-century AD Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, where it is mentioned as Kabalaka (Cabalaca). The 2nd-century AD Greek scholar Claudius Ptolemy referred to Gabala as Khabala.

The remains of the city of Gabala from the Antiquity and the Middle Ages cover a vast area, of which three important historical and archaeological parts are included in the Gabala State Historical and Artistic Reserve:

1. Ancient city site. Date: 4th century BC – 1st century AD
2. Selbir area. Date: 1st–12th centuries AD
3. Gala area. Date: 1st–18th centuries AD

In total, the reserve covers an area of 420 hectares, which, in addition to the areas mentioned above, also includes the archaeological areas of Shahidlar, Kamaltepe, Bayir city, and others.

Since 2005, archaeological excavations have been carried out in the reserve by archaeologists of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of ANAS with the initiative, organization, and financial support of the SEBA (Seoul-Baku) Azerbaijan-Korea Cultural Exchange Association, and since 2009, archaeologists from South Korea have also participated. As a result of these studies, remains of structures and production facilities belonging to different cultural layers have been identified.

In addition to visiting the historical site, tourists are also given the opportunity to visit the museum located within the Gabala Archaeological Center, built in this area by the SEBA organization.

Visitors are offered cultural services such as using nearby hotel facilities, relaxing in the forest area around the lake, enjoying tea service and national cuisine, as well as using a children's entertainment center.

Additional services (per 1 hour):
Filming of documentary and popular science films – 150 AZN
Filming of TV programs – 100 AZN
Filming of clips – 300 AZN
Helicopter and drone filming – 150 AZN
Promotional filming of monuments – 300 AZN
Photography for advertising – 150 AZN
Professional photoshoot – 100 AZN