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Ganja (Gəncə or Ҝәнҹә in Azerbaijani language) is an ancient town in Azerbaijan. Throughout its history had different names: Abbasabad (during shah Abbas I's rule), Elisabethple (within Russia), and Kirovabad (within the Soviet Union), but mostly was known by its original name. Ganja is the birthplace of the famous classical Middle Eastern poet Nizami. There are many versions for the ethimology of the word "ganja". Some scholars believe it is a name of an old Turkic tribe of Ganjaks who settled here an founded the city. Other say it is a Persian word of ganj ("treasure") that the city was named after. But as the city has never been populated by Persians, the most popular and the most simple explanation is a Turkic word of ganj ("young"). People of Ganja experienced cultural decline after the Mongol invasion in the 11-12th centuries. The city was revived after the Safavis came to power. It became the centre of the Karabakh bailarbailik (the name of an administrative unit). In 1747 Ganja became the capital of the Ganja khanate. In 1804 the last khan of Ganja - Javad - was resisting against joining Russia, and eventually was killed in a battle. Ganja was renamed to Elisabethple after the Russian emperor Paul I's wife - Queen Elisabeth. Anyone who used the word "Ganja" would be charged by the authorities. In 1918 Ganja was a tempopary capital of Azerbaijan, until Baku was liberated. In 1920 the Soviet Union conquered Azerbaijan and later in 1934 the city was renamed to Kirovabad after Serguei Kirov. In 1991 Azerbaijan became independent, and the ancient name of the city was reestablished. Today Ganja is the second largest city in Azerbaijan. The population is over 200,000. There is an airport, museums, the mausoleum of Nizami, etc.

External Links

• Ganja
• Ganja at the Azerbaijan Development Gateway
• Historical Monuments of Ganja

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