Beylagan (city)

Beyləqan Beyləqan
City & Municipality
Beyləqan
Coordinates:
Country	Azerbaijan
Rayon	Beylagan
Founded	1403
Elevation	60 m (200 ft)
Population (2012)
• Total	15 599
Time zone	AZT (UTC+4)
• Summer (DST)	AZT (UTC+5)
Area code(s)	+994 152
Website	Official website

Beylagan (also, Beyləqan, Beyläqan, Bejlagan, Beilagan, Jdanov, Zhdanov, Ždanovsk, and Zhdanovsk) is the capital city of Beylagan rayon of Azerbaijan. During the Soviet era, it was renamed Zhdanov (Жданов) after Stalinist politician Andrei Zhdanov. This move was reverted in 1991 when the city assumed its original name again. Beylagan is one of the oldest towns in Azerbaijan. It is located in the triangle between the Kura and Aras rivers in the Mil steppe.

History

Some historians say that Beylagan is to have been founded by the Sassanid emperor Qobad and it may have been built during the time of Iranian migration and colonization of the region. In pre-Islamic times the city was known as Paytakaran. During the sixth century 'Paidangaran' (as its name is recorded in Syriac) was a diocese of the Assyrian Church of the East, two of whose bishops are known. The city surrendered peacefully to the Arabs and a period of Islamisation ensued, in which the city of Paytakaran became known as Baylaqan. Muslim chronicles describe it as a flourishing city. In the 12th century, the city had to pay tribute to Georgia and was sacked in 1220 by the Mongols, who slaughtered the inhabitants and burned it down. However, survivors subsequently returned and rebuilt it. At the end of the 14th century it was destroyed by Timur, who later rebuilt it, but the city was abandoned. Its ruins are now known as Ören-kala and lie near Kabirli village, a 22 km drive from the modern city of Beylagan.

City administrative center of the Beylagan region.

References

• Fiey, J. M., Pour un Oriens Christianus novus; répertoire des diocèses Syriaques orientaux et occidentaux (Beirut, 1993)
• Beylagan (city) at GEOnet Names Server