Gabala State Historical and Artistic Reserve

GABALA STATE HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC RESERVE

Address: AZ3613, Republic of Azerbaijan, Gabala district, Chukhur Gabala village
Total area: 420 hectares
Usage format: exhibition and visitor site

The Gabala State Historical and Artistic Reserve is located on the territory of one of the most ancient urban centers of Azerbaijan. It encompasses the archaeological heritage of ancient Gabala, the capital of Caucasian Albania.

The reserve is situated approximately 18 km southwest of the Gabala district center, within the territories of Chukhur Gabala and Tovla villages. The earliest written references to the city date back to the 1st century AD, when the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder referred to it as “Kabalaka,” and in the 2nd century AD the Greek scholar Claudius Ptolemy mentioned it as “Xabala.”

Three main historical and archaeological areas are located within the reserve:

- The Antique City Site (50 hectares) - located between the Garachay and Gochalan rivers. From the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD, it served as the main center of Gabala. Research has revealed that the city was built on an earlier Early Iron Age settlement.

- The Selbir Area (13 hectares) - situated on a high plateau between the Garachay and Jovurlu rivers. It covers the period from the 1st to the 12th century AD. Archaeological studies confirm that habitation continued there until the 15th century.

- The Gala Area (12 hectares) - covering the period from the 1st to the 18th century AD. In the 11th century, the Selbir and Gala territories were separated by a defensive ditch.

In addition to these areas, the reserve includes the archaeological sites of Shehidler, Kamaltepe, Khurshidtepe and others. Since 2005, systematic excavations have been carried out by Azerbaijani and South Korean archaeologists. The research has uncovered structural remains from different cultural layers, production facilities, and oval-plan architectural constructions.

Excavated areas have been conserved, and informational boards and directional signs have been installed. Near the reserve, the modern Gabala Archaeological Center operates, featuring two exhibition halls (museum), a restoration laboratory, a conference hall, a library, and an archaeological archive.

The reserve is an important scientific and cultural tourism site, presenting the ancient urban civilization of Azerbaijan in a vivid and accessible way.